Grow Dwarf Pineapples




Dwarf pineapples are an ornamental rather than an edible fruit. It can be found in upscale food markets. You can use them in flower arrangements or even as exotic drink stirrers. With this article and consistent TLC, you can grow your own mini-pineapples at home!

Steps

  1. Compose a loose, well-drained growing medium. Try large bark chips, osmunda fiber, large-size calcine clay, or tree fern fiber. Add small amounts of peat moss or vermiculite to hold water.
  2. Plant the dwarf pineapple in a pot with the growing medium. There are various ways to obtain a young plant.
    • Cut or break off young side shoots or "pups" from an existing plant when they're half the size of the adult.
    • Cut a dwarf pineapple fruit, leaving a little bit of the fruit attached to the topknot.
    • Divide the "ratoons" (root parts) of mature plants.
  3. Put the plant in an indoor area where it will receive partial to full sunlight. Bromeliads in general prosper in the east, south, or west window where they can get 3 to 4 hours of full sun every day. Overall, dwarf pineapples require bright, warm conditions.
  4. Water the plant once a week by filling the cup or basin formed by the base of the leaves. There's no need to water the growing medium because overflow from the cup is enough to do the trick.
  5. Fertilize every 6-8 weeks with half-strength organic fertilizer during watering.
  6. Harvest the dwarf pineapples and then replant the top. If you don't harvest the pineapple, it will likely bloom into a flower.
  7. Finished.

Tips

  • Don't forget to water even the youngest plants as soon as they have cups that can hold water, or else they will not develop properly.
  • An individual plant will flower only once but then be replaced by up to three new plants, in which case your plant(s) will keep getting bigger and bigger. Oftentimes they'll grow out of their container in 2 years.
  • The dwarf pineapple is a member of the bromeliad family and is also known as pink pineapple or scientifically as Ananas nanus.

Warnings

  • Do not overwater, and make sure the growing medium remains well-drained.
  • Do not subject your dwarf pineapple plant to frosts or freezing weather.

  • If you decide to move your plant outside to enjoy the fresh air and warm, sunny weather, allow it to transition in a partially shaded area for a few days before moving it to full sun, or else it will burn.

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Sources and Citations

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