How to Plant Pineapples at Home for Personal Use

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Are you a pineapple lover? Would you like to learn how to plant pineapples at home? You might be thinking pineapple cultivation is only for experienced farmers.

Well, that's not true!

Every gardener whether a newbie or green thumb can do it. Isn't it amazing to harvest from your own pineapple fruits? The fruit will taste extra sweeter.

Pineapple is a tropical fruit that can be found in any supermarket. After a trip to South America, It was Christopher Columbus who brought pineapples back to Europe. Pineapples became renowned as an expensive and exotic fruit that was only offered on the most luxurious occasions.

 Pineapples, on the other end, are now widely available and very cheap. It is consumed in solid, dry, or juice form. Diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are reduced when people eat more plant foods like pineapples.

It also promotes a youthful complexion and hair, as well as enhanced energy and a reduction in overall weight. They will also help in better digestion. Pineapples are storage houses of Vitamin C and antioxidants which will help you to battle so many diseases.


A step by step guide on How to Plant Pineapples at home

Step 1: Preparing the pineapple

Take a healthy pineapple that you bought from the grocery store. The color of the pineapple should be golden brown with dark green leaves. Skip the ones that have yellow or brown colored leaves. You need to choose a fully ripen pineapple.

If it is ripened well then the pineapple can produce another baby plant. Make sure not to pick an underripe pineapple. Riped ones will have a sweet and fruity smell around the fruit. If the leaves come off the crown easily then pineapple is too ripe.

You shouldn't choose an overripe pineapple as well. When you find the right pineapple, also check for insects under the leaves or traces of insect attacks. If you find any symptoms on the base of the leaf, do not choose that one.


Step 2: Separate the crown from the fruit

Now that you found your perfect pineapple, it's time to separate the crown from the fruit. Twist the top crown part gently to separate it.

Do not pull on the individual leaves. Take the whole crown in one hand and support the other hand on the fruit while twisting. We need only crown to produce new plants. If you are nervous about pulling out the leaves while twisting, do not stress on it.

You can also cut the top part of the pineapple with a knife. Some fruit may come along when you slice it with the knife. Remove this extra fruit at the base before planting it in the soil. Make sure to be gentle while handling the pineapple.

We don't want the leaves to fall off from the crown. The leaves should stay intact on the crown. There will be a base to this crown where you can see all the leaves have adhered together.

The roots of the baby plant sprout from the base stem of the crown. We need to make some space for the roots to sprout without much tension. For this, remove one or two leaves from the base of the crown.

These leaves might be smaller than others, so it is easier for you to remove them. But do not remove too many leaves. We just want to see a base part of the stem before planting to ensure the easy growth of new roots.


Step 3: Cure the crown to avoid infections

Drying the crown for a week will be beneficial to you. While drying keep it upside down and do not expose it to too much sunlight.

When you remove the crown from the fruit, there might be too many cuts have formed on the base. This one-week drying period will close down those cuts and prevent any infection. Next, you need to soak the pineapple crown before planting. Let's see how to soak the crown.


Step 4: Soak the crown in water

To soak the crown, first, find a container or a glass that could prop the crown.

The top part of the crown should be outside the glass and the base should be inside it. We don't want the pineapple crown to be fully submerged in the water, only the base part should touch the water. Once you found the perfect glass, fill it with fresh water.

Take four toothpicks and stick them onto the pineapple crown a little above the base. The four toothpicks will go in four directions. This is to support the pineapple crown from falling completely into the water. The toothpicks will hold the crown to the edge of the glass.

Place the crown on the glass with only the base touching the water.


Step 5: Expose the crown to adequate indirect sunlight

Now the pineapple crown needs some sunlight to sprout roots. Place the glass near a window where abundant indirect sunlight is available. The sunlight shouldn't be too strong or else the plant will be sunburnt.

You shouldn't keep it in a dark corner either.

The conditions should be favorable for the baby plant to grow. Once you found the best place to keep the glass with the crown, it's time to wait. White roots will grow into the water from the base after a few days.

Be patient and do not disturb the plant during this time. Sometimes it may take weeks for the plant to sprout new roots. Change the water at intervals of three or four days to prevent the water from getting contaminated and molded.


Step 6: How to plant pineapples in the soil

When the crown has grown healthy roots, it's time to replant it into the soil. Take a pot of at least 15 cm height.

Fill it with a potting medium. The soil should contain organic matter. The organic matter will provide the necessary nutrients for the pineapple plant to grow. Take the crown outside from the glass of water and remove the toothpicks placed for support.

Check the state of the roots to ensure they are ready to be planted. If the roots are long and white, they are healthy and all set to go into the pot. If the roots are too tiny, give the crown a little more time to grow roots.

While planting all the roots should be perfectly covered in soil. The base part should be well submerged in the soil. The leaves will already look like a grownup plant. Do not cover any leaves with soil.

Press the soil firmly around the stem to keep the plant steady.


Important tips on caring for pineapple plants

The ideal potting mix for pineapples

Pineapples don't like wet soil. They can withstand drought, but they need consistent hydration for good fruit development. Pineapples can't thrive in damp soil; therefore, they need a well-drained growing medium.

As a result, sandy loam is the greatest soil for growing pineapples.

The sand allows for quick water movement through the soil or leaching. The appropriate container is also critical for pineapple growth because drainage is essential. Growing pineapples in clay containers is an excellent idea.

A potting mix with 2 parts humus, 1-part sand, and 2 parts soil can be used. Pineapples require a pH of 4.5 to 6.5, which is neutral to mildly acidic.


Watering, Sunlight, and Temperature

The pineapple plant loves the sun. So place the pot on a spot where there is a lot of sunlight and a humid atmosphere. Pineapples do not like too cold atmosphere.

So, if your place has a cold climate, it's better to keep the pot inside the house. Take it outside when it is sunny. If you are living in a warm country, then you keep the pot outside and let the plant enjoy a lot of sunlight. Also, be alert not to make the plant too dry. Water regularly and mist the leaves when it is dry.


Pest management

You must be mindful of the plant, and you must take action if you sense the presence of an insect. To eliminate the pest on the cones, destroy the insect with your hands or feet.

If insects are biting your pineapple, you can get rid of them by bathing it in water. You can use the pressure of the water to loosen and remove the bugs from the pineapple. Because beetles are the most resistant to these hazards, you'll have to kill them with your foot or hands.


Conclusion

A pineapple plant can easily be grown as a houseplant indoors. In comparison, growing new pineapple fruit is more challenging. The plant will need to grow to around six feet broad and six feet tall to produce full-sized pineapples.

However, you may grow it as an intriguing indoor plant that can even bear fruit without it taking over your living room. When you cultivate it inside, the fruit will be smaller in comparison. If you want a full-sized fruit, then you can transfer the plant into the garden. That looks pretty easy, doesn't it? T

hen what are you waiting for?

Go buy a pineapple from your nearest grocery store and start your pineapple growing journey.