Ok what is it ?

Oldman · April 24, 2004, 12:22:22 AM

Ok what is it and what is different about it?

Well if you don't know it is a pineapple that is about 4-6 months away from the eating.

Next what is different about it is all of the "pups" growing at the base of it. From this photo you can see that from this pineapple there will be at least 8 new pineapple plants. More when you count the other side.

Now most never see this. In fact the local folks say they have never seen it before. When we where at our local Botanical Gardens they had several pineapples growing. When I ask where were the pups the guide said what pups? LOL!

How this comes about is all in the feeding of the plant, and understanding that a pineapple is at least a 2 year affair. I load my containers up with heavy organic foods. Add some compost to top. And when watering the plant for each gal of water (US) I add one ounce of seaweed and fish extract. As long as I stay ahead with the liquid foods the pups will grow. In fact one year I had one with "adult" pups that were larger than the crown. You could hardly see the pineapple~