At last, I have achieved a successful pineapple harvest from my backyard garden. It didn’t require much effort, but it did require patience. Years of patience. Generally pineapples take about two and a half years to harvest.
On the advice of a friend, I planted these pineapple four and five years ago. He said it was easy to grow pineapple. All you had to do was cut off the top, allow it to dry for a few days and then plant it in the ground. Didn’t look like much at the time, but I was hopeful.
No special fertilizer required. No special soil or extreme watering schedule. As it grows, watch out for winter weather. These are tropical fruit and do not like it cold. I think my harvest was delayed due to a frost last winter. Again, mine took 4-5 years to produce when generally they will harvest in 2-3 years. (Remember: patience is a requirement!)
Eventually, the fruit turns golden and will fall off the plant. I’d harvest it before then to avoid any “overripe” fruit. Too much waiting for sour fruit. And I must say, freshly-harvested pineapple is sweeter than store-bought.
A member of the Bromeliaceae family, pineapple plants react just as ornamental bromeliads. They die back and produce yet another generation. Once you harvest the fruit, the plant basically thinks it has finished its purpose, but will produce suckers, or small plants that will ultimately bear fruit. From what I hear, these secondary harvests aren’t as great as the original. (Is anything in life?)
While they won’t grow to be as large as the initial fruit, they will grow into a new plant. If you’d like to further your pineapple harvest, remove these suckers once they become about 8 inches in size and replant. You can start in water or straight in the ground.
Now that I’m an “ace” pineapple grower, I think I’ll start a pineapple farm of my own like the one shown above, located in Maui.
Florida, Hawaii–we have a lot in common! Tropical weather, beautiful beaches, fabulous farms–what’s not to love, right? For more detailed instructions on how to grow your own pineapple, check out the Tropical Permaculture website.
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