For many people who have seen enough cartoons in childhood where painted pineapples grow on palms, it becomes a real discovery that this tropical fruit is in real life – the plant is herbaceous and grows on small bushes on the ground. An even greater discovery for the inhabitants of our region, we think, will be that pineapples can be grown on their windowsill. After reading this article, you will find out that breeding pineapple at home- this is not such a troublesome task, although, of course, in order to achieve the desired result, you will have to make an effort.

How to plant pineapple from seeds

The exotic fruit reproduces in four ways: seeds, side shoots, root division and using the apical rosette. The seed method is rarely resorted to, since it is the longest.

Before growing pineapple from seeds, you need to attend to the purchase of a fruit suitable for this activity. It should be ripe well. If you look closely at the fruit, you can see that it is an infertility consisting of many accrete particles-scales, which are arranged in a spiral. The structure of the pineapple fruit is a bit like a pine cone.

There is one seed in almost every scale. You can see this for yourself by peeling the fruit or cutting it into slices. However, it may not be worthwhile to do the extraction of seeds yourself, it is better and easier to purchase them in specialized stores.

How to prepare seeds and soil for planting

If you nevertheless decide to grow children of store-bought pineapple, then brown droplet seeds must be removed, rinsed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate and dried well. You also need to specially prepare the land for planting pineapple. Ideal for sowing sheet soil, sand and peat in equal proportions, or coniferous soil.

Pineapple seed propagation scheme

Scheme seed reproduction simple. The seeds are buried in the ground by 2 cm. After planting, the soil is watered abundantly, then covered with a film or a cap. Place the seed pots in a warm place. The ideal room for pineapple is a room where the temperature will be kept at 20-25 ° C.

Important!The temperature in the room where the pineapple seed will be cultivated directly affects the growth of the plant. The higher it is, the faster the seeds will germinate. For example, in a heat of 30-35 ° C, sprouts can break through in 15-20 days.

You also need to know that the seeds do not grow in the same way, and the germination process of some of them can take long seven (or even more) months.

How to care for crops

Seedlings require regular maintenance. They need to be watered, protected from direct sun rays and feed. It is better to fertilize twice a month with special fertilizers or bird droppings (15-20 g per liter of water). As it grows, the film over the pots must be gradually opened so that the sprouts get used to the dry air.

Using the apical rosette for reproduction

We have already learned how to grow pineapple from seeds. Now let's look at the more common breeding method - from the top.

How to choose a pineapple for breeding

Particular attention should be paid to buying the fruit at the store. It should be ripe, but not overripe, and the leaves at the top should be green, firm, without damage and different kinds stains.

Did you know?You can find out if the pineapple is ripe by pulling one leaf down a little. If it quickly returns to its original position, then the fruit is overripe.

Those who have resorted to this method of reproduction are advised to buy two fruits at once - for a guaranteed result.

Apex rooting process

The apical rosette can be detached by twisting it out. To do this, grab all the leaves with your hand and turn sharply. A small stem will come out with the outlet. The leaves can be simply cut with a knife, while capturing a little pulp.

Important!The pulp must be carefully removed from the trunk, otherwise even if a small amount of it gets into the ground, this will lead to purulent processes and the death of the plant.

After cleansing from the pulp, it is necessary to delicately cut off the bottom of the crown - until the root buds are exposed (small dots or circles around the circumference of the stem). Try not to damage them, because these are the rudiments of the roots. You can sprinkle the cut with activated charcoal to prevent decay of the flesh.

We remove the lower leaves so that a trunk with a height of 2-3 cm remains. After cleaning, the apical rosette must be dried for two days, which will allow the scars at the ends of the roots to heal and avoid rotting.

Several methods are used to germinate roots. One of the most effective is water germination. To do this, the trunk is dipped 3-4 cm into a glass or a jar of water.

Did you know?Roots germinate faster in dark containers.

The water is changed every 2-3 days. For a change, use only settled water room temperature or warmer. Place dishes with tops away from drafts, direct sunlight and temperature extremes. For rapid growth roots in the water, you can add "Kornevin" (1 g / 1 l of water) or "Zircon".

After the roots appear, you need to attend to what kind of soil you need for the pineapple. The rosette with roots is transplanted into soil with the following composition: 3 parts of sod land, 1 part of humus and 1 part of sand. Ready-made mixtures "Cactus", "Bromeliads" are well suited for planting.

