Identification

• The pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a 3- to 6-foot-high and wide plant with foliage that grows in a spiral, rosette form. The semi-rigid leaves are often serrated and have sharp and pointy ends, with foilage sizes from a few inches long for new plants, to over 5 feet for mature pineapple plants. Fruit from the pineapple is produced in what is known as an inflorescence, which consists of many small flowers that create berrylike fruits that fuse together, forming a continuous rind and creating the pineapple.
  
  

History

• Indigenous people of the tropical Americas and the Caribbean region began cultivating pineapples thousands of years ago. New World explorers discovered the pineapple, starting in the 1500s, and introduced the fruit to areas such as Europe, Africa and Asia. Commercial export of the fruit began in the early 1800s from the West Indies, and by the end of the 19th century, Hawaii, Africa and Asia cultivated the fruit.
  
  

Uses

• Most pineapple is canned. The fruit is also eaten raw, dried and used to make juice. In some countries, pressed cores and peels are used to feed livestock, and pineapple waste is sometimes used to make vinegar. The plant's hard leaves yield "Pina Fibre," a fiber used to make a hand-woven fabric.
  
  

Growing Requirements

• Pineapple plants grow outdoors year-round in climates that do not experience freezing temperatures below 28 degrees F. The ideal temperature range for growing pineapple is 68 to 86 degrees F. The plant requires a full-sun location and well-draining soil. Also, acidic soil with a pH between 4.5 and 5.5 is ideal for pineapple growing. Let the pineapple's soil dry in between waterings, and fertilize with a 1/2-strength solution of a well-balanced, all-purpose fertilizer every four weeks.
  
  

Propagation

• Pineapples are propagated by offshoots from the main plant or by cutting the leafy top off a fresh pineapple and rooting it in a damp 1/2 sand, 1/2 peat mixture. Before propagating, remove three or four of the lower leaves and scrape all the fruit off the base of the cutting to expose the fibrous core attached to the leaves. Let the cutting dry for three to five days, which prevents rotting. Submerge the cutting in the rooting medium up to the base of the leaves and water well. When roots appear on the cutting in six to eight weeks, transfer the plant to a container or the ground.