on pineapples and other plants
It's starting to look like I have a pineapple farm growing on my balcony...
I harvested the pineapple on my plant about a month ago. It was a very mini pineapple - about 5 inches tall - but it was very yummy. I assume that since this was originally a store-bought pineapple plant, it was forced to flower before it really should have been, hence the small fruit. Still...
Anyway, I have repotted the plants. There were two larger plants, both of which have produced a fruit already. Each plant also had a ratoon growing from the roots, so those smaller guys are now in their own pots. One of the larger ones also appears to be developing a sucker growth below the stem where it's fruit had formed. I will let this continue to develop for a while, and remove and plant once it is large enough. The other large one doesn't have any other slips/suckers/ratoons growing, but I still put it in a pot of its own to see what will develop there. I hope to get more offshoots, because those develop fruits faster than plants grown from crowns (like, 2 years instead of 3!).
On the subject of crowns, yes, I did also save the crown of the mini-pineapple, and it is now potted as well. I will have to wait a bit to see if it took and develops a good root system. I also have another crown that I have sucessfully rooted and has put out a few new leaves. This is from a store bought pineapple that I ate and enjoyed. So, I currently have 6 plants going, with at least one more possible offshoot from one of the mother plants.
On the down side of things...there is an aphid infestation in my pomegranate bushes. I hate those things. And I'm somewhat upset by the fact that, since they go after new growth first, they are chowing down on all the buds/flowers. One was about 1/2 wide, and looked like it might be developing into a fruit, too. I've been spraying the plants with soapy water, which helps kill off the aphids already there, but then more hatch, so it's not getting to the root of the problem. So I have ordered some ladybugs to help with getting rid of the little buggers. Those should be here tomorrow. Fingers crossed!
My thornless boysenberry is growing well...and is thorny. :P Only 1 vine of the three growing from the base is actually thornless, so I call that false advertising. Also, the thorny vines are growing a couple inches per month, and the thornless one isn't even developing at half that rate. Whatever. I'm hoping it will flower next year and give me some fruits, thorns or not. :)
Now, if I can just keep everything alive through the winter...
I harvested the pineapple on my plant about a month ago. It was a very mini pineapple - about 5 inches tall - but it was very yummy. I assume that since this was originally a store-bought pineapple plant, it was forced to flower before it really should have been, hence the small fruit. Still...
Anyway, I have repotted the plants. There were two larger plants, both of which have produced a fruit already. Each plant also had a ratoon growing from the roots, so those smaller guys are now in their own pots. One of the larger ones also appears to be developing a sucker growth below the stem where it's fruit had formed. I will let this continue to develop for a while, and remove and plant once it is large enough. The other large one doesn't have any other slips/suckers/ratoons growing, but I still put it in a pot of its own to see what will develop there. I hope to get more offshoots, because those develop fruits faster than plants grown from crowns (like, 2 years instead of 3!).
On the subject of crowns, yes, I did also save the crown of the mini-pineapple, and it is now potted as well. I will have to wait a bit to see if it took and develops a good root system. I also have another crown that I have sucessfully rooted and has put out a few new leaves. This is from a store bought pineapple that I ate and enjoyed. So, I currently have 6 plants going, with at least one more possible offshoot from one of the mother plants.
On the down side of things...there is an aphid infestation in my pomegranate bushes. I hate those things. And I'm somewhat upset by the fact that, since they go after new growth first, they are chowing down on all the buds/flowers. One was about 1/2 wide, and looked like it might be developing into a fruit, too. I've been spraying the plants with soapy water, which helps kill off the aphids already there, but then more hatch, so it's not getting to the root of the problem. So I have ordered some ladybugs to help with getting rid of the little buggers. Those should be here tomorrow. Fingers crossed!
My thornless boysenberry is growing well...and is thorny. :P Only 1 vine of the three growing from the base is actually thornless, so I call that false advertising. Also, the thorny vines are growing a couple inches per month, and the thornless one isn't even developing at half that rate. Whatever. I'm hoping it will flower next year and give me some fruits, thorns or not. :)
Now, if I can just keep everything alive through the winter...