Pineapple as a beautiful indoor plant. Growing tips

Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a well-known and beautiful plant. But did you know that you can also grow it as a houseplant? Yes, it is a tropical plant, but you can grow it in colder climates indoors of course. There are two types of pineapple you can buy: the one that produces sweet fruit, and “ornamental” pineapple, which also produces edible fruit but is so bitter and you do not want to eat it. Obviously, people grow this pineapple for its attractive appearance. You can also grow your own pineapple from the one you bought in a supermarket (you need the top to grow it) and yes, this one can produce edible fruits – in three to four years.

Why grow pineapple?

Well, it is a very attractive exotic plant that can also give you fruits, but pineapple offers other benefits as well. Supposedly, if you put pineapple in your bedroom, you will reduce snoring (your own snoring or even your partner’s snoring), but honestly, were not sure how it works. However, the plant actually cleans the air and produces good amount of oxygen.

Photo: Pixabay

Where can you grow pineapple?

Choosing the right habitat is important for proper growth. Pineapple is a tropical plant, so the more heat you provide the better, but it will do rather well in temperatures above 16 °C. It needs plenty of bright light so, if you have a greenhouse or a bright windowsill, use it . We mentioned bright light not direct sunlight. Although pineapple can tolerate direct sunlight to a certain extent, too much sun will burn the leaves. Pineapple also tends to search for light and turns towards it. So, to keep it growing straight, you need to turn the pot slightly from time to time. You may move pineapple outside during the summer however, once the temperatures drops, you need to move it back indoors.

What is the right soil?

If you brought the plant from a store, you can leave it in the soil, but as it grows and gets bigger, you need to transplant it. Choose a multi-purpose compost without peat.

Caring for pineapple

Water whenever the top few centimetres of soil dries out. Remove all dry leaves and dust off green leaves occasionally. Fertilize every two weeks in spring and summer with a universal liquid fertilizer and once a month in winter. If you want to enjoy the fruit, wait until it turns orange-yellow. It should also smell nice and sweet.

How to propagate pineapple

After your pineapple finished producing the sweet fruit for you, expect it to die. You can only harvest once. But do not despair as the plant produces young plants at its base. Cut them off with a sharp disinfected knife – be careful not to damage roots while removing them. Plant each young plant in its own pot. You can also grow pineapple from the fruit! To do this, cut off the pointed top, remove the lower leaves from it to reveal the stem and let it dry for about a day. Place in a pot with compost and water well.

Source: https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-care-for-a-pineapple-plant/

Preview photo: Pixabay