New Zealand Garden Swap Newsletter

GROW YOUR OWN PINEAPPLE

If you happen to have a Pineapple on hand to eat, (and they are cheap during the summer months), they why not take a few minutes and grow your own pineapple plant from the discarded top?

It seems nearly mythological that anyone can grow a tropical fruit such as a pineapple in his or her own home. But as long as you have a sunny window and a moderate indoor climate you can grow your own. Don't expect a large harvest. Each plant produces one fruit and yours will never grow to the size of a full grown Hawaiian -farmed plant, unless you live in a tropical climate.

A fruit that is green and fresh is the best, but since it is unlikely that you would want to eat such a fruit, try to find one that is ripe, but not over ripe. Test for ripeness by gently pulling on a leaf. If it pops out with ease, the fruit is over ripe.

At home slice the crown, (that's the leafy top part), off the fruit. Be sure to remove all the flesh, if you don't this may rot in the soil. Carefully slice small sections off the crown until you see the root buds that appear as small dots or circles on the cut surface. (see pic). The root buds are where the roots will eventually emerge, and exposing them will facilitate quicker root formation. Strip about 20mm of leaves from the base to provide a stem to plant, then set the top aside for a minimum of 7 days in a dry place out of full sun. The cut end must be allowed to heal and dry before planting otherwise it will rot. Regular potting mix is sufficient for planting, you can add a small amount of sand if you wish. The plant requires a soil that is barely moist, not wet. Put soil into a large container and plant your top. Water once a week spraying the leaves too. Fertilise 4-6 times a year.

Getting the plant to produce fruit is harder. Once your plant is approximately 50cm tall it will flower and bear fruit on its own, but who has the time to wait two years for this to happen. There is a way of forcing the plant to begin to produce fruit when it is half that size. Wait until winter when pineapples normally begin to produce fruit, then put the whole plant including the pot into a plastic bag with some ripe apples. As the apples rot they emit Ethylene gas which tricks the plant into forming a flower instead of new leaves. Keep it in the bag for at least 2 weeks then place the plant back in a sunny window and wait for the flower spike to form in the centre of the plant. After several months the flower will dry out and the pineapple will form at the top end of the stem. Wait until the fruit turns a golden yellow before picking.

MAKE YOUR OWN FRUIT PICKER