My Pineapple Plantation.

Worth1 · July 15, 2012

I posted in the miscellaneous edibles section last winter about pineapples and what I was doing with them.

I have put the link to that thread here and as you can see with a few pictures and the progress.
Old thread.
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=20262

For your viewing pleasure this first picture is instructional showing how to trim the pineapple.
You will see the the meat has been removed and the lower leaves pulled off.
just cut little by little till you see this and you will be ready to put into moist potting soil.

Attachment 26764

This picture shows two plants that have taken root and on their way to becoming pineapples.

The one on the far right is the one I had the devil with last winter, but it is doing much better now.
The one to the left is from about 2 months ago, it is also doing fine.
Attachment 26765
The two plants you see on the far left are two plants I potted up today with the dead leaves trimmed off.
Attachment 26766

I will keep everyone updated and will continue to start new plants as fast as I can eat pineapples.

There is enough space in my yard for a raised bed to grow about 24 of these things and that is where they will go.
There will be winter protection for them there.

Worth

jennifer28 · July 15, 2012

Worth,

this is AWESOME. I love pineapples. I love the way they grow, too. The way they start so small in the middle of the plant. I wish I could grow pineapples here where I am. When I was living in Hawaii for a few months, I loved going around the Dole plantation. Some of the smaller islands have fields and fields of them. I should switch from tomatoes to pineapples to satisfy my sweet tooth. What a cool thing you have going on there with the pineapples!

PA_Julia · July 15, 2012

MMMMMMM Pineapple!!!

Looks great!

I'm going to the fridge now to break out the tub of cut pineapple after seeing your post Worth.

Julia

kath · July 15, 2012

I remember the first time I ever saw one growing- it was in my grandpa's yard in Florida. I thought it was the coolest plant and it's one of my favorite fruits- when truly ripe- not the kind from the store that burns your mouth when you eat more than a little bit. I do envy your tropical-fruit-growing climate, Worth!

I wonder if I could keep one alive and get it to fruit in a greenhouse that we keep just above freezing in the winter.

kath

Worth1 · July 15, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by kath

I remember the first time I ever saw one growing- it was in my grandpa's yard in Florida. I thought it was the coolest plant and it's one of my favorite fruits- when truly ripe- not the kind from the store that burns your mouth when you eat more than a little bit. I do envy your tropical-fruit-growing climate, Worth!

I wonder if I could keep one alive and get it to fruit in a greenhouse that we keep just above freezing in the winter.

kath

You most certainly can or even put it in the house where you live.
They like warm weather and are native to South America.
I found a WEB Site that told all about the cultivation of these critters.
There is a white Pineapple I have eaten that is super sweet.
This is the one I am looking for.

I have also read that the method I am using to propagate is one of the most common methods commercial growers use.
There are some other interesting things about the cultivation I will post later.

Wait I just had a brain storm, I met a guy at work that grows the white pineapple in Hawaii on his pineapple farm.

Thank you all for your comments.

Worth

habitat_gardener · July 15, 2012

How big is that 24-pineapple raised bed? (is there a smilie for "ambitious"?)

I haven't noticed any white pineapple for sale. Maybe they're too perishable to ship?

Pineapple is one of the very few things I buy in cans in the winter. Pineapple and pineapple juice are also a good anti-inflammatory!

kath · July 15, 2012

Hmm...sounds like a winter gardening project!

ginger2778 · July 15, 2012

I got 7 pineapples this summer from my yard. Here's my story,
I bought a pineapple one year, and threw the top onto the top of my compost pile. It rooted and up-righted itself! I pulled it up, laid it on its side, and it did it again! This happened a third time, so I said to it, "if you want to grow that badly I am gonna let you".
A year and a half later the most gorgeous bromiliad flower came out of the center, and the leaves were about 4 feet in diameter( so give them some room). It grew into a smaller but beautiful fruit. I knew it was ripe when it started to tilt sideways, and became yellow.
Worth, if you let it become totally yellow before you break it off at the joint, it will be likely sweeter than any you have had.
We've just been planting the tops without trimming the leaves, just leaving a little of the top of the actual pineapple with it, and the fibers turn to roots.
if you leave it, another plant will come up from the base and you will have fruit every 1 1/2 years from the same plant. We have 12 now, and you almost can't kill them! I don't even do any special watering and never added any fertilizer.
They are almost as good as my Mangoes which are in high harvest now!
-Marsha

kath · July 15, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by ginger2778

A year and a half later the most gorgeous bromiliad flower came out of the center, and the leaves were about 4 feet in diameter( so give them some room).

if you leave it, another plant will come up from the base and you will have fruit every 1 1/2 years from the same plant.
-Marsha

Well, that's 2 strikes...the greenhouse is small and filled with cactus all winter except for a small corner where I was able to fit three 5 gallon containers and some small transplants, so a 4' diameter would pretty much use up my space for one plant that would give me one fruit every other year?!

Think I have to consider moving to a tropical location.

ginger2778 · July 15, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by kath

Well, that's 2 strikes...the greenhouse is small and filled with cactus all winter except for a small corner where I was able to fit three 5 gallon containers and some small transplants, so a 4' diameter would pretty much use up my space for one plant that would give me one fruit every other year?!

Think I have to consider moving to a tropical location.

Oh PLease move to my area!!! LOL

meadowyck · July 15, 2012

Kath you would love FL, so come on down and join us.....LOL

Worth1 · July 15, 2012

Actually I have had real sweet Pineapple, my wife hasn't, these are for her.

