Tag Archives: pineapple plants

August 26, 2013 · 6:40 AM

Pineapple Update!

Our pineapple babies are growing nicely. I realized it’s been forever since my last update, and I thought you’d like to see how they’re doing. This year, we have four. FOUR! Well, four actual fruits. We’re currently up to eight pots and over a dozen plants. If you add in the ratoons (offshoots) that will have to be replanted soon, we’re up to 25+ potential pineapple plants. It’s practically a mini-plantation now. Watch your back, Dole. I’m coming for you.

Pineapple Collage - Aug2013

In my head I call them Eenie, Meenie, Miney & Mo. This is Mo (below).

Pineapple Close-Up - Aug2013

Judging by our last pineapple harvest in 2011, I’m guessing these are still at least 4-6 weeks from fully ripe which means late September or possibly even early October. But that’s okay, because we got another surprise this month – a new batch of bananas – and they’ll be ripe at about the same time.

Bananas - Aug2013

{sniff….sniff…} I smell daiquiris!

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April 22, 2013 · 10:42 AM

A Pineapple Update

If you’re a regular reader, you might remember that in 2011 we grew and harvested our first ever homegrown pineapple. It was the best of times.

Our first ever pineapple; summer of 2012

Our first ever pineapple; summer of 2012

We’re such dorks, we called our kids & grandkids and invited them over for the weekend so we could harvest it together. The Complete Package helped our grandson, Jonah Bear, cut the first pineapple. Go Jonah Bear!

Jonah Bear puts some muscle into harvesting the pineapple.

Jonah Bear puts some muscle into harvesting the pineapple.

Then Jonah & I immediately cut it up and baked a birthday cake for our granddaughter, Lilly Bug. What a great adventure that was. And so much fun.

Lilly Bug blows out the candles on her homemade cake.

Lilly Bug blows out the candles on her homemade cake.

Well, this year – we have four baby pineapples. FOUR! It’s so amazing. Of the ten pineapple plants currently growing on our back porch, four have bloomed and produced fruit. We are so excited! Here are a few shots of the new babies.

This snap shows the baby pineapple on its stalk.

This snap shows the baby pineapple on its stalk.

This one shows the crown starting to form on top.

This one shows the crown starting to form on top.

If you look closely at the tips, you'll see the purple flowers almost ready to emerge.

If you look closely at the tips, you’ll see the purple flowers almost ready to emerge.

So hold on to your britches, folks. This summer promises to bring All The Pineapple Goodies. While I’m sure there’s another pineapple upside-down cake in our future (because last year’s cake was beyond delicious), there’s no telling what the others may become. Pineapple preserves? Pineapple sherbet? Pineapple tarts? Feel free to shout out suggestions! Like all other mothers with new babies, I’m sure I’ll post additional photos as they grow.

Ever the proud pineapple momma,
-Jeanne (NanaBread)

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July 6, 2011 · 8:00 AM

Pineapple Update: Day 75

Ahhh...my baby pineapple is a young lady now!

It’s time for another pineapple update! Day 75 brought a big maintenance issue to light. As you can see from the photos below, the three shoots that sprouted from the bottom of our pineapple are really starting to crowd the fruit.

Front & back shots of new shoots crowding the fruit

Those three new shoots were getting so large the pineapple fruit had no room to grow. After consulting my favorite Hawaiian Ag site, I cut off the three shoots and replanted them. Fingers are crossed that these will indeed sprout and create new pineapple plants. That’s what the agriculture site promised, and that’s what I’m holding them to. If they root like they should, we will now have FIVE (5) baby pineapple plants. Move over, Mr. Dole…there’s a new pineapple plantation in town! Except that we have no land outside our yard, no employees, and no access to the Pacific trade winds. Oh, well. You can’t win them all!

Spike (top right) has three new siblings

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June 1, 2011 · 6:34 AM

Baby Pineapple Update: Day 40

The Grand Dame & her Little Prince - hanging out on Day 40.

Today is Day 40 in our adventure to grow our own pineapple. So far, it’s been glorious. The biggest surprise, besides how fast she’s growing, is the rows of gorgeous purple flowers. I never expected that. In fact, I had no idea it would bloom all around the pineapple. It’s really beautiful. Here’s a close-up of the flowers so you can see them in all their glory:


And now, here’s a photo of the pineapple I got for Mother’s Day. It came from the grocery store. In fact, it is the pineapple we used to create Spike – pineapple plant #2. Notice those golden pentagon shapes on the sides of the pineapple? See those little brown pointed tags sticking out of each pentagon? That’s where the purple blooms emerged and then died back. Who would have guessed?