The size of the pot in diameter should correspond to the diameter of the crown of the top. Before filling with soil, 2-3 cm of drainage must be laid on the bottom of the pot. We plant the apical rosette in the soil and place the pot in a well-lit place. It is not recommended to tamp the soil in the pot too much.

Pineapple care

Pineapple care consists of regular watering, observation and feeding. Watering should be done in moderation - the soil should be moist, but not wet. Full rooting occurs within 6-8 weeks. It is not recommended to fertilize the plant at this time.

Important!If you notice rot on the surface of a plant or soil, then pineapple can no longer be saved. Better to try growing a new perennial.

In the first two months of life, the old leaves of the top will die off, and young ones will grow in its center. Then the dry leaves will need to be removed. Watering throughout the year is recommended no more than once a week. After a year, the pineapple must be transplanted into a larger pot. Fertilizing 2 times a month from May to August using nitrogen fertilizers and fertilizers for bromeliads.

Flowering can be expected in 3-4 years, when the leaves reach a length of 60 cm. Pineapple flowers are similar to tubules, during flowering within 1-2 weeks they change color: from pale blue to dark crimson. except bright colors your room during this period will also be filled with a delicate pineapple aroma.

Subsequently, the fruit is formed. From the moment of flowering to full maturation 4-7 months pass. Fruits usually grow small - up to 300 g, but they can reach a kilogram.

After flowering, daughter rosettes are transplanted. If the pineapple has not bloomed, then it is transplanted every year.

Since pineapple is a herbaceous plant, it dies after fruiting. However, sometimes a perennial can still delight its owners for three years. Usually, by the time of death, the owners have already managed to plant a large number of pineapple babies.

Did you know?If the pineapple does not bloom for a long time, you can try to help it do this with a flowering stimulant: dissolve 1 teaspoon of calcium carbide (sold in building materials stores) in 0.5 liters of water. Insist the solution for a day in a closed jar, and for a week, once a day, pour 50 ml into the center of the apical "palm".

Pineapple can hit spider mite, mealybug, scale insects, aphids and phylloxera. Rubdowns are used for treatment soapy water and spraying with actellik (1-2 ml per liter of water).

There is another way how to grow pineapple from the top. The cut or twisted top is dried for two weeks, preferably with the leaves down, and then planted immediately into the ground. They take a small pot. A 2 cm layer of pebbles and expanded clay is poured at the bottom, the earth is mixed peat and river sand in equal parts.

Two days before planting, the substrate must be disinfected with boiling water. The top is immersed in the soil to the lower leaves and sprayed. A prerequisite for this way planting is to cover the pot with a plastic bag or plastic bottle.

Place the plant in a warm place (25-27 ° C). V winter period can be placed on a radiator, but be sure to put a board or book under the pot. Pineapple roots should form within a month. If during this time the soil in the pot dries up, then it must be watered with warm water that has been settled during the day. If the leaves are very dry, they must be sprayed. After rooting, the bags or the bottle are removed from the pot.

Today you cannot find such a person who has not heard of pineapple. This exotic fruit, which is native to the subtropics, is supplied to most countries. And surely many had a desire to feast on pineapple grown by their own hands.

It is quite possible to realize such an idea, because with the right approach you can get fruit of approximately the same quality at home or in a greenhouse.

Description of the pineapple plant

Pineapple is perennial plant, which during the growing season forms dense leaves, forming a dense rosette. An important part of the pineapple is root rosette, from which a thick and massive stem is formed.

Subsequently, a peduncle 50 cm long grows at its top.Pineapple flowers are spicate, during ripening at the top of the peduncle it grows rosette with bracts.

You can understand what the outlet looks like by looking at the store where pineapple plants are sold. The homeland of this fruit is Brazil. Therefore, it is not surprising that here, as well as in Venezuela, Paraguay and Colombia, it is one of the most popular fruits... Pineapple includes about 8 different varieties.

Surely at least once, when tasting this fruit, many had the idea of ​​growing pineapple at home. There is no obstacle here, and the fact that pineapple is a tropical fruit. The main thing - pick up suitable conditions in which this fruit will be grown.

Preparation of planting material

To save yourself from possible difficulties and at the same time be sure that the efforts expended will not be in vain, it is recommended to use crown planting method or rosettes of leaves. Before starting the growing process, you need to carefully examine the pineapple.

