Indoor pineapple dream of growing many growers. Their interest in the plant is associated not only with a delicious fruit. Exotic decorative plants always attract lovers of indoor floriculture. Spreading, prickly and very juicy pineapple leaves are decorative and attractive. In an ordinary apartment it’s not difficult to create the conditions for this houseplant. Pineapple will certainly thank you for your efforts with beautiful flowering and fruit.
Plant description
This is a herbaceous plant with a stem growing in the center. At the very top there is an inflorescence, which turns after fertilization into fertility. Small particles of fruit of the fruit form a single fruit - pineapple.
The stem is surrounded by a rosette of thick and fleshy leaves. Pineapple fruit is oval, consisting of individual segments fused together. At the top is a rosette of leaves. Yellow, dark green, brown, and even a reddish hue may have a scaly dense shell of a mature fruit.
Inside the fruit is a bright yellow flesh with a pleasant sweet taste and an exquisite aroma. Ripe fruits can weigh up to 5 kg. Pineapple, when grown in indoor floriculture, is extremely demanding on the conditions of detention. For this tropical plant, it is very important to maintain the required temperature of the air and soil, proper lighting and humidity.
How to plant pineapple at home?
The pineapple houseplant, the photo of which we posted in this article, is grown from a ripe, healthy fruit of a fresh crop. It should have a light sweetish aroma, uniform color, golden brown shell. The fruit should be elastic to the touch - a solid pineapple means that it has not ripened, and a soft one means that it has matured.
The apical leaves should be green, with slightly dried edges - this indicates the maturity of the fetus. Gray spots on the leaves may indicate that the leaves are damaged by worms, and it is better not to use such a fruit for growing.
Crest Department
Separating the crown from the leaves is quite simple. Grasp the leaves with your hand and gently twist, as if you were unscrewing the bottle cap. If you do everything right, in your hand will remain a crown of leaves and a small stalk below. If you are not sure that you can do this operation, use a knife - cut off the crown, and cut out all the flesh to prevent decay.
Crown preparation
To grow a houseplant pineapple, you should prepare the crown for the appearance of roots. With the help of a knife, it is necessary to carefully remove several of the lower leaves, so that the trunk is slightly exposed. Leave your future pineapple to dry for a couple of days to prevent leaves and scars from decaying after pruning.
After that, the dried crown should be placed in a transparent container with water so that it covers the bare stem of the plant. Please note that the water must be at room temperature or slightly warmer. The container is placed in a bright place (on the windowsill). Closely monitor the water level and change it periodically. In a month, the pineapple will take root.
Landing
When the roots grow to four centimeters, the plant should be planted in the ground. For the first landing, a small pot is suitable, in diameter one centimeter more than the crown. A 3 cm thick drainage layer is laid on the bottom of the pot. For this, expanded clay can be used.
Pineapple indoor plant needs nutritious, loose and light soil. After you fill the pot with it, pour hot water so that it saturates the soil. Now you can plant a plant. Plant pineapple to a depth of five centimeters. After planting, it is well watered with warm water. Put the pot in a warm and bright place. Pineapple takes root in 2-3 months.
Over time, the old leaves will dry out and die. Young green shoots will take their place. Cut dried leaves carefully. After a year, the pineapple is transplanted into a more spacious container. The plant still needs drainage, but gravel can be used in this case. For the second transplant, soil consisting of two parts of peat, three parts of soil and part of river sand will be required. In winter, flower growth slows down, but do not worry: with the onset of heat, it will actively develop, but provided that proper care is taken for the indoor plant pineapple.
Lighting
Rooting a plant in room conditions is not enough. It is necessary to create all conditions for the growth and flowering of pineapple. One of them is lighting. Pineapple indoor plant needs at least six hours a day, regardless of the time of year, to be in a lighted place. In the summer, the plant will feel quite comfortable in the garden or on the balcony. In autumn and winter, pineapple should be kept on the southern windowsill. Do not crank the plant, because pineapple is quite enough one-way lighting.
If weather conditions (or time of year) do not allow to provide good lighting for a plant, then additional lighting should be used - fluorescent lamps.
Humidity and temperature
Pineapple is a very thermophilic plant that does not tolerate cold at all. In the summer, the room air temperature is suitable for him, and in winter it is necessary to take care of the conservation of heat not only indoors, but also in the soil. Do not put the pot with pineapple on a cold floor or window sill, in winter the soil temperature should not be lower than + 21 ° C, and the maximum should not exceed +27 ° C.
Dislikes this indoor plant neighborhood with heaters and batteries. In addition, it should be protected from drafts. To maintain the level of humidity, a container with wet drainage is used. Some gardeners spray water around the plant, but do not spray the leaves, as water accumulating inside the outlet can cause rot.
How to water a pineapple?
Pineapple is a houseplant, the care of which involves a special watering regime. In a pot with pineapple, the soil should not completely dry, but moisture stagnation should not be allowed. An adult plant is watered once a week with warm water. If it is outdoors, then the leaves can be sprayed: they absorb moisture, and the rest will evaporate.
During active growth, pineapple is watered twice a week, but the amount of water per irrigation decreases. If mold appears on the soil or a marsh smell is felt in the pot, the earth should be replaced urgently. If this is not done, the plant may die.
Top dressing
Twice a month, the plant is fed during the growing season. To do this, you can use cow humus or a complex of mineral fertilizers, which can be bought in specialized stores, but the dosage is halved from the recommended in the instructions.
In addition, once a month, spray the plant with 0.01% solution of iron sulfate.
Pineapple propagation
Pineapple can be propagated using daughter shoots - they appear on the plant after fruiting is completed. From one plant you can get up to five shoots. They must be separated from the main part with a knife, previously disinfected. They should grow to 15 cm and have roots.
When transplanting shoots, it is necessary to use small pots to prevent excessive growth of roots.
Pineapple-like houseplant: photo, description
Juicy and aromatic pineapples, like, probably, everything. However, not everyone knows that this plant has a close relative. This should be known to beginners in floriculture.
This plant, like our today's hero, is a native of South America, from the bromeliad family, called bract pineapple. A houseplant with amazing colors is popular with connoisseurs of exotic indoor floriculture.
Description and types of plants
This is a flower with long sharp leaves painted in dark green color, with longitudinal wide stripes of pink or cream color. They form a socket. The leaves reach 70 cm in length. The inflorescence of this plant is very similar to the inflorescence of the "real" pineapple, it differs only in color. Bright sunlight falling on the plant gives the leaves and inflorescences a red tint. At home, this plant does not bear fruit.
The most popular of the many species of this spectacular exotic guest is the large-domed pineapple houseplant. This is a beautiful flower with a powerful and short stem and inflorescence. From its center grow thick, fleshy, leathery leaves, forming a crest. The fruits of this houseplant, similar to pineapple, are inedible. Large-pineapple pineapple is a large plant, so it should be grown in a spacious room. The flower propagates by layering of an adult plant or apical rosettes.