Pineapple questions

[Ray Drouillard]

I heard somewhere that pineapple isn't a real fruit. If I had to guess, I would guess that it's a whole lot like a strawberry.

Anyhow, I found what looks like seeds in the skin of the pineapple. I planted a couple of them yesterday, so if they are seeds, I may know in a couple weeks.

If that's the case, should I assume that growing a plant from the green top of the pineapple will yield a clone of the original plant?

Question two: I had a plant going well, but the inner leaves froze and died because we didn't move it indoors soon enough. The outer leaves are still alive, and the root system is still solid, but there is no new growth. Should I give up on it and toss it out?

Ray

[James Mayer]

Usually. Anyone with better info is welcome to butt right in. I've asked pineapple questions here before and gotten very few responses.

Give it a chance. It may send out side shoots and restart from there. Mine do that when I cut the fruit from the top. It may take a while. Possibly up to 6 weeks or so. Check down where the leaf attaches to the stalk and that will be where they come up from.

[Ray Drouillard]

I suppose I could google for it.

Thanks!

It's been more than six weeks, but the temperature and light are both rather low. Maybe it'll do something this summer when I take it out into the direct sun.

Ray

[Katra]

Just remember, they grow in Hawaii!!!

Please, do, let us know your results You are not the only one to chop the top off of one and plant it! My success has been limited but I never got serious, so I'm curious too.

Same goes for planting the seeds found in the rind... :-)

They are a bromiliad if that helps? At least as far as I know...

so I was bored and went googling... ;-) Hope that helps, AND you post your results here later! LOL!

K.

[James Mayer]

I've got 20 of them growing but I live in west central Florida. Seems to be rather easy here. They do take about 2 years or so to produce a fruit.

[Katra]

Are these from chopped tops ore seeds? :-)

K.

[Benny F. Sevilla]

The top grows easily if you keep it moist on loamy soil; if you want it to fruit as a houseplant, growing it on a 15 gallon container would be great; try not to get the night temperature lower than 40 degrees F if you are putting it outside; after two years, it will give you a fruit or two. It will die after the fruit ripens, but will start giving you side shoots, so you can divide them like any bromeliads.

I got it growing outside here in Pleasant Hill , CA - zone 9 but had to be brought inside during a frosty night. They prefer high humidity so if you put the plant near a pond, you will be assured of a beautiful plant.

[Bpyboy]

you know, the easiest way to get a pineapple growing is to plant the top part of the fruit in soil. You know, the part that you slice off when you are getting ready to eat one?

I did one several years ago, and hit the cut part with a little bit of rooting hormone. It grew into a beautiful plant that I kept during college, but it never produced any fruit. Still, perhaps you would have better luck growing one outdoors? maybe you climate is better?

John

[Shystev99]

Don't know if this will help but an online friend of mine from Hawaii once told me to plant them you twist the green part of the plant off and plant it in soil or in a pot. He said that is how he does them, Now I've never tried growing one so I don't really know how well it is. I see other people have suggested about the same thing only cutting it off. Steve

[Steve]

I've been watching this pineapple discussion with interest. I grew one once, just for fun. Pineapples certainly must be a fruit. If they contain seeds (in the wild, at least) that pretty much confirms that they are fruits. Strawberries are fruits too, of course. Now, if you claimed that strawberries are not really berries, I could agree with that. I've never seen a pineapple with seeds. I'm surprised to hear you say the seeds are in the skin. Maybe what you found isn't seeds (but maybe they are). I hope you report back to us and let us know if they sprout or not. A planted top certainly would be a clone of the original plant, as would any basal sprouts. Other posters to this thread have said to cut the top off the fruit and plant it. I wouldn't cut it off. Any fruit that remains will simply rot and in the mean time will keep the part that forms roots from getting to the soil. If you want to plant a top, just twist it off the top of the fruit. Strip away several of the lowest leaves and there are usually little stubby roots already visible and ready to grow right into the soil. I grew one that way. I grew it for 2 years and the 2nd summer outside it sent up a flower stem, bloomed, and then made a medium sized fruit which we ate. Our summers are short and cool so most of its life was in the basement. If I ever move to Florida or anywhere that comes close to frost free, I'll be growing several of them, even if I do have to protect them from some cold spells.

Steve ... the other one... in the Adirondacks of northern NY

Ray Drouillard wrote:

[James Mayer]

Tops.

[Otto Jones]

The seeds resemble flax seed, are small and are found in the flesh of the fruit, not in the skin. You rarely find them in store bought, but it is possible. They readily germinate and produce tough little rosettes that grow slowly. If the plant you describe has healthy 'stalk' and root system, it may produce new plants. Take care that you do not overwater at this stage and rot out the root system. After taking the fruit, I often observe 2 or 3 new plants forming. These can be left in place allowing a clump to form or they may be removed and planted out separately. I have found that a little sprinkle of osmocote in the cup promotes good growth. Otto in Orlando - with a 150sqft patch of pineapples.

"Ray Drouillard" wrote in message news:c045bk$1302r9$ [e-mail]...

[Frogleg]

I think you should. There's a lot of information out there, including how to grow a pineapple from the top

"growing a pineapple"

will give you a lot more information that "I think," and "I've heard."

"pineapple propagation" yielded:

[Monique Reed]

May I chime in as a botanist/horticulture person?

A pineapple is not one fruit--it is many fruits. Each little section of a pineapple is the fruit from one tiny flower. The whole inflorescence (+collection of flowers) matures into the juicy, sweet multiple fruit that we know as "a" pineapple. The "core" of a pineapple is the stalk of the inflorescence. In a really good pineapple, that's edible too. Commercial pineapples have very, very small seeds.

You certainly can propagate pineapples from a nice slice with the leaves at the top. You will be taking the growing point of the stem, and in time it may well flower again.

An old trick to induce flowering in bromeliads: Once the plant is fairly good-sized, put it in a paper or plastic bag with a very ripe banana or apple for a couple of days. Ripening fruit gives off enough ethylene gas to trigger flowering, though it may take a few weeks (once the plant is out of the bag) to actually get the flowers.

Trivia question of the day: Why does the Jell-o box say not to use fresh pineapple?

Hope this helps, M. Reed Texas A&M

[Marcella Tracy Peek]

Fresh pineapple contains an enzyme that will prevent the jello from jelling. The enzyme cannot withstand heat so canned pineapple is ok.

marcella

[Katra]

Doesn't fresh pineapple contain enzymes that "melt" gelatin? :-)

I'd not use fresh papaya either.

K.

[Monique Reed]

Ding! We have a winner! The same holds true for other enzyme-rich fruits like papaya. I hear that figs and kiwis do the same thing.

M>

[Ray Drouillard]

[...]

I tried that once. It didn't set up. Apparently, there is an enzyme or something in pineapple that keeps the gelatin from jelling.

Ray

[Frogleg]

Bromelain. Similar to papayin, it breaks down protein (geletin). Pineapple juice is a good meat tenderizer.

[Katra]

Ya know what, I'm glad you mentioned that. ;-) Beef has gone up in price so I can no longer afford my favorite cuts like T-bone and Rib eye, so I settled for some nice chuck steaks the other day for $1.99 / lb.

Now I know what to marinate them in to tenderize those suckers! I'm ok but papasan has bad teeth and won't let me get him to a dentist..... :-P

Katra