Suitable for growing at home only ripe fruit, the crest of which should not show signs of disease and other defects.

Do not use fruit purchased in winter for planting. Indeed, at this time of year, pineapple is stored in cold conditions, so the tuft rosette is often damaged by frost. Therefore, it will not be possible to grow pineapple from such a fruit.

• It is best to plan your pineapple planting in the summer or early fall, when fruit of suitable quality can be purchased.
• The chances of your venture succeeding are higher if you buy a pineapple with an intact tuft center and juicy green leaves.
• When the fruit is in your hands, you need to take a sharp knife and carefully separate the top from it, while being careful not to damage the core. Sometimes flesh may be present on the trimmed top. In this case, it must be removed, otherwise the trunk will subsequently begin to rot.
• In addition, the lower rows of leaves should be cut off. Then you will be able to clearly see the trunk of the plant, which is usually about 1 cm high.
• Having finished trimming, you need to give the tuft time to dry. To do this, it is left upright for two weeks. This time will be enough for him so that the wounds on the surface of the cutting can heal.

Subsequently, the plant will use nutrients on the formation of the root system. Most often, after 2-3 weeks, the tuft reaches the desired state, after which it is already possible to proceed to planting.

Capacity and soil

When growing pineapple at home, you definitely need a special potting mix, as well as a container where you plant the pineapple.

Planting pineapple

When all the necessary operations with the land have been carried out, the tuft begins to be planted. It should be placed in the ground so that the lower leaves are at the level of the soil. In conclusion, it is necessary compact the soil thoroughly.

After that, you definitely need water the ground well, spray, and finally cover the pot with a cap or pull on a plastic bag. The result is a kind of greenhouse.

After about a month, the crest will begin to take root. However, until the first roots appear, the plant cannot be watered. To maintain humidity, you can only limit yourself to regularly spraying the leaves.

Transplant and watering rules

When the pineapple rosette takes root, it is transplanted into a larger pot... In this case, the operation is carried out in accordance with the same scheme as in the case of the first planting of the plant. After transplanting, the pot with the plant must be covered with a cap.

After two to three weeks, the shelter can be removed. For watering, you can only use warm or hot water ... Watering should be done infrequently, but in moderation, keeping an eye on when the soil begins to dry out.

As it develops, water will collect in the leaf axils, which will stimulate the formation of new roots. Considering that pineapple tolerates long periods of drought and is responsive to light, with the arrival of summer it can be transferred to a sunny place or to a balcony.

At the first sign of approaching rain, the plant must be removed inside. To create pineapple conditions as close to natural conditions as possible, it can move to the greenhouse where tomatoes or cucumbers are grown.

Conditions for pineapple and feeding

In order for a pineapple to grow well at home, it needs to create comfortable temperature- within 20-25 degrees.

In the process of development, the plant must be provided with fertilizers. They should be brought in no more than twice a month. Pineapple infusion can provide essential nutrients.

You can replace it and mineral fertilizers however, in this case, their consumption rate must be halved compared to other plants. At the end of summer, when the temperature outside begins to decrease, the plant is brought inside, where it is necessary to choose the most illuminated place for it.

For the first two years after planting, the pineapple needs to be cared for properly so that it can build up enough strength to enter the flowering phase. However, sometimes it happens that the plant begins to bloom later than the specified period.

If you are faced with a similar problem, while providing proper care throughout the entire time, then you will have to spend special events to stimulate flowering.

• usually, the desired effect can be achieved with the help of ethylene; for its preparation, it is necessary to take one teaspoon of calcium carbide and dilute it in 0.5 liters of water;
• when the solution is ready, it is insisted for 24 hours;
• further, it must be filtered, trying to separate the liquid from the sediment that forms at the bottom of the can;
• the resulting liquid must be treated with the central part of the leaf outlet once a day for a week.

As a result of this operation, pretty soon the pineapple will begin to bloom, which will last approximately 1-2 months.

Reproduction of pineapple after fruiting

When growing pineapple from the top, one should not forget that it is a herbaceous plant, therefore, after fruiting, it does not go into a state of dormancy, but dies. But often this process can take a long time and take several years.

The mother plant can form many small shoots that can be used to get new plants. After waiting for the formation of young roots in them, they should be separated, after which they are transplanted into separate pots.

