The pineapple (Ananas comosus, Ananas sativus) comes from the bromeliad family (Bromeliaceae). It is originally from Central and South America. It is now growing worldwide in tropical regions. We know it as an ornamental pineapple and is mainly cultivated as a houseplant. It forms a leaf rosette with loose, long and pointed leaves. The delicious fruit will later form from the inflorescence. In German interiors, however, it usually does not make it to full maturity and is therefore (only) a beautiful, exotic ornamental plant.
Multiplication
In some nurseries you can buy different pineapple plants. Most of the time it is not the real fruit pineapple, but different varieties of the same genus. The original pineapple comosus, for example, is quite large and rather unsuitable for living spaces. But regardless of whether it is specially grown ornamental pineapples or fruit pineapples, the propagation works on the same principle. With seeds and Kindel or with the pineapple bowl, the fruit tip.
Seeds
If you just want to experience how a pineapple plant is created, you can try to grow it from seeds. Otherwise this type of propagation is more interesting for the professional breeding of new varieties. Some pineapples have seeds a few millimeters below the skin. They are small, brown, flaxseed-like kernels. These seeds are collected, washed and then dried a little. Before sowing, it is best to water them for a day. Then sprinkle them on the potting soil and press them very lightly. Temperatures above 20 ° C are now required permanently. In addition, a greenhouse climate, ideally through a foil cover. the
The probability that a seed will germinate is given as 50%. The time to germination can be a good two months.Kindel
Much simpler and also the most common method is multiplication by Kindel. These are side shoots, as we know them from many bromeliads and also agave plants. Usually after flowering, the mother plant forms small offshoots at its base. These are then cut off with a knife and placed in a small saucepan. A mixture of peat and sand is a suitable substrate. The earth is always just kept moist. The sprout will take root in it in a warm, shady location. That takes approx. eight to ten weeks.
Cutting
The most popular and exciting method is propagation through the fruit, more precisely through the tuft of leaves, the tip of the fruit. You can try this with any pineapple that you have previously eaten with pleasure. That's how it works:
- First, cut off the rosette of a pineapple's leaf, about three centimeters deep into the pulp. The leaves should be healthy and juicy, not dried out. The pulp around the stalk can be removed.
- Let this section dry out well for a day or two so that it does not rot.
- Now there are two options, either you let this tuft root in water or you stick it directly into the potting soil.
- Water glass method: Here the tuft of leaves is hung in the water up to the base of the leaves. The lower leaves should not hang in the water and be plucked. A narrow glass is well suited for this, on which the head with its leaves sits and the rest hangs in the water. The whole thing is now up to the roots in a light and very warm place. The water is filled up as required, not changed. After a few weeks, roots form, which can be seen with the glass method. If they are about five millimeters long, you put the head in a pot with potting soil.
- Planting directly in the potting soil: The dried tuft of leaves is placed directly in the substrate. If you want to be on the safe side, first dip it in rooting powder. The substrate should be poor in nutrients and permeable. Cactus soil, palm soil or a mixture of soil with sand are suitable. Here the tuft of leaves is pressed in to the lowest leaf rosette. The container must have good water drainage, the young roots are very sensitive to too much moisture.
- Regardless of the method, the room temperature is important in the following. The warmer the better, a continuous 25 ° C is ideal. High humidity is also appreciated. So place it away from heaters, if necessary it makes sense to set up a humidifier. The young cuttings can also be covered with transparent plastic bags. But don't forget to ventilate the room regularly and don't expose it to the blazing sun.
Tip: Do not keep the substrate too moist because of the sensitive roots. It is better than watering to spray the sprout with water as often as possible.
- As soon as a new leaf shoot forms in the middle of the leaf rosette, the action was successful. It can take years for the flowers to bloom and, ultimately, for renewed fruit formation.
Attract & care
If the sprout or tuft is successfully rooted, it is a matter of growing a healthy pineapple plant.
- Substrate: A mixture of lime-free, mineral soil is best. The substance should be crumbly, loose for good drainage. The ideal pH is 5.
- Location: Brightness and sufficient hours of sunshine every day are the best location conditions for the pineapple. She does not tolerate bright midday sun so well.
- Pouring: Pouring is rather moderate. The earth can be moist, but never wet. Waterlogging is to be avoided entirely. In contrast to other bromeliads, the pineapple does not tolerate standing water in its leaf rosette. Therefore always pour on the ground.
- Temperature: The sun fruit needs a lot of warmth, preferably always above 20 ° C. Ideal is 25 ° C with high humidity.
- Fertilizer: The pineapple plant does not have a real break in the year. You can therefore add some complete fertilizer to the irrigation water every two weeks all year round. A slightly higher proportion of phosphate has a positive effect on the flower.
- Overwintering: A special wintering is not necessary for the pineapple, because it has to be warm all year round. So even in winter it must not be exposed to temperatures below 16 ° C.
- Repotting: Repotting in the next larger pot is always necessary when the substrate in the pot is completely rooted. The substrate should be completely renewed, any time in the year.
- Harvest: With a little luck and an ideal location, you can expect a bloom after a few years. A fruit will ripen from this flower in 4-8 months. The fruits ripened in summer have the greatest chance of developing a sweet, tasty fruit. Then the mother plant dies. In the meantime, however, enough children have formed for further reproduction.
Toxicity
Again and again you hear of warnings that the pineapple is poisonous. Especially for pregnant women. Consumption should not be safe for cats either. Toxic is a harsh word for this delicious fruit. If the pineapple is not yet fully ripened, it is, like many unripe fruits, less digestible. The enzymes supposedly dangerous for pregnant women are rendered harmless by the stomach acid. What remains is a sweet fruit, bursting with vitamins, which, when consumed in moderation, can enrich any diet. Many exotic houseplants are poisonous or not digestible for cats - the list is long. However, if cats have enough harmless, alternative green to choose from and are otherwise busy with their cat life, they will hardly nibble on these houseplants. A far more dangerous toxicity results from the pesticides that are used for export in countries with excessive pineapple cultivation. Costa Rica, for example, is setting a sad record: it is the country in which, with 52 kg of pesticides per hectare, the largest number of pesticides in the world are used. Just so that western countries can buy pineapples for their supermarkets as cheaply as possible. This is really poison for everyone, for producers and consumers alike.
Conclusion
A rich harvest cannot be expected. The different varieties of pineapples are decorative, exotic and easy to care for houseplants. Growing a plant from a tuft of leaves is particularly fun: First the sweet fruit is nibbled and then the exciting experiment in the pot can begin.