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The Pineapple Plant
To make your garden look full and beautiful, most gardeners would like to bring some exotic species into the garden. The latest of these plants is the pineapple - a plant with a very attractive look, tasty fruits, and tropical flavor. It is fun and rewarding to grow a pineapple in your garden, and there are many reasons for this - not only its aesthetics but the fact that you get to enjoy your sweet fruit.
The pineapple plant, also known as Ananas comosus, belongs to the Bromeliaceae family and grows in the tropical areas of South America. It immediately draws you in with its rosette of leafy green spikes and a striking fruit in the middle. Pineapples' golden hue and juicy, citrus-like flavor have wooed eyes and palates all over the world. If you plant a pineapple plant in your garden, then you can relish the graphic beauty of this amazing plant as well as the pleasure of picking your fresh pineapples.
For that reason, one of the main reasons why pineapple plants are very popular in gardens is for their ornamental value. Pineapple plants are pretty and can give any garden an exotic feel. The long sword-like leaves make up a rosette-like shape, perfect as a center piece or a great accent for other tropical and exotic plants. Their bushy, ornamental leaves give a variety of interest to the garden, and they are perfect for an elegant and green landscape.
Along with being eye-catching, pineapples are also low-maintenance, which can be an asset to gardeners of all abilities. They do best in full sun and well-drained soil, so they make excellent gardens in tropical or subtropical areas. Planting pineapples takes little attention, a bit of watering and fertilizing here and there. They're so tough that they can bear a little neglect, so they're a perfect choice for busy gardeners or beginner gardeners.
The second good reason to plant pineapple plants in your yard is the promise of fresh fruits. Your own garden pineapples can be as fresh and flavorful as supermarket pineapples get a lot more of. Homegrown pineapples are picked at the very best moment so they're as sweet and tasty as possible. To be able to pick a juicy pineapple from your yard and savor its rich flesh is a thrill that few other fruits can match.
Furthermore, by dividing your pineapple plant, you can have better control over the fruits and the pesticides or chemicals. A lot of gardeners love the fact that they can boost their pineapples naturally without the nasty chemicals that are included in supermarket produce. It's the safer and more sustainable option, and it gives your family safer and healthier fruit.
Pineapple Plants Can Be Employed In All Kinds Of Cooking
Another reason you should plant pineapples in your garden is because they are multi-functional. The pineapple is mainly thought of in terms of sweetness and tropicalism, but it can be used in other recipes as well. You can slather fresh pineapple in delicious juices, smoothies, and cocktails or put it into meaty foods such as salsas, grilled skewers, and tropical salads. The sky is the limit, and when you have a pineapple plant in your backyard, the creative kitchen door will widen.
Not only are pineapple plants versatile in culinary terms, but they are also medicinal and nutritive. Pineapples are a good source of nutrients like vitamin C, manganese, and dietary fiber. Fresh pineapple is good for you, can help you stay healthy, and gives you an extra dose of nutrients.
Besides nutritionally, pineapples also have an enzyme called bromelain that has been found to be anti-inflammatory and digestive. Bromelain can be used to treat digestive issues and inflammation and even help recover after an injury. This is one health benefit that you can harness if you have fresh pineapples in your garden on a regular basis for yourself and your family.
Additionally, pineapples add diversity to your garden. As pineapples mature, they house and feed insects and birds - creating a healthier environment. The flowers of pineapple plant attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies which can help to increase the fruits of other plants in your garden. With pineapples plants you can make the garden full of more diversity and health for any animal you find around the garden.
You can grow pineapples in your garden, and it's easier than you think. Yes, pineapples are tropical, but you can find them growing in other climates if they're well taken care of. When it comes to pineapple cultivation, there are three options: you can start with seeds, you can plant a pineapple crown, or you can plant a sucker or offset. Each one is good, and both can produce fruit.
Seed starting takes longer, but you get to pick from a larger variety of pineapples. You can obtain pineapple seeds from the ripe fruit and plant in a potting mix that drains well. Be sure to keep the soil wet and sunlight the seedlings with plenty of sun. After the seedlings have grown into sturdy plants, you can plant them in your yard.
An easier and more common pineapple-growing method is crown planting. To do this, get a ripe pineapple from the market and snip off the crown with the fruit flesh still attached to the base. Dry the dome for a few days so it doesn't rot, and put it in good drainage soil. Pineapple crowns will turn into healthy plants bearing fruit in 18-24 months.
If you want a faster harvest, you can use a sucker or offset. These are little shoots coming up from the trunk of a mature pineapple plant. Remove the sucker or offset from the parent plant and sow in a drained place. These are the buds that mature before the crowns, so fruit can be produced within 12-18 months.
Once set, It's Vital To Treat Your Pineapple Plant Carefully.
If your pineapple plant is grown and planted in your garden, then you need to give it proper attention so it keeps health and thrives. As we have said before pineapple plants like full sun so give it at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day. : water plants often so the soil is always wet but not saturated. Plants in pineapples are drought tolerant, but it's vital that fruit remains moist at all times.
Fertilize your pineapple plants so they receive the nutrients that they will produce fruit. Consider a slow-release fertiliser enriched with micronutrients to deliver the nutrients slowly and for a long time. Apply the fertilizer as directed by the plant, every two to three months in the season.
You also want to remove weeds from the place where your pineapple grows because weeds will eat and moisturize your pineapple. A mulch mulch on the plant's base will suppress weeds and conserve water. Also, mulch keeps the plant from overheating so that it is healthy in your garden.
As your pineapple plant grows, you might see the central stalk develop a spike. That spike eventually becomes the pineapple fruit. It needs proper support so the heavy fruit doesn't bend or snap the stalk. Other gardeners mount the fruit on a pineapple pole or wrap the fruit in soft twine so that it doesn't hang down.
Pineapples are ready to be picked at the golden-yellow skin, and the scent is savory. Check if it is ripe by a light pull on the fruit; if it is easily pulled from the plant, then it's ready to pick. Cut the pineapple from the plant with a knife, leaving a little bit of the stem attached to the fruit. It is something that can be sown to sprout a new pineapple plant.
In sum, the pineapple plant is an all-around nice plant to have in any garden - it is one of the few that has beautiful ornamental beauty, juicy fruits, and other uses. You can grow pineapple plants for a very rewarding and fun experience, whether you are a professional or an amateur gardener. It can be your tropical paradise at home with homemade, fresh pineapples to please your palate and give you a great overall feeling of health when taken care of well. So go ahead and plant pineapple plant in your garden and get the savory reward in your yard.