As a rule, plants obtained from young shoots enter the flowering phase much earlier than pineapple bushes, which were obtained from a tuft.

Seed propagation of pineapple

An alternative to growing pineapple from the top is to sow seeds. To do this, you need to choose enough ripe fruit and extract brown seeds from it. Further, they are placed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and after this treatment, they are allowed to dry.

When sowing, the seeds must be buried 2 cm. After that definitely need to water the substrate with warm water, and on top of the container with seeds, stretch a film or install a hood. Then the pots are transferred to a warm place.

Particular attention should be paid to creating optimal temperature regime, since this largely determines the time of the appearance of the first shoots.

It is impossible to say exactly when the seeds will germinate. Therefore, you have to be patient. Sometimes seeds hatch after 2 months, and in some cases you have to wait six months.

In the process of caring for young seedlings, it is necessary not only to water and spray them regularly, but also feed using as fertilizer chicken droppings or mineral supplements.

Pineapple is one of the most popular exotic fruits that each of us has probably heard of. But if you want, you can enjoy home-grown pineapple. You can master this task if you get acquainted with agricultural technology growing it.

The most popular method for growing pineapple is using the top of the fruit. To get a fruiting plant from it, you will have to not only prepare suitable composition soil, but also create favorable conditions for growth.

This primarily concerns the temperature, because pineapple is grown in the tropics. Therefore, it is necessary not only to plant the pineapple correctly, but also to provide it with an appropriate temperature regime.

Of course, it did not reach the size that it reaches under natural conditions, but this is a real little pineapple! Perhaps someone else will want to bring the southern corner into their home.

Pineapple naturally grows in the tropics, that is, it is a thermophilic plant that prefers the sun and high fever... At the same time, pineapple tolerates drought quite easily.

In Russia, this fruit appeared in the 18th century, and it was usually grown in greenhouses. However, in the apartment it is quite possible to get the most real fruits of pineapple.

How to choose a pineapple to grow at home

Planting material - pineapple fruit - can be bought at the market or in a regular store. At the same time, the fruit that you acquire not just for food, but also for further cultivation, must be ripe, not green, but not overripe either.

It is advisable to choose the fruit with a dense skin of a dark golden color, without any spots and damage, not very soft.

Also, the pineapple you bring home should have bright green leaves sticking out of the top. The juicy greens on its tuft are a prerequisite for growing pineapple. The leaves should not have any damage, brown spots, yellowness.

If you buy pineapples in winter, be careful - there is a high probability of purchasing frozen fruit, no matter if you bought it in the market or in a store. It will be impossible to grow pineapple from it at home.

Thus, the planting material has a very great importance... It should be:

• young;
• healthy;
• ripe, but not overripe;
• not be damaged, stained or cut;
• not to be slightly frostbitten, to have a bright healthy fruit (this is what the top of a pineapple with leaves is called).

It is best to purchase the pineapple, the top of which you are going to root, in summer or early fall. In this case, it is advisable to buy not one pineapple, but two or three in order to increase the chances of rooting.

How to prepare pineapple for planting

Of course, not all the fruit should be planted in the ground, but its top (the so-called crest). That is why you need to be very careful about the choice of the fruit and the state of the leaves.

The top should be carefully cut off with a very sharp knife to avoid damage, and then remove the lower leaves from it - about 4 rows so that the "stump" is visible. The size of this "hemp" should be about 1 cm.

The leaves from the bottom can also be cut off or simply pinched off about 2-3 cm from the base. After that, you should very carefully remove the pulp from the inside so as not to damage the leaves. You can gently pull it out with a teaspoon, being careful not to scratch the walls of the fetus.

Pineapple should be cut not completely straight, but at an angle of 45 degrees. If the fruit that you purchased is ripe enough, then you can not cut off the top, but simply, grasping the leaves with your hand, carefully unscrew this fruit from the pineapple. As a rule, with such a separation of the tuft from the fetus, there is less damage, if, of course, you act carefully.

After that, the top without pulp should be turned over and left for a while to dry. This is done in order for the wounded and damaged tip to heal with a knife. In about a week and a half, and the cut of the infructescence itself, and the cuts of the leaves on it will become hard and change color.

This means that the tip is ready for further manipulation. Please note that you can only dry pineapple in an upright position!

