Pineapple plant

All about the Bromelia Ananas

Pineapples may not be everyone's cup of tea, but as plant decorations, they're enjoyed by many. The pineapples grown on indoor Bromelia Ananas aren't edible, but they exist purely for ornamental purposes. These are smaller in size and emerge from the middle of the plant.

The pineapple will eventually move past its date, and new baby plants will produce new pineapples. Their foliage is beautiful to look at with green and yellow stripes and is perfect for brightening indoor spaces.

Nicknames

As they have pineapples growing on them, their popular nickname is Pineapple Ananas, and they come from the family of Bromeliaceae.

Different types of the Bromelia Ananas

There are many varieties of pineapples, such as blue or red-colored; however, the yellow and green colors are the most popular. They're also the ones that are grown indoors as ornaments. These are miniature-sized, making it easy to move from one place to another.

Origin of the Bromelia Ananas

The Pineapple Ananas is native to Brazil, around the area of Amazon. This means they originate from tropical regions and thrive better in warmer climates, where the humidity levels are high.

How to (generally) take care of a Pineapple plant

There are a few important notes to keep in mind when investing in a Bromelia Ananas plant, but as long as you follow the basic directions, your plant, as well as the fruit, will bloom to the fullest.

Watering

Bromelia Ananas requires the soil to be moist but not wet. This means you can water the plant once the soil's top few inches are dry upon touching. On the other hand, the leaves of the plant can be sprayed with water every few days during the summer months to keep them fresh and increase humidity around them.

Make sure not to water as regularly during winter as the plant can retain water for longer periods once the exposure to the sun decreases. Overwatering can also lead to the fruit rotting on top, and a nasty smell emanates from the pot. And since the plant's look is completed with the fruit, you've to maintain the ideal watering requirements.

Sunlight

Like most houseplants, the Ananas plant requires bright but indirect sunlight. You can move them outside as long as direct sunlight doesn't fall on them. If exposed to direct sunlight for a long while, the leaves can scorch and burn.

Location

They are indoor plants; hence they will thrive in an indoor space. But during warmer months, you can move them outside as long as they have partial shade.

Temperature: Since these plants originate from tropical regions, they prefer higher temperatures and can survive in up to 28°C.

Humidity: Considering the plant is native to tropical regions, humidity around the plant should be high. There are quite a few ways to increase humidity around the plant, such as misting the air with water, placing the plant among other plants, inserting a humidifier nearby, and creating a pebble tray.

How to create a pebble tray?

Place a tray where you want to keep your plant. Put a few pebbles on the tray and fill the tray with water until only the top layer of pebbles are dry. Place the pot on top of the pebbles. This will create a constant atmosphere of humidity.

Plant Nutrition

You can provide the plant with a liquid fertilizer twice a month at only half its strength during the growing months. In winter, you can reduce it to monthly or once every two months.

Toxicity

The plant isn't toxic to children and pets.

Additional care

You can repot the plant every couple of years during growing months. Make sure to handle the roots delicately and not press the soil down. The roots like to breathe with a little air around them. The pot should have a proper drainage system as the roots can rot due to water collection.

Bromelia Ananas is prone to pests such as scale, aphids, and whiteflies. Some of the pests can be wiped with a damp cloth and neem oil or rinsed off with water, but others will need horticultural soap.

There are some symptoms which you should look out for when caring for this plant. Yellow leaves mean that the plant isn't receiving enough sunlight. If the leaves become droopy, this means you've to increase the humidity around the plants. Most importantly. If the plant refuses to grow, you need to check the nutrition level you're providing the plant.

If you notice that your plant isn't producing fruit, there's a trick which you can follow to nudge the process along. Place the whole pot and plant inside a plastic bag along with a ripe apple. Close the bag tightly and let it be for a week. After a week, take it out and continue caring for it as suggested. In a few weeks or months, you'll notice progress!

They can live up to six years, which is a lower period than other houseplants but still a good number of years. Moreover, Pineapple ananas don't need soil to grow; they can also be grown using other materials such as orchid bark, peat moss, and sand. As long as you follow the suggestions, your pineapple ananas will give you no trouble.

Propagating a Bromelia Ananas

You can propagate the plant when it produces fruit. Cut the top once the leaves grow a few centimeters long and let it dry for one whole day. You should place it in a mixture of moist soil and peat moss and keep the pot in ideal growing conditions.

Another way to propagate the plant is to cut the new offspring. Since the mother plant grows baby plants around the base, all you have to do is wait for the babies to grow roots and cut them off with a sharp knife. Easy!