There ’s nothing like the lemony mellisonant taste of pineapple . Delicious savoury or gratifying , raw or cooked . Europeans constitute the pineapple in the 14th century upon happen upon it in the Modern world . It bear on to the resemblance it has to the pine cone , and the sweet flesh of an apple . pineapple plant are not related to pine tree or apples , but the name tells a bit of the fruit ’s story .
Do pineapples grow on trees?
What do pineapple grow on?The pineapple(Ananas comosus ) is a bushy herbaceous plant in the bromeliad kin that spring up up to five feet tall . These are tropic plant aboriginal to Central and South America where they ’ve been cultivated for thou of years .
They have long sword - like farewell and a primal unfolding stalk . Pineapples are considered perennials even though each plant life only produce one yield . You ’ll often hear of gardener contract fruit from one pineapple works for years . They do , and in USDA zone 10 and 11 ananas will produce for a farseeing time . Botanically speaking each raw fruiting shoot is a Modern plant .
Before fruiting , pineapples bloom with up to 200 flower . This beautiful showing is a symphony orchestra of color . In their aboriginal ecosystem , hummingbird would be the pollination vectors of pineapples . commercial-grade farmers take measures to prevent pollenation to produce seedless yield .
Each peak on a pineapple becomes a fruit classified as a berry . These Chuck Berry coalesce together to form what appears like one gravid yield . Once the master stalk fruit , it will not fruit again . The plant grows unexampled shoots out of the base to the side of the main straw .
The new shoot are propagative growth . They are genetic knockoff of the original plant life similar to a white potato or prime electric-light bulb . Commercial growers slay and replant these shoots called ‘ slips ’ to grow Modern works . It ’s also possible to propagate Ananas comosus from the dark-green tops . These tops so often cut off and tossed into the compost are potential houseplant .
Do pineapples grow in the ground?
Bromeliads are a special phratry of tropic works . Many members of this mob are suited for growing high in the canopy off branch of trees . They ’re root grab hold to anchor themselves but nutrient assemblage is done mostly through the farewell . Like pineapples , many bromeliads have water - support pocket constitute by how the leaves grow away from the stalk .
Pineapples plant get most of their water and nutrient from these pockets . They do need the territory , unlike other family member . It is recommended when planting a pineapple slipperiness or top to gently set it on top of the soil instead of burying it .
If you ’re growing pineapple , check them to see if a flora needs water . If they ’re lactating it will be alright . If they are dry then the plant necessitate water .
History of pineapples
Thought to have originate near Brazil and Paraguay , Ananas comosus scatter throughout South America in ancient times . The first known finish and consumption amount from Aztec and Mayan records . The taxonomy name Ananas refers to an original Tupi word ‘ nanas ’ think of pineapple . In many words , pineapples are called ananas .
Columbus named the pineapple piña de Indes . He and other Spanish explorers introduced the fruit to Europe , Hawaii , Guam , The Philippines , and Zimbabwe . In northern Europe where the mood is temperate , pineapple fast became a symbol of success .
Grown in hothouses sometimes with woodburning ovens to keep them warm the exotic fruits were reserved only for those fortunate enough to afford them . Because of the European compulsion with the pineapples , it is sometimes call ‘ the colonist ’s fruit . ’
James Dole of the Dole Food Company moved to the island of Hawaii in 1899 . The first plantation of pineapples on Oahu was in 1900 , and it was a 60 - acre parcel . Previous to the evolution of refrigeration on ships , transporting the fruit to the mainland was n’t executable .
He was the first to can the pineapple in 1903 . The yield of pineapples in Hawaii led to a proscription on import hummingbirds due to efforts to prevent pollination . Dole stay to grow Ananas comosus in Hawaii , accounting for about .1 per centum of the world ’s supply . Behind applesauce and peaches , pineapple is the third most popular canned yield .
In late decades India has begin commercial-grade production of pineapples . The fruit is gaining popularity in the country , and it is a profitable exportation .
Cultivation of pineapples
The worlds largest pineapple producers let in Brazil , Costa Rica , and the Philipines . Flowering is often induced early in the time of year . This technique produces a craw of large fruit plus a fillip crop of smaller fruit later on .
An terra firma hammock is dug around each plant to trap wet . It take 24 months for a pineapple plant life to grow one fruit . The plant will then send up to 25 fruiting side shoots out . Home gardener will often let these grow where they are . commercial-grade producers want more plant so they replant them in the land .
established ananas farming is often done in monocultures with large measure of chemical substance utilisation . Farmers in Costa Rica report using 44lbs of pesticide per hectare of farmland . This is annihilating to aboriginal soil and waterways . Farm workers are usually underpaid and queer to dangerous chemical . Residents often have an gain in toxin in their drunkenness water .
Varieties of pineapple
Pineapple form grade from blanched to bright yellow . Flavors may be sweet , sourish , flowered , spicy , acidic and even piney depending on the cultivar grown . Cultivars develop through breeding programme or raw adaptation to unexampled climates and ecosystems .
Growing pineapples
Anyone can start they ’re ownpineapple plantfrom the top of a storebought yield . They ’re not picky about the soil character as long as it enfeeble well . soggy pineapple radical are not glad . In cooler climate , plant them in containers for alien looking houseplant .
Simply cut the top off of a pineapple and remove a few layer of lower leaves . Place this top into some well - enfeeble potting soil and within calendar week it will arise root and ground itself . Even a container - grown Ananas comosus will fruit if given the right environment .
order the flora in a cheery windowpane and keep the temperature in the room above 60 ° F ( 15 ° C ) . pineapple plant plants appreciate the humidity and wet of a regular misting . fertilize with a liquid organic plant food like compost tea leaf or Pisces emulsion diluted to half durability and poured directly onto the leaves of the plant life .
Keep the soil moist at all meter , but pineapple plant cantolerate droughtson social function . These are pure flora for begin gardeners because they are loose , rewarding , and telling .
Harvest when the yield istotally advanced . Ananas comosus harvest fleeceable will dulcify but not build up to a fully advanced flavor . you could differentiate if a pineapple is advanced when it turn from a super C to a golden or bronze color .
Storing and preserving
Store them on the replication top for a couple of weeks . If reduce space in a plastic bag in the electric refrigerator for up to seven day . There are multiple method of save ananas . The most democratic is canning in which pineapples are combine with a unaccented sugar sirup and seal in jars . Canned Ananas comosus can last for several age . Pineapples can be frozen and dried as well . dry out pineapple plant is a fresh confect sometimes undulate in loot and found in trail mix .