This is done to ensure that all nutrients from the leaves are transferred to the part of the apex where the roots will form, and contribute to good root formation.

How to germinate pineapple roots

After the top has dried, it must be placed in an opaque container of water. You need to lower the top into the water so that it plunges there a few centimeters, approximately to the level of the lower leaves.

The water should be at room temperature and should be changed every two to three days to avoid becoming cloudy. Water must be defended without fail.

The container with the top should be placed in a lighted place where there is no danger of drafts and direct sunlight. Now you need to wait until the roots appear. This usually happens after 10 days.

You can do it differently and root the pineapple directly in the ground. To do this, you need to take a small pot, the diameter of which is slightly larger diameter tops, and fill it with a substrate consisting of peat and coarse sand.

Drainage should be put at the bottom of the pot, and then the top of the pineapple should be buried there, inserting it into the ground to the lower leaves. Two to three days before you are going to plant a pineapple, you need to spill the soil in the pot with boiling water for disinfection.

Immediately after planting, you need to sprinkle on the pineapple tuft. warm water and put cellophane on it to create a greenhouse effect. Instead of cellophane, you can use plastic bottles.

It is necessary to put this structure, like a container with water, in a bright place, but avoid exposure to sunlight.

After about three to four weeks, the pineapple will have roots. and it can be transplanted. While the top of the fruit is rooting, there is no need to water the substrate, it is enough just to sprinkle abundantly on the crest with warm water every day, removing the cellophane.

How to plant pineapple correctly

After the roots have appeared at the top of the pineapple, it can be planted directly into the ground. You can purchase a regular potting mix for indoor plants, it is quite light and loose.

The pot should be taken immediately enough big size, at least 20 cm high and at least 30 cm in diameter. In a smaller pot, the pineapple will quickly become uncomfortable, the leaves will begin to turn yellow and dry, and the flowers will not appear, not to mention the fruits. Therefore, a large capacity for planting is very important, this rule cannot be neglected.

The pineapple planting pot must have holes for water drainage, because pineapple roots do not tolerate excessive moisture. Therefore, drainage of at least 3 cm is also required, poured into the bottom of the pot.

The pot is then filled with soil, and the top of the pineapple is planted in it, deepening it by 2 - 3 cm to the lowest leaves. Making sure that the soil does not fall on the leaves, the soil around the plant should be lightly tamped.

If you rooted your pineapple not in a container of water, but in the ground, you first need to make sure that the roots have already appeared, and only then transplant. Making sure the pineapple is rooted is a snap.

You just need to slightly pull it up by the tuft and bend it to the side. If for this it is necessary to make some effort, it means that the tuft is holding onto the ground by the roots, and it can be transplanted to a permanent place.

How to care for pineapple

The seedling pot should be placed in a well-lit place, because pineapple is a light-loving plant that needs sunlight.

The potting soil should always be moist, but overflow should be avoided because pineapple roots can rot. The plant should be watered with warm, settled water. ideally rain. Watering should be regular and moderate - this is how you can achieve constant light moisture in the soil in the pot.

Also, the plant should be regularly sprayed with water, and its leaves should be wiped with a damp cloth. If the leaves begin to turn yellow, it means that the plant does not have enough moisture. Do not be afraid to splash water on the leaves - the accumulation of water in the lower sinuses is very beneficial for the plant, the water is absorbed by the additional roots.

Pineapple needs feeding. Approximately once every two months it needs to be watered with mullein solution - such a top dressing works great on young plant... Also, pineapple can be fed with mineral fertilizers for bromeliads.

In summer, pineapple can be put on the balcony or taken to the country, only it needs to be protected from rain. Pineapple loves sunlight, therefore, if your summer is cloudy, as well as autumn-winter period, the plant needs additional lighting. The daylight hours of the pineapple should be at least 12 hours, otherwise you will not wait for flowering or fruits.

The temperature in the room where the pineapple lives should not fall below 18-20 degrees, otherwise the plant will feel very uncomfortable, and this will again affect its growth and flowering. The roots of the plant also love warmth, so the pineapple should not stand on a cold windowsill or ceramic coating, otherwise the roots will begin to freeze.

After about two and a half to three years, when proper care, the plant should bloom. Flowering lasts an average of two weeks, while the flower changes color and smells like pineapple. The fruit ripens for about six months, it depends on the variety.

