Pineapple

Say Hello to my pineapple. I grew it with the help of my brother. It took 5 years to mature, which happened to be the time my parents were considering permanent removal. Luckily, it started blooming about the same time they got serious about taking it out.

My brother and I each took the top of a store-grown pineapple, let it dry for a few days, to prevent root-rot, and then planted it. We watered, watched, and mostly waited until 4.5 years later, on the day I was leaving for Stockholm, I noticed a flower stalk coming out of the center. It was a proud moment. 6 months later, we enjoyed the fruits of our labors, well, fruit. Bugs ate the other one.

What I learned:

• It's actually possible to grow pineapple, and no, they still don't grow underground, as I've often heard.
• Drying out the pineapple is necessary! It will rot otherwise.
• Some suggest watering from the top of the plant rather than at the base. That way the water catches in the leaves, like rainwater.
• Patience is a virtue - a very tasty one!
• The plant needs a good amount of sun and good soil. Our plants had mediocre soil and semi good sun. Maybe that's why it took so long.
• Experts, if anyone online is an expert, suggest placing an apple core in the plant center and covering the plant with a plastic garbage bag for a week to encourage flower growth. I tried it and it mostly burned the plant cause it got too hot under the bag.
• The flower is really cool! It's blue!
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