Any person who at least once in his life tried this outlandish exotic fruit wondered how to grow pineapple at home. It is an excellent dessert and ingredient for a variety of culinary dishes. The easiest way to grow pineapple is from its crown - a kind of green tuft, which must be carefully cut together with the upper part of the fruit. It is best to buy it in late summer or early fall. In this case, the crest should be intact and intact. This can be determined by the texture and color of the inner leaves of the crown. They must be juicy and green.
Those who are looking for the answer to the question of how to grow pineapple at home will need to perform certain actions. First of all, you need to separate the crown from the fruit with a very sharp knife. This must be done with great care so as not to damage the pulp. It is necessary to remove several rows of the lowest leaves and expose a small, about 1 centimeter in length, stump. To get homemade pineapple, you should dry this crest in an upright position for about 15-20 days. During this time, its surface will heal, and nutrients will be able to get to the zone of formation of the root system.
How to grow pineapple at home
While the crest dries, the gardener needs to prepare a special substrate that will be used to root the plant. For this, a special mixture is made, consisting of identical parts of peat and large-sized sand. A few days before disembarkation, it must be abundantly poured with boiling water to disinfect and give the necessary moisture. The pot for the plant should be slightly larger in diameter than the tuft itself. In this case, the presence of a drainage hole in it is necessary.
The roots of the plant will form within thirty days. This period is the most important and demanding in his life. Leaves need to be sprayed several times with warm water. Watering should be done only in those cases when the earth in the pot is completely dry. Violation of this regime can easily destroy a young plant.
In the summer, pineapple should be placed in a sunny place. A great option would be a balcony located on the south side of the building. Anyone who is wondering how to grow pineapple at home, it is useful to find out that the plant loves when there is water in the sinuses of its lower leaves. This allows him to direct extra moisture to his broad root system. Top dressing is usually done several times a month, when the rapid growth phase occurs, however, it should be remembered that the concentration of mineral fertilizers should be several times lower than that required for ordinary plants.
Flowering can be expected two years after planting. However, it happens that a plant develops very quickly, but does not bloom. In order to activate this process, those interested in how to grow pineapple at home, you need to use ethylene as a stimulant. To do this, you can simply put the pot with the plant in a bag along with several tomatoes or apples. This method will allow the flowering process to begin within a month and a half.