Please note that after the pineapple bears fruit, it will die, but leave behind many small shoots that can be grown further. The plant does not die immediately, it can last more than two years, but this death is inevitable.

Children that remain after a pineapple are much easier to grow than from a tuft, while they are much stronger, and develop and bloom faster. As they grow, they should be separated from the mother plant and planted in pots.

And even pineapples. It's nice to watch a thermophilic miracle ripen on your own windowsill, and it's especially nice to treat yourself to it as a reward for your efforts. The most amazing thing is that growing such plants is not much more difficult than, for example, breeding orchids.

Of all the fruit exotics available for home cultivation The most common are lemons and tangerines. As for pineapples, these beauties are not often found in a flower pot.

How to grow pineapple at home in different ways

Growing pineapple from the top

For those wishing to grow pineapple on their own, you should know that it is better to start this process at the end of summer, in August or September. It is then that you can expect that pineapple bought in a store or on the market is suitable as planting material It is best to take multiple fruits to increase the chance of a successful rooting.

So, the fruit for planting material should be ripe, but not overripe, golden brown with bright green, not too large leaves. They shouldn't have gray spots, the presence of which indicates the defeat of the plant with a worm - such fruits should not be used for planting.

The top of the pineapple is cut and stripped of leaves

Preparing the crown for subsequent planting:

1. Cut off the top of the pineapple, at a distance of 2-3 fingers from the leaves.
2. The pulp is selected in a ring from the crust, not reaching the center, where a round islet is left, from which roots will subsequently sprout.
3. The lowest leaves are removed.
4. The inside is sprinkled with activated or charcoal, you can wipe it with a very weak solution of potassium permanganate so that rot does not start.
5. The pineapple top is suspended for 2 weeks so that it dries slightly.

Sometimes the tops planted 5 or 6 hours after treatment successfully take root.

The prepared crown is planted in a pot, the diameter of which is not much larger than the diameter of the seedling. A drainage layer is poured onto the bottom of the pot, for example, expanded clay. The soil can consist of a mixture of peat and sand, or you can buy a ready-made earthen mixture for cacti.

The hole for planting is made shallow up to 2.5 cm.It is recommended to add a little chopped to its bottom charcoal... The soil should cover the seedling to the bottom leaves and be tamped tightly. After planting, the plant is watered, covered with a plastic bag, or glass jar and put in a warm and bright place.

Usually the seedling takes root within a month. All this time it needs to be watered and sprayed with warm water. After a month, the plant can be transplanted by transshipment into a larger pot.

Growing pineapple from a tuft

You can simply unscrew the tuft from the pineapple - it separates from the fruit with a small stem. You need to remove 3-4 bottom sheets to expose the base. To prevent the trunk from rotting, after cleaning, leave it to dry for a few days.

Now we put pineapple crests in glasses of water - this is the simplest and reliable way, as practice has shown. We put glasses on the windowsill in different colors.

The pineapple should be only a couple of centimeters in the water and not touch the bottom.

You need to constantly add water, sometimes change it completely - and after two or three weeks the roots will appear.

Good roots - can be planted in the ground

As they become a couple of centimeters, we plant them in the ground. It has already been said about the composition of the soil, we bury the crest three centimeters into the ground, more precisely, the entire bare base.

Good drainage is required so that the young plant does not rot. Loves pineapple moist soil, but should not be poured. Find a bright spot for it, but not in direct sunlight.

The pineapple will finally take root in one and a half to two months. This will be seen by the new leaves that appear in the center of the tuft.

If new leaves are not visible for more than two months, then probably the pineapple has not taken root and it is better to try to plant a new one.

As new pineapple leaves grow, old ones will turn brown and dry - they need to be carefully trimmed. Young leaves will take their place. Watering a young pineapple is rarely necessary - once a week.

After about a year, the pineapple should be transplanted into a larger pot, adding cactus soil. Good drainage from expanded clay, gravel is imperative - because pineapple roots do not like stagnant water and the plant can die from excess moisture.

Transplanting pineapple into new pots

In winter, pineapple has a dormant period, and with the onset of spring, it begins to grow rapidly. If the pineapple does not grow in spring, then it urgently needs a transplant with a change of land, since the soil is depleted.

When growing pineapple at home, you should follow certain rules care - to create suitable conditions for this tropical plant for good growth and fruit formation.

