How to Grow a Pineapple From Seed
Introduction
Pineapple is a delicious fruit that makes us feel fresh. Since it is considered a tropical fruit, sometimes it is difficult to find it in the bazaar or supermarket. Therefore, you may want to grow your tropical fruit.
When it comes to growing exotic fruits, it is normal to feel concerned. They need extra care:
- Preparing suitable soil
- Calculating the correct blooming time
- Choosing planting season
- Finding a powerful fertilizer for the best produce
- Make sure to know that your plant receives enough sun
- Watering schedule
These are essentials to growing a healthy pineapple. In addition to them, different growing methods also exist. You can grow it from seed, top cutting, or can purchase a plant that can be found in local markets. We will learn how to grow a pineapple from seed and top, as well as caring and growing tips!
What Is Pineapple?
Pineapple is an edible tropical fruit that is generally associated with Hawaii – especially in media; Hawaii is generally seen with this fruit- even though it is not native to Hawaii but to South America. It contributes to farmers’ budget well in countries like Mexico, Thailand, Costa Rica, etc. Its biological name is “ananas comosus” and can be found as “ananas” in many countries. In some countries, it’s also known as “expensive and luxurious yellow fruit.”
They are known for their unique shape and can easily be separated from other tropical fruits. These are hard to cut and require a special method to cut them efficiently. They are generally used in cocktails, summer drinks, healthy diet salads, desserts, as an aroma, etc. Even pizza made from this tropical fruit exists.
Can You Grow Pineapple at Home?
The short answer is yes, which may surprise you. Being a tropical fruit doesn’t mean that you can’t grow it at home. But, questions like this one may pop into your mind: “How can I grow a huge tree on my balcony or a small garden?”
You can grow it as a houseplant. Yes, as a houseplant, because pineapple is not grown in trees. They need special treatment because they love nutrients and too much water in general. Now, let’s learn multiple methods of growing pineapple.
How to Choose Healthy Pineapple
If you want to use fruit rather than seed, you must choose a healthy one. When you go to the market or bazaar, you will see lots of pineapples on stalls. But not all are suitable to grow.
Therefore, you should be careful while choosing, and here are some tips:
- The color should be yellowish green, demonstrating that the fruit is about to ripen.
- If you can, squeeze the fruit, if it has a tough surface, it means that it is not ripe yet.
- Ripe ones have a scent that can be smelled even from the next stall.
- Make sure it doesn’t have yellow or brown spots or rotten parts.
How to Prepare Pineapple Top to Plant
Preparing is easy, especially for beginners, and all you need to do is follow these steps:
- Purchase a healthy pineapple with vivid green leaves, and be careful not to choose fruits that show signs of disease or insects. You can spot them – they have yellow spots or rotten parts.
- Remove the top by using force and grasp it firmly. Be careful not to hurt yourself, and using gloves can be helpful.
- The crown is ready, and you must peel leaves at the bottom.
- Leave crown to dry for 2-3 days. This step will help to prevent any diseases that can happen in the future.
- Put the crown in the jar (a mason jar is highly recommended) with warm water. It should not be placed in places that receive sun.
- Change the water every day regularly, which will help to maintain healthy roots.
How to Grow Pineapple From Top
After you follow these steps above, you will see roots on the crown. If you don’t see the roots after one week, replace them with another. Changing the water every day will be helpful for roots to grow up more quickly. After 3-4 weeks, when roots are long enough to plant, your top will be ready.
You should prepare a container with a drainage hole filled with well-drained soil. It is an important step for healthy growth. After you prepare everything, dig a little hole to place roots. You can use your hands; this step is easy.
Tips for Planting From the Top
Some tips would be useful for planting pineapple from the top. Don’t forget to observe the growing process:
The roots should be deep because they like large places to grow. You should put them deeply.
The roots don’t like it when their roots are disturbed, so plant them alone.
After planting roots, place the container away from direct sunlight. Shade is fine, but direct sunlight might kill the fruit. Likewise, cold weather kills them, too.
Soil should be moist, but be careful about overwatering – this will cause roots to die.
If leaves are turning brown, it might relate to overwatering or drought. Be careful.
Can You Grow a Pineapple From Pineapple Seed?
The short answer is yes, you can. When we see fruits with seeds, we immediately think like this: “If it has seeds, I can plant them.” But growing a pineapple from seeds may be difficult. Simply put, all you need to do is obtain seeds, but how?
