Indoor pineapple dream of growing many flower growers. Their interest in the plant is connected not only with a tasty fruit. Decorative exotic plants always attract lovers of indoor floriculture. Spreading, prickly and very juicy pineapple leaves are decorative and attractive. In an ordinary apartment, it is not difficult to create conditions for this houseplant. Pineapple will certainly thank you for your efforts with beautiful flowering and fruit.
Description of the plant
This is a herbaceous plant with a stem sprouting in the center. At the very top there is an inflorescence, which turns after fertilization into a seed. Small particles of seedling berries form a single fruit - pineapple.
The stem is surrounded by a rosette of thick and fleshy leaves. An oval-shaped pineapple fruit, consisting of individualsegments fused together. At the top is a rosette of leaves. Yellow, dark green, brown and even reddish tint can have a scaly dense shell of a mature fruit.
Inside the fruit - bright yellow flesh with a pleasant sweet taste and exquisite aroma. Ripe fruits can weigh up to 5 kg. Pineapple, when grown in indoor floriculture, is extremely demanding on the conditions of detention. It is very important for this tropical plant to maintain the required air and soil temperature, proper lighting and air humidity.
How to plant pineapple at home?
The houseplant pineapple, the photo of which we posted in this article, is grown from a mature, he althy fruit of a fresh crop. It should have a light sweetish aroma, uniform color, golden brown shell. The fruit should be firm to the touch - a firm pineapple indicates that it is not ripe, and a soft one indicates that it is overripe.
The top leaves should be green, with slightly dried edges - this indicates the maturity of the fruit. Gray spots on the leaves may mean that the leaves are damaged by mealybugs, and it is better not to use such a fruit for cultivation.
tufts branch
Separating the crown of leaves is quite simple. Grasp the leaves with your hand and gently twist, as if you were unscrewing the cap of a bottle. If you do everything right, you will be left with a crown of leaves and a small stem at the bottom in your hand. If you are not sure that you can do this operation, use a knife - cut off the crown, and cut out all the flesh toprevent rotting.
Preparing the crown
To grow a houseplant pineapple, you should prepare the crown for the appearance of roots. With a knife, you need to carefully remove a few lower leaves so that the trunk is a little bare. Leave your future pineapple to dry for a couple of days to prevent rotting of the leaves and scars 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). Keep a close eye on the water level and change it periodically. In a month, the pineapple will take root.
Ground landing
When the roots grow up to four centimeters, the plant should be planted in the ground. For the first planting, a small pot is suitable, a centimeter larger in diameter than the crown. A layer of drainage 3 cm thick is placed on the bottom of the pot. Expanded clay can be used for this.
Indoor pineapple plant needs nutritious, loose and light soil. After you fill the pot with it, pour hot water over it to soak the soil. Now you can plant the plant. Pineapple is planted at 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 within 2-3 months.
Over time, the old leaves will dry out and die. Young people will take their placegreen shoots. Trim dried leaves carefully. A year later, the pineapple is transplanted into a larger container. The plant still needs drainage, but gravel can be used in this case. For the second transplant, soil will be required, consisting of two parts of peat, three parts of soil and part of river sand. In winter, the growth of the flower slows down, but do not worry: with the onset of heat, it will begin to develop actively, but on condition that the pineapple houseplant is properly cared for.
Lighting
Rooting a plant indoors is not enough. It is necessary to create all conditions for the growth and flowering of pineapple. One of them is lighting. A houseplant pineapple needs at least six hours a day, regardless of the time of year, to be in a lit 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 rotate the plant, as one-sided lighting is enough for the pineapple.
If the weather conditions (or the season) do not allow the plant to have good lighting, then additional lighting should be used - fluorescent lamps.
Air humidity and temperature
Pineapple is a very heat-loving plant that does not tolerate cold at all. In summer, room temperature is suitable for him, and in winter, care must be taken to preserve heat not only in the room, but also in the soil. Notput a pot of pineapple on a cold floor or window sill, in winter the soil temperature should not be lower than + 21 ° С, and the maximum should not exceed +27 ° С.
Doesn't like this houseplant near heaters and radiators. In addition, it should be protected from drafts. To maintain the humidity level, use a container with wet drainage. Some growers spray water around the plant, but do not spray the leaves, as water can accumulate inside the rosette and cause rot.
How to water a pineapple?
Pineapple is a houseplant, the care of which involves a special watering regimen. In a pot of pineapple, the soil should not dry out completely, but moisture should not be allowed to stagnate. An adult plant is watered once a week with warm water. If it is outdoors, then the leaves can be sprayed: they will absorb moisture, and the rest will evaporate.
During active growth, pineapple is watered twice a week, but the amount of water per watering is reduced. If mold appears on the soil or a marsh smell is felt in the pot, then the earth should be urgently replaced. If this is not done, the plant may die.
Feeding
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 that recommended in the instructions.
Also spray the plant once a month with 0.01% ferrous sulfate solution.
Pineapple propagation
Pineapple can be propagated using child shoots - they appear on the plant after fruiting is completed. From one plant you can get up to five shoots. With a knife, previously disinfected, they must be separated from the main part. They should grow to 15 cm and have roots.
When transplanting shoots, use small pots to prevent overgrowth of roots.
Pineapple-like houseplant: photo, description
Juicy and fragrant pineapples, probably everyone loves. However, not everyone knows that this plant has a close relative. Beginners in floriculture should also be aware of this.
This plant, like our today's hero, is a native of South America, from the bromeliad family, called pineapple bract. A houseplant with amazing colors is popular with connoisseurs of exotic indoor floriculture.
Description and plant species
This is a flower with long sharp leaves, painted in dark green, with longitudinal wide stripes of pink or cream. They form a socket. In length, the leaves reach 70 cm. The inflorescence of this plant is very similar to the inflorescence of a "real" pineapple, 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 showy exotic guestuses a houseplant pineapple large-tufted. This is a beautiful flower with a powerful and short stem and inflorescence. Thick, fleshy, leathery leaves grow from its center, forming a tuft. The fruits of this pineapple-like houseplant are inedible. Large-tufted 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.