You could not believe the horror and disgust at my first taste of sour pineapple.

Worth

kath · July 15, 2012

Thanks for the encouragement, ginger and meadowyck, but DH isn't moving south- he hates the heat and loves winter.

meadowyck · July 16, 2012

Kath there is always hope as my DH is from KY and when we were leaving Cleveland area he wanted to go back to KY as he thought FL was too HOT. LOL and we see who won that one, but just the other day I asked him about KY and he said he really liked here. It helps that we are on the gulf as you have the sea breezes all the time. I told him that this area was cooler than where we lived in KY and he said yep he now knows that and will only go by for a visit but not to live.... At least I hope we don't have to move back to KY but if I keep getting laid off from employment, one never really knows.

Crandrew · July 16, 2012

awesome Worth!! Wait so did you already build the raised bed for these or do you still need to do so?

July 15, 2012	#1
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	My Pineapple Plantation. I posted in the miscellaneous edibles section last winter about pineapples and what I was doing with them. I have put the link to that thread here and as you can see with a few pictures and the progress. Old thread. http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=20262 For your viewing pleasure this first picture is instructional showing how to trim the pineapple. You will see the the meat has been removed and the lower leaves pulled off. just cut little by little till you see this and you will be ready to put into moist potting soil. Attachment 26764 This picture shows two plants that have taken root and on their way to becoming pineapples. The one on the far right is the one I had the devil with last winter, but it is doing much better now. The one to the left is from about 2 months ago, it is also doing fine. Attachment 26765 The two plants you see on the far left are two plants I potted up today with the dead leaves trimmed off. Attachment 26766 I will keep everyone updated and will continue to start new plants as fast as I can eat pineapples. There is enough space in my yard for a raised bed to grow about 24 of these things and that is where they will go. There will be winter protection for them there. Worth Last edited by Worth1; November 17, 2012 at 05:42 PM.

July 15, 2012	#3
PA_Julia Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Princeton, Ky Zone 7A Posts: 2,208	MMMMMMM Pineapple!!! Looks great! I'm going to the fridge now to break out the tub of cut pineapple after seeing your post Worth. Julia __________________ Personal Best- 4.46 LB Big Zac 2013

July 15, 2012	#4
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	I remember the first time I ever saw one growing- it was in my grandpa's yard in Florida. I thought it was the coolest plant and it's one of my favorite fruits- when truly ripe- not the kind from the store that burns your mouth when you eat more than a little bit. I do envy your tropical-fruit-growing climate, Worth!I wonder if I could keep one alive and get it to fruit in a greenhouse that we keep just above freezing in the winter. kath

July 15, 2012	#11
meadowyck Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: Brooksville, FL Posts: 1,001	Kath you would love FL, so come on down and join us.....LOL __________________ Jan “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” -Theodore Roosevelt

July 16, 2012	#14
meadowyck Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: Brooksville, FL Posts: 1,001	Kath there is always hope as my DH is from KY and when we were leaving Cleveland area he wanted to go back to KY as he thought FL was too HOT. LOL and we see who won that one, but just the other day I asked him about KY and he said he really liked here. It helps that we are on the gulf as you have the sea breezes all the time. I told him that this area was cooler than where we lived in KY and he said yep he now knows that and will only go by for a visit but not to live.... At least I hope we don't have to move back to KY but if I keep getting laid off from employment, one never really knows. __________________ Jan “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” -Theodore Roosevelt

July 15, 2012	#2
jennifer28 Two-faced Drama Queen Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital Posts: 955	Worth, this is AWESOME. I love pineapples. I love the way they grow, too. The way they start so small in the middle of the plant. I wish I could grow pineapples here where I am. When I was living in Hawaii for a few months, I loved going around the Dole plantation. Some of the smaller islands have fields and fields of them. I should switch from tomatoes to pineapples to satisfy my sweet tooth. What a cool thing you have going on there with the pineapples!

July 15, 2012	#6
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,540	How big is that 24-pineapple raised bed? (is there a smilie for "ambitious"?) I haven't noticed any white pineapple for sale. Maybe they're too perishable to ship? Pineapple is one of the very few things I buy in cans in the winter. Pineapple and pineapple juice are also a good anti-inflammatory!

July 15, 2012	#8
ginger2778 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10 Posts: 9,283	I got 7 pineapples this summer from my yard. Here's my story, I bought a pineapple one year, and threw the top onto the top of my compost pile. It rooted and up-righted itself! I pulled it up, laid it on its side, and it did it again! This happened a third time, so I said to it, "if you want to grow that badly I am gonna let you". A year and a half later the most gorgeous bromiliad flower came out of the center, and the leaves were about 4 feet in diameter( so give them some room). It grew into a smaller but beautiful fruit. I knew it was ripe when it started to tilt sideways, and became yellow. Worth, if you let it become totally yellow before you break it off at the joint, it will be likely sweeter than any you have had. We've just been planting the tops without trimming the leaves, just leaving a little of the top of the actual pineapple with it, and the fibers turn to roots. if you leave it, another plant will come up from the base and you will have fruit every 1 1/2 years from the same plant. We have 12 now, and you almost can't kill them! I don't even do any special watering and never added any fertilizer. They are almost as good as my Mangoes which are in high harvest now! -Marsha

July 16, 2012	#15
Crandrew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: asdf Posts: 1,202	awesome Worth!! Wait so did you already build the raised bed for these or do you still need to do so?