Pineapple care

Lighting and temperature

For a green pet to feel comfortable, it must be light and warm. Pineapple comes from the tropics and cold weather, especially since it does not tolerate frost at all. In summer, indoor pineapple can be displayed on the balcony, taken out to the country. You need to place the plant under the crowns of trees so that the light is diffused. On fresh air it grows well. For good development plants, you need to keep it in a bright place for at least 6 hours a day at any time of the year.

In summer, pineapple loves to "walk"

In the winter months, keep the pineapple at home - preferably in the southern part for better lighting... Away from batteries, no drafts. Comfortable temperature for pineapple is + 22-26 degrees.

Watering and fertilizing

Watering should be infrequent and abundant. The soil in the pot should be moist, but stagnation of water should not be allowed, for this, good drainage is needed. On the one hand, pineapple is adapted to droughts, and it can be watered once a week in winter, and during the growth period it is watered more often and more abundantly.

In summer, it is very good to spray the leaves with water, it will be absorbed by the leaves, and the excess will quickly dry out on the street. At home, especially in winter, do not do this - the water will stagnate in the leaves, and the plant may rot.

Pineapple is fed with fertilizers only during the growth period, in summer. And you need to do this carefully, little by little. If you do spraying on leaves, then make sure that liquid fertilizer do not get on young leaves - they can get burned.

Pests and diseases

At good care and compliance with the rules of cultivation indoor pineapple it is almost not affected by pests. It can be affected by ticks and mealybugs. Helps in the fight against them washing the leaves with soapy water, then rinse the leaves clean water... In case of severe damage, you can use insecticides, diluting strictly according to the instructions.

Pineapple can get sick with heart rot under the influence of a fungus. In a diseased plant, the leaves in the center turn black and are easily removed from the trunk. You can save the plant - for this, any fungicide is poured into the center. Over time, the plant will release a side shoot, and then the old one is carefully cut off.

Can you get pineapple fruits at home?

Sure. With careful care, the plant blooms after 2 or 3 years, and after the fruit ripens, it dies. But there are shoots that can be used to grow new plants.

Ripe pineapple fruit

When growing pineapple at home, the timing of flowering is difficult to predict, they can move in any direction. Usually at the age of one and a half months, when the flower grows to 25 cm in height, an inflorescence appears. A long peduncle grows from the crown, at the top of which an inflorescence is formed.

Pineapple blooms within two months and flowers appear for two weeks, every day. Bright blue flowers open only for a day, row by row - then wither. The fruit begins to develop after the last flower withers. The pineapple fruit grows and ripens up to six months - depending on the conditions and the pineapple variety.

Pineapples have been cultivated in greenhouses for a very long time. But it turns out that you can grow them yourself at home if you know how to plant a pineapple from its top. Unpretentious plant will grow even in northern regions while providing appropriate care. And decorate festive table self-grown fruit is a real delight for everyone.

How to choose the right pineapple?

In order to get a new one from the cut off top of a pineapple at home, you must choose the right product. That's right - it means buying a ripe, but not overripe fruit.

There are rules to help you make the right choice.

1. Look for fresh pineapple in the store (a product that has been lying on the counter for a long time may not give roots or a weak plant will develop from it).
2. The crest should not be slightly frozen.
3. The top when viewed should be firm, not dry, with elastic bright green large leaves. Attendance at them dark spots, damage, cuts or dry ends are unacceptable.
4. The pineapple itself should not be overripe and unripe. Ideally, it should have a golden-green rind, and the fruit itself should be firm.

The optimal time to buy the "right" product for the purpose of subsequent growing at home is considered to be the period from late summer to mid-autumn.

How to prepare for planting

Before planting a purchased pineapple, you should separate the tuft. This can be done using one of the options.

1. Twisting: grasp the leaves with one hand, and with the other, holding the fruit, slowly twist the top out of it.
2. Cutting: with a knife, carefully cut off the top of the fruit, leaving a distance of 4-5 cm to the leaves, while the lower leaves are removed, and the flesh is trimmed to a root 1.5-2 cm long.

The resulting "sprout" for disinfection is lowered into a weak solution of furacilin or potassium permanganate.

Instead of solutions, you can use wood ash, crushed activated carbon. The root can be sprinkled with one of them or you can prepare a mixture of them.