The store-bought pineapple that birthed Spike.

How cool is that? I had NO idea that those little shaggy brown things on the side of a pineapple used to be gorgeous purple flowers. I’ve learned so much from our pineapple plant. I really have. And because of it, I have a much greater appreciation for every pineapple I see in the grocery store, and for the people who grow them. I wonder if they name their pineapples, too?

Here’s the gratuitous 3-panel shot so you can see how she’s doing. As you can see, the shoots are bulging from the base of the pineapple fruit. I keep expecting them to pop out onto stalks any day now. They’re fascinating. Since we’re hoping to get at least one more pineapple from this plant, we’ll have to cut at least one of the shoots off once they fully emerge. According to my trusted Hawaiian Ag website, I should be able to plant the shoots to create additional plants. Then we’ll have a full-fledged pineapple farm (of 3-4 plants). Okay, it will be more like a pineapple “patch” but I’m okay with that. Overall, things are progressing beautifully. Maybe I’m just a proud pineapple mommy, but I think my baby is turning into one gorgeous little lady. “Who’s a pretty girl?”

To see them up close, click on the photo. To return, just hit your “back” arrow.

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May 19, 2011 · 10:52 AM

Baby Pineapple Update: Day 25


Just wanted to give you a quick update on the baby pineapple’s progress. It’s Day 25, and I am blown away by how quickly she’s growing. Yes, I said she. I have decided our first baby pineapple should be classified as a female, since she has the potential to spawn 2 more pineapples after this one, as well as additional plants from the shoots that will be emerging soon. Her name, therefore, shall be La Piña Saparot, a combination of names suggested by readers Toffee Marshmallows from the United Kingdom and Patricia DeWit from Thailand. The name may be redundant, since both words mean “pineapple”, but as the mother of my future pineapple farm, she deserves a name so nice you say it twice.

Click on the photo for a close up, then hit the “back” arrow to return to the post.

This week, the stalk supporting her is growing taller, and the “buds” for future shoots are starting to bulge from the stalk. There are three of them, and according to the Hawaiian Ag Site, we will need to cut some of them away in order to promote the growth of a second pineapple fruit (known as a ratoon). The good news is that those shoots, called suckers, can be planted to create new pineapple plants. The biggest news of the week is the flowers that are starting to bloom from the base of the pineapple. A few rows of these purple/blue flowers should gradually bloom over the next 2 weeks. Once they die back, the fruit begins to flourish and eventually ripen. I can’t wait to see how she progresses!

On a separate note, we thoroughly enjoyed the pineapple I received from the kids on Mother’s Day. You know… the one I used to punk readers into thinking the baby was fully grown? Well, I made sweet & sour chicken for dinner last night with big chunks of my Mother’s Day pineapple, and it was delicious. The good news, however, is that we planted the top and started a new pineapple plant. One’s a novelty, but two’s a farm. I think I will call this one Spike.

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May 2, 2011 · 10:13 AM

“I want my baby pineapple!”

Six years. That’s how long it has been since I lopped the top off a fresh pineapple and planted it in the ground. For six years, I’ve dreamed of eating pineapple grown with my own two hands. It’s not an impossible dream. Remember… I live in Houston, and we’re considered a sub-tropical zone. I grow bananas in my back yard. It shouldn’t be a stretch to grow a pineapple. Logistically.

I have a special relationship with my pineapple plant. I’ve nurtured and protected it for six long years. I’ve babied it. I’ve watered it. I’ve even moved it inside when temperatures dipped close to freezing and wrapped it in a warm blanket. I’ve treated my pineapple plant better than some people treat their pets (shame on them, by the way). I also talk to my pineapple plant. In the beginning, it was “Good morning, pineapple plant!” After a few years, it was “Lookin’ good!” But for the past year, it has been “I want my baby pineapple!” Someone (me, I guess) failed to tell my pineapple plant that the average wait time – from planting to producing – is about 20 months. That’s what the Ag Department for the state of Hawaii says. And when held to the Hawaiian standard, my pineapple plant is a late bloomer. A very late bloomer.

And that makes this announcement even sweeter. On Easter Sunday, The Complete Package looked down into the center of the pineapple plant and declared it “with child.” That’s right, friends. We are expecting! We kept the faith. We kept watering. We never gave up. And after 6 long years, it may finally happen. We appear to have a pineapple bloom sprouting. Check this out:

I’ll be posting occasional photos as our baby grows. If you’re a pineapple expert and this bloom is NOT a baby pineapple, please feel free to leave a comment telling me I’m an idiot. It won’t be the first time. Or even the second. But until then, I remain eternally optimistic.

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