6 steps to grow your own pineapple at home

Whether in a fruit salad, a smoothie or a pizza, pineapples are very useful in the kitchen. Originally from South America, today it is grown in tropical areas around the world. With proper care, pineapple plants can also thrive in your home.

However, you must be patient, because plants take a long time to bear fruit. Growing pineapples at home is not as difficult as one might think, but it does require a significant dose of patience that will ultimately be rewarded.

How to grow pineapples in your home

1. Choose the right pineapple

If you want to grow a pineapple, you must first look for a suitable fruit in stores. Look for a firm, medium-ripe specimen. Also, you need to make sure that the leaves look fresh and have no wilted parts. The pulp should be yellow and firm.

In general, it is better to choose an organic pineapple, which are usually of better quality and their cultivation has not contributed to contaminating the environment. You can also do something good by buying pineapples fair trade label because you support farmer cooperatives that work in decent conditions.

2. Cut the stem of the pineapple

Put the pineapple on the table and carefully cut the stem with a sharp knife. Remove the remaining pulp and tear off the bottom three or four rows of leaves. This allows the roots to grow unhindered later.

You can also “unscrew” the stem, but this requires a little force. In case you want to do it like this, then you must cut the excess pulp and also remove the lower leaves.

3. Let the stem dry

Now you need to dry the stem. Put it on the heating for two or three days so that it dries out and does not rot. If you get the impression that the crown of leaves is drying out, spray it with water.

Disinfects the stem by soaking the cut in remains of charcoal or ash before it dries up. This reduces the risk of rot and possible mold growth.

4. Put the stem in the water

When the stem is dry, put it in a glass of water. Only the bottom should be in the water. The leaves should not get wet, otherwise they will rot. Place the glass in a place near a window where it gets sunlight.

Make sure that the stem is always in water. Change it every two or three days; if it is absorbed, refill it.

The first roots should be visible after a few weeks. you keep in mind that pineapple plants like soft, low-calcium water. If it takes too long, you can also plant the stem immediately after it has dried. However, in that case the success rate will be lower.

5. Put the stem in the ground

When the roots are three to five centimeters long, the stem can be planted. Choose a nutrient-poor and permeable substrate. Palm soil or a sand mix are also suitable.

The leaves grow quite long, so the pot should not be small, but not too big either. It must have enough drainage holes to prevent waterlogging and therefore root rot.

Once you have filled the pot with the appropriate substrate, place the stem in a hole just below the base of the leaf and lightly press the soil around it. Then water everything well.

6. Give it time

If the stem sprouts in the middle, the plant has grown successfully. Now patience is required, because it takes one to four years before you see the first bloom. The fruit then takes another six months to ripen.

Se can be harvested when the pineapple smells fruity and sweet and has a yellowish color. After the pineapple is harvested, the “mother plant” gradually dies. However, it has formed daughter plants all over the place, which you can replant.

It is true that you need patience to grow pineapples. but it can wait a beautiful and exotic houseplant, even while it doesn’t bear fruit. We give you some more tips that you should keep in mind when caring for the pineapple plant.

The perfect place

Since pineapple is native to subtropical areas, it needs high temperatures and high humidity. It thrives particularly well at an ambient temperature of 25 to 30 degrees Celsius and a humidity of 60%.

These conditions are not easy to create. However, there are a few things you can do to make the plant feel good in your home. The place where the pineapple grows plays an important role. Above all, it needs a sunny room. A heated winter garden, a bright bathroom or a south-facing window are ideal. Pineapple, on the other hand, does not tolerate the blazing midday sun as well.

A special LED plant lamp or heat lamp can help on dark days. You should avoid temperatures below 16 degrees, they are fatal for the fruit. Also, the plant should not be placed directly on a radiator.

This is how a humid climate is created

You can add a little more moisture placing several bowls of water next to the pot and spraying the plant with warm water from time to time.

The pineapple also needs to be well ventilated. Therefore, you should place it in a place where air can always circulate well. However, the currents do not like him at all.

If it is very cold, you can cover the pineapple with a transparent plastic bag until the plant forms flowers, this will accumulate heat and moisture. However, you should remove the bag from time to time so air can circulate and mold doesn’t develop.

Water and care for the pineapple plant properly

You should water your pineapple once a week, in winter it can do with less water. The soil should always be slightly moist, but not wet. It is best to pour the water directly into the center of the leaves.

Since the pineapple grows slowly, it is rarely necessary to transplant it. This is necessary, for example, if it grows above the edge of the bucket. It is best to start transplanting in spring. By the way, the plant usually does not need fertilizer.