|
Growing Pineapple:
Projects For
Kids and Adults Alike
Haven’t you ever wanted to grow something really unique and different? Like
something you see all the time but really didn’t know you could grow it as a
houseplant? Like maybe a pineapple plant? Did you know a pineapple plant is
really a bromeliad? And although they are a little challenging to grow and
patience is needed, the reward is tremendous while the journey is fun! Here’s
what to do:
-
Visit your local grocery store and pick up a pineapple with a
healthy looking top.
- Cut off the top
leaving about a half inch to an inch of the fruit on the green part of the
top. Let this dry for about 24 hours.
- Fill a pot with a
good houseplant mix and pre-moisten with water.
- If you happen to have some rooting
hormone put some on the bottom. If not don’t worry about it. Set the
pineapple top in the soil and be sure to cover up the fruit.
- Place the pot in a
warm area and sunny window. Keep moist but be sure to mist the leaves every
day. The plant will be absorbing water through the leaves rather than the
soil.
After a couple
months you will see new leaf growth. Yeah! You’ve done it. Then several
months after that, the plant will grow and before you know it, will
produce a little pineapple of its own. Like this one.
 
What a terrific way to
get a child into the spirit of gardening!
Tip: To induce flowering - enclose a plant that is at least a year old in
a plastic bag with a couple slices of apple in it. the ethylene gas given off
from the apple will in most cases trigger the plant to bloom. Remove after 5
days and the plant should flower after 2 months
Back
| 
