How To Do Organic Pineapples Farming In India

If You have the patience and the climate, pineapples are easy to grow and quite a talking point

Nothing conjures up images of the tropics quite like sweet, juicy pineapples. They might look like prickly characters, but this iconic fruit is surprisingly easy to grow. You just need a healthy dose of patience and the right climate. 

Pineapples are members of the bromeliad clan and have their origins in South America, so they like to be grown in tropical and subtropical climates. In garden beds the spiky plants look striking planted en masse and they make a real talking point in pots on a patio or balcony.

There are both smooth and rough-leaf pineapples. 'Smooth Cayenne' varieties are larger than rough-leaf types and have pale, juicy flesh perfect for summer juices and fruit salads. Rough-leaf types, like the 'Queen' collection, produce smaller pineapples on smaller plants, and the golden-fleshed fruit has a lovely crisp texture. 

If you buy a pineapple with the top cut off, chances are it's one of the low-acid, super-sweet hybrids. Pineapples are so easy to strike from their tops that some growers protect their licence by lopping the tops off.

Gradening Tips To Grow Pineapples Organically

To grow them, simply cut the leafy top off, leaving about 5mm of pineapple flesh attached. Strip the lower leaves and let the top harden off for a few days in a warm, sunny spot. Then plant into a pot with good-quality potting mix.

Keep the water up until the plant is nicely established with a good root system, then plant into a garden bed or move to a bigger pot. Most pineapple plants grow up to 1.5m tall, so give them space to grow. Also leave room between the prickly plants to make harvesting easier. 

Caring Tips To Grow Pineapples Fastly

Like other bromeliads. pineapples need well-drained soil, so if drainage is an issue, plant them in raised beds or pots. They are easy-care plants that don't need a lot of water once established. Simply feed them with a complete organic fertiliser through spring. summer and autumn. 

Harvesting Tips To Grow Pineapples Organically

• Plant a pineapple and you'll get a good lesson in patience, but a homegrown patch of these golden beauties is surely worth the wait. 
• Expect about two years for the red and purple flower spike to make an entrance, and a further four to six months for the fruit to develop and ripen. In the meantime, enjoy the textural foliage.
• When a pineapple has developed  that  classic golden-yellow colour it's ready  to eat. 
• Simply cut ripe fruit from the stalk with a sharp knife. 

"Pineapples are so easy to strike from their tops that some growers protect their licence by lopping the tops off" 

DID YOU KNOW?

You can also propagate pineapples in a jar of water. Simply cut off the top of the pineapple, remove some of the leaves from the bottom and put it in a jar of water. Make sure the base of the pineapple top is submerged, but not the leaves. When it develops a good set of roots, pop it into a pot.

Scientific Details Of Pineapples

• Common name: Pineapple 
• Botanical name: Ananas comosus 
• Family: Bromeliaceae 
• Aspect and soil: Sun; well-drained soil 
• Best climate: Tropics to subtropics 
• Habit: Perennial 
• Propagation: Cutting (pineapple tops), side shoots, suckers (pups)
• Difficulty: Moderate