Pineapple is one of my favorite tropical foods to eat, especially on hot summer days. As it turns out many researchers call pineapples the perfect nutrition bomb because it contains 49 different nutrients for our body. In addition, pineapple is naturally sweet, which makes it very tasty.
Since writing the article on Is banana a berry, fruit or vegetable, I have been wondering about other fruits and berries. Doing just a few online searches, I came to the conclusion that pineapple is yet another fruit or berry that’s real being is uncertain.
In this article I decided to figure it out for myself and find out if pineapples are fruits or berries. Come along on this fun read with me!
The growing process of pineapple
If we learned anything in our banana article, it’s that the way a certain fruit (or berry) grows is very important. To put it simply, if it grows on trees, it is more likely to be a fruit. But if it grows on bushes, it is more likely a berry. Let’s see where pineapples grow.
Pineapples are a very interesting food. Each of them consists of about 200 berries grown together, they grow for nine months and can weigh up to 10 kilograms.
Pineapples are considered to be from Brazil, but today they are also grown on large plantations in other countries. There, pineapples are formed in furrows, which gradually turn into fins.
First, about 200 flowers of different colors bloom on each plant. Then each flower turns into a berry. The pineapple itself is formed by all these berries growing together. This process takes nine months. At first pineapple is green, but when ripe it turns yellow-orange.
Can you grow your own pineapple?
The question is answered, now we know if pineapple is a fruit or berry – they are officially berries. In fact, one pineapple consists of many berries therefore a berry would be a tiny part of a pineapple if we are getting very technical. Either way, that made me curious about whether I could grow a pineapple myself. So here’s what I found out if you’re just as curious as me.
Verdict is the following – you can grow a pineapple on your window however much patience will be needed.
How to plant a pineapple
Carefully cut off the top of the pineapple, taking care not to leave it with flesh attached. Invert the lower row of leaves so that 3-4 centimeters of the stalk remain without leaves.
After a few days, when the tip is slightly dry, put it in water and wait until the roots appear. Choose a pot that is slightly larger than the diameter of the plant. Pour into it a few inches of drainage, such as expanded clay.
Add any soil or commercially available mixture to the pineapple Moderately neglected. The plant must not be moved or fertilized for the next two months. This is where the previously mentioned patience comes in handy.
How to take care of your pineapple plant
Pineapples need to get plenty of sunlight. Watered sparingly but abundantly. The water is poured directly on the base of the leaves. Pineapple tastes best with organic fertilizer, you can also add mineral fertilizers in small quantities.
After a year the plant is transplanted to another pot with a larger diameter. Desired room temperature is about 15 to 20 degrees. The plant has to be sprayed regularly. That way you can expect the first harvest in three to four years. Once the pineapple has blossomed, the fertilizer should be temporarily discontinued.
After half a year, the pineapple itself will appear. The plant then grows roots for another three years and dies.
I don’t know about you, but this much effort for one pineapple seems very extreme even for me. What about you? Would you grow a pineapple for about 4 years?
Let me know!
After such a research I am fully blown away by how amazing pineapples are. So I am going to get myself some Pineapple Fruit Socks from my beloved ZeeSocks brand. Truly sharing what I love the most! Check them out!
Hope this article was useful and fun for you either way – now you know if pineapple is a fruit or berry!
Meanwhile check out my other articles too such as Challenge yourself to drink more water and Salad recipes for when you’re actually hungry.