First of all, you need to check the fruit. The seeds can be found inside the fruit – in a jelly part. They are black or dark brown and oval-shaped. After being taken from the fruit inside and cleaned, they are ready. Some claim that pineapple doesn’t have visible seeds, so you must purchase it. However, it mostly depends on the type of fruit. Unless you choose a special type, seeds can be found easily.
How to Collect and Prepare Pineapple Seeds
While you cut them to prepare healthy bowls or snacks, you may encounter little seeds without knowing. These little black or dark brown things are nothing but seeds. You can collect them easily just by cutting them.
You can follow these steps to collect them effortlessly:
- Choose a healthy pineapple, and prepare the cutting board.
- Peel the rinds gently.
- Turn the juicy side upside to check if there is any seed to be seen.
- Start cutting carefully. Some seeds will be spilled onto the cutting board.
- You can pick and put them in a glass while cutting other parts.
- Continue picking seeds as you wish.
How to Germinate Pineapple Seeds
Germinating seeds is as easy as collecting. To germinate, you will only need these: a paper towel, water, a plastic zipper bag, and a marker.
These steps are necessary to create a healthy environment:
- After putting seeds in a glass or something, wash them gently to get rid of juicy parts.
- Fold the paper towel, and moisturize it with water (warm water is recommended).
- Spill the seeds randomly, be careful not too closely, though.
- Fold again, half is fine.
- Put the wet towel with seeds in a plastic zipper bag.
- Write the type of seed and date by using a marker.
- Keep the plastic zipper bag in a warm place.
- Check the plastic zipper bag after 6-7 days. If it’s dry, moisturize again.
The seeds are ready for germination. The time differs from seed to seed, but approximately 6 months or more.
How to Grow a Pineapple from Seed?
To grow a pineapple from seed, you have to wait around six months or more. If you don’t want to wait half a year, you can grow them using top. But, if you insist on learning how to grow a pineapple from seed, here is how it should be done.
After six months, they will be ready to grow. The seedling will look like a mini pineapple. Now, you should move the seedling or seedlings to containers. If you have multiple seedlings, please place them separately because this fruit doesn’t like it when the roots are disturbed. Take the seedling, and put it in a drainage hole container filled with slightly acidic soil. Don’t forget to water it regularly.
Watering
Even though you will receive fruit in the second year, you should water the seedling regularly. You may ask why, and the answer is simple: being tropical fruit doesn’t mean that it doesn’t need water often. Water the roots and soil directly, leaving soil moisturized recommended. Water the roots directly and make sure that all receive enough water. Be careful not to overwater, this will cause roots to be rotten.
Watering once a week would be good, but if you live in a hot area, you can use water sprays to keep the fruit moist. If the soil’s surface is dry, you should water it. If it’s moist, you can wait 1-2 days to water again.
Light Requirements
Since pineapple is a tropical fruit, it loves receiving sunlight. But be careful – if you prepare top and wait for roots, receiving direct sunlight may cause some harm and slow rooting. After planting, receiving full sun will be good for producing fruit. 7-8 hours of sun will work; more can cause some diseases and problems. Partial sunlight is fine for them, too. But keep in my mind that this fruit hates frost. The freeze will cause the death of plants.
Common Pests and Diseases
Diseases caused by bacteria and fungi are common in the botanic world. And, like in most plants, root rot is a huge problem for pineapple. It is caused by overwatering, generally. Bacterial heart rot is also common, it’s called heart rot because the rotting starts in the middle of the fruit and turns black. Remove the infected parts and never let them be contacted other plants or soil. Using fungicide would be good.
If the leaves are turning vivid green, it may be a sign of lacking iron. You can use fertilizer and chlorine-free water. Pests and mites will attack and take nutrients and make fruit weak. Mealybugs are the most common pests that attack and leave red spots on the leaves. With a suitable pesticide, you can control it. But be careful not to cause the death of the plant.
Conclusion
In conclusion, growing pineapple may seem difficult. Since it’s growing slowly, you will only see big leaves in the first year. In the second year, it will give you delicious fruit. This may push you to choose another fruit to grow. But growing it will make a great addition to your botanic journey and teach you important tips for healthy growing. You have two options – quick growing from the top and slow growing from the seed.
If you want to grow it from seed, “patience is the key” will be your motto. However, by doing it, you will learn many things besides patience just for one fruit. All you need to do is collect seeds, leave them to germinate, and plant them in a suitable place. You can plant complementary plants such as colorful croton while your pineapple seedlings grow. Hope this helps!
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