Pineapple is a very unusual fruit, about which we know very little: how to eat, peel and what to cook from it. But how pineapple grows and whether it can be grown at home is completely new information for many.
Material Content:
How do pineapples grow in the wild?
To begin with, a little clarification, pineapple is still a plant, although we are used to consider it a fruit. Let's take a closer look at how pineapples grow in nature.
Pineapple is a herbaceous plant, and a perennial, which is grown in the ground. In adulthood, it can be about 150 centimeters in height. The stalk is low, mundane, covered with stiff foliage and therefore more likely looks like a shrub than a plant.
But, large fruits are usually obtained if planting occurs on plantations or in greenhouses. Under normal environmental conditions, the plant grows much smaller and the fruit grows up to one kilogram in weight, and the flesh tastes different from the one we are used to.
Otherwise, if we compare the process of growth in the wild or in other conditions - it is exactly the same.
In the middle of the bush, a peduncle with an inflorescence is formed, the color of which can be from red to burgundy. All flowers form a small berry, they grow together into a single whole and get the usual fruit.
In which countries is the plant prevalent
How a delicious fruit is formed is understandable, and where do pineapples grow and in which countries can they be found?
Interestingly, 20% of the total global tropical fruit volume is pineapple.
The homeland of the plant is considered the arid regions of Brazil and Paraguay. It was in these countries that they were cultivated, there they are consumed a lot and immediately, just ripened, so 70% of the crop is sold among the local population and only the remaining percentage goes to other countries.
The Philippines, China and Thailand produce more than half of the total world volume. It grows slightly less in India, Indonesia, Costa Rica.
About forty years ago, a special variety was developed, which was supplied only to some countries, but over time, cheaper options appeared and it lost its popularity.
Growing Pineapple on Plantations
Huge plantations are now located in Asian countries, USA, South Africa. For the earliest possible ripening of fruits, a special technology is used, and varieties that quickly bear fruit are taken.
Already rooted cuttings are sent to the ground in two rows, and their height should be at least 20 centimeters, and the distance between the rows reaches two meters.
A large crop can be obtained by treating the plant with acetylene. It promotes the formation of kidneys at the right time.
Juicy and ripe fruits are obtained only if the flower has not been pollinated, so they must be covered with caps and protected in every way from insects and birds.
For processing pineapples and watering, mechanical means are used that simplify the process. Up to three crops can be harvested in soil in a year.
Is it possible to grow a plant in a greenhouse?
Normal development requires warm rooms and diffused light. You can grow plants in this way - European countries and regions of southern Russia have long resorted to this. Instead of soil, a layer of the land mixture is used here and it is watered with acidified water so that the plant grows better and faster. Prerequisite: the liquid must be at the same temperature as the air in the greenhouse. It is impossible to prevent stagnation of liquid in the soil, from this the plant may die.
How does pineapple grow at home?
It turns out that you can grow a fetus at home. Of course, it will not be so big, rather, several small fruits will even form, but the process itself is quite fascinating.
- To get started, select the fruit to plant. It should be ripe, with firm and richly green leaves. The fruit is selected in a beautiful yellow color, not too dense. Manually remove the top from the pineapple along with the stem. We clean it slightly, put it in water, put it in a bright room and wait for the roots to appear.
- Another way is to cut the top off into a weak solution of potassium permanganate, dry it and send it to the pot with soil. We put it in a warm place where the air temperature will be from 25 degrees, but no more - 28, and wait for the formation of roots, not forgetting to periodically water.
Ordinary flower soil is suitable as soil, and the pot should be the same size as the fruit. But even an adult plant should not be placed in a container with a volume of more than 4 liters.
In order to get a fruit, and not just green leaves, you need to provide it with the necessary temperature, it must be at least 25 degrees and not more than 30. Pour a little acidified water, which has stood for some time, and fertilize with complexes for bromeliads.
How long does it take to grow pineapple at home?
If you are tempted to grow this exotic fruit at home, then of course you want to know how much pineapple grows.
- After the top has been planted or the stem has been placed in water, in order for the roots to finally appear, you will have to wait at least a month, or even all two, unless of course all conditions are provided.
- If the plant gave roots, this does not mean that the fruit will grow quickly. Still need at least a year, during which it will develop, and increase in size. And only after this period will the long-awaited arrow with the fruit appear. Of course, this process can be slightly accelerated, for example, by surrounding the container with apples cut into pieces, but this method is not very reliable.Another option is to pour pineapple with calcium carbide. To do this, you need to dissolve one spoon in 500 milliliters of water, insist, strain and use for watering.
Get the finished fruit, if all the rules of planting were followed and the process goes right, you can after about eighteen months.
If you want to use the plant as a decorative decoration, get evergreen stems without fruit, then after six months it will begin to delight you with an increase in leaf mass.
