Last Updated on January 8, 2022 by Guillermina
Can I grow a pineapple indoors? Click and find out all the details about growing this healthy and sweet-tasting fruit.
Pineapple plants grow in sunny regions around the world. Fresh pineapples are not only tasty but are also full of nutrients and have numerous health benefits.
Growing this sweet-tasting fruit is a fun way to spend your time (concentrating on production). Do you find yourself wondering “can I grow a pineapple indoors”? Well, keep reading to find out.
A Few Things You Need To Know About This Delicious Fruit
Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a perennial plant originating from the family Bromeliaceae. It has 30 to 40 stiff succulent leaves closely spaced in a rosette on a thick fleshy stem.
In commercial varieties, the first flowers are formed about 15 to 20 months after planting. They are purple at first and each is attached to the central core of the axis. It then becomes fleshy and fuses to form the pineapple fruit, which matures five to six months after flowering begins.
Pineapple originates from South America, where early European explorers named it due to its resemblance to a pinecone. This popular fruit is packed with nutrients, antioxidants, and other helpful compounds that are associated with various health benefits. Thus, for example, it helps digestion, boosts immunity, and speeds up recovery from surgery, among other things.
Frequently Asked Questions
We will first briefly answer the two most common questions asked by pineapple lovers. Let’s get started.
Can I Grow A Pineapple Indoors? – Of course, you can. Growing pineapples indoors is not difficult or complicated.
How Do I Grow A Pineapple? – You can start growing pineapples indoors with a store-bought pineapple plant, by removing and planting offshoot plants, or by cutting off the top of ripe fruit.
Growing Indoors: Seed Vs Propagate, Which Is Better? – When it comes to indoor cultivation, it is always better to start with a live plant or cutting. This is primarily because the seed will not grow “true to type”, i.e. the fruit you will get will be a strange cross between many different varieties.
How To Plant A Pineapple Top
Rooting and growing pineapple tops is very simple. All you have to do is cut off the leafy top about half an inch (1.5 cm) below the leaves. After that, it is necessary to cut off the outer part of the pineapple top at the bottom of the crown, i.e. the stem, until you see the root buds.
Then leave the top of the pineapple to dry for a few days to a week before planting. Waiting will help the top to heal, discouraging rot problems.
A successfully rooted pineapple plant will begin to grow in a few weeks. However, this will largely depend on the conditions you provide. Once rooted, it will bear fruit in about two years (+, -).
Pineapple Plant Care
Container & Size
The ideal planting container is at least 5 gallons. As for the material, it can be made of terracotta, ceramic, or even plastic, as long as the drainage is appropriate.
Potting Soil & Drainage
Pineapple prefers moist but well-drained soil. Therefore, it will thrive quite well in any traditional watering mixture. It will also be helpful if the soil is slightly acidic in nature.
Sunlight
Pineapples love sunbathing. Accordingly, provide them with at least 6 to 8 hours of sunshine a day. As for the location in your home, opt for a sunny window that provides plenty of direct sunlight.
On the other hand, if you don’t have a spot in your home it would be best to invest in an artificial grow light to supplement the sun’s rays.
Temperature & Humidity
Since it is a tropical fruit, it can’t thrive in cool, dry weather, and never in frost conditions. Try to keep it in temperatures that range from 65 degrees Fahrenheit to 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
As for moisture, pineapple does well with the home conditions. Furthermore, if you are in the mood, you can occasionally mist it, but never to the point of saturation.
Watering
Pineapple prefers watering, but never allow your pineapple to sit in water, and always water it from top to bottom. They will grow more slowly if they are not receiving enough water. However, keep in mind that they are generally more tolerant of being under-watered than over-watered.
Fertilization
Try to feed young pineapple plants with a weak liquid fertilizer monthly throughout their growing season. Once they become one-year-old trees and older, you can fertilize the plant every few months.
Read more about Will Geraniums Grow Indoors All Year Round?
Harvesting
Before picking a pineapple, two things should be considered – how it smells and what it looks like when you touch it. It should smell sweet and sound solid.
When the fruit is one-third or more yellow, it is time to harvest. All you have to do is cut it off the plant with a sharp knife at the point where the pineapple joins the stalk. You can then leave it to mature further at room temperature (if it is not fully ripe) or store it in the refrigerator.
Common Issues
- Your plant may be attacked by mealy bugs, scale, and mites. These problems can be solved by washing with soapy water and rinsing or with insecticide.
- There may be heart rot caused by fungi. You can eliminate this infection by applying fungicides.
- Iron deficiency can cause the leaves to turn light green or chlorosis. Try applying organic tomato fertilizer along with a chelated liquid iron supplement mixed in a bucket of filtered water.
To Wrap Things Up
Pineapples are delicious, low-calorie fruit, loaded with nutrients and antioxidants. Its nutrients and compounds have been linked to impressive health benefits. Some of them help improve digestion and immunity, reduce the risk of cancer and alleviate the symptoms of arthritis.
If you came here, then you should no longer ask yourself “can I grow a pineapple indoors”. The answer is quite clear, not only is it very simple, but it is possible almost anywhere in the world.
If you have any tips for growing pineapples indoors, let us know in the section below. We look forward to hearing from you!
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