Drying of the top is considered an important point. It is wrapped with a cord, rope or wire, and then hung up for 10-14 days. At the same time, its leaves should hang down.

This procedure will ensure the outflow of all substances important for the plant into the root formation zone and the cut will heal.

Landing

Growing a plant at home takes place in an ordinary flower pot with a volume of up to 0.5 liters with a drain for draining the water. Pebbles are laid out in a small layer on its bottom, and the container is filled with soil (mix garden soil, humus, peat, sand in equal amounts). You can purchase ready-made soil (soil is suitable for growing plants from the Bromylium family).

In the soil, in the center of the pot, a small depression is made up to 3-5 cm deep, up to 5-7 cm wide (depending on the size of the planted root). To save the plant from rotting, crushed activated carbon can be poured into the recess. The root can rot from waterlogging of the soil or from insufficient drying.

Planting a plant is carried out according to the following rules.

1. The root is located vertically in the recess, covered with earth and slightly compacted.
2. The top is fixed to avoid tilting: sticks (plastic or wooden) are installed along the edges of the container. Threads connect each stick to the top.
3. The soil is slightly moistened (it must not be poured).
4. The plant is covered on top with a transparent container or polyethylene bag.
5. The pot is placed at home in a sufficiently warm and well-lit place without drafts.

After 1-1.5 months, the tip will give roots. This can be determined by the young leaves that appear. The package (container) can be removed only after they appear.

Growing and care rules

Pineapple is a non-capricious and unpretentious plant to grow. It does not require any special care. But there are several conditions that are important to consider.

• Temperature

The plant loves light and warmth. Growing pineapple from its top should take place at a temperature of 23-25 ​​° C. The required temperature can be maintained during the winter months heating device or a lamp.

If the pot with the plant is on the windowsill, it must be protected from drafts and accidental frostbite.

• Watering

Being a tropical plant, pineapple easily tolerates heat and lack of moisture. The main mistake that flower growers make is frequent and abundant watering. At home, it should be watered abundantly only twice a week, and in winter this should be done even less often.

An excess of water will lead to root rot and death of the plant. Watering should be done only with warm water and when the soil in the pot is really dry!

It is not only the soil under the crop that should be watered. Water must also be poured into the leaves so that they can accumulate it in themselves.

• Top dressing

When growing pineapple at home, you do not need to often feed it with fertilizers. It is enough to apply any organic or complex fertilizer intended for indoor flowers 2 times a year.

Do not use alkaline top dressing (lime, ash). Even a small amount of them will lead the plant to death.

In order to prepare the culture for fruiting and enhance vegetative growth, in the third year, every 14 days it should be fed with any organic fertilizer... At home, for this purpose, you can use mullein infusion, which contains all the important trace elements. The infusion is prepared just a bucket of water (10 l) is filled with manure by a third, filled with water and infused for 5-8 days with periodic stirring. When the fermentation of manure is complete, the infusion is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 8.

To stimulate fruiting and improve the quality of the future fruit, it is recommended to carry out one more top dressing. It has proven itself well as a carbide stimulant. A small piece of it (12-15 g) is lowered into a container (1 liter) with water - bubbling and release of acetylene will be observed. After the reaction has subsided, the solution (30 ml) is poured into a leaf funnel, where the growth point is located. The procedure must be repeated again every other day. From a point is simple, a peduncle will appear in 1.5 months.

• Lighting

Growing at home requires the plant to be kept in a sufficiently lit room. On cloudy days or in the autumn-winter season, it is necessary to turn on the lamp installed 20-25 cm from it for 7-10 hours.

An indicator that the culture has enough light are large, wide leaves and a light crimson color of the edges of young leaves.

• Transfer

The growing plant should be transplanted into a new, more voluminous pot in a timely manner. Usually, the transplant is carried out once a year in the spring. For culture, you need to select a low, but fairly wide capacity. Its similar shape corresponds to the peculiarity of pineapple roots - they are in top layer soil and do not deepen. A wide-diameter dish contributes to good soil aeration - this is very important for the growth of a green pet.

Pineapple is an exotic crop that can be easily grown. But every grower should be patient to grow his fruit at home. It usually appears in the fourth year after planting the apex. Cultivation subject to all the rules of care allows you to get a fruit weighing up to 1.5 kg. And the fact that it is tropical plant growing at home - an outstanding result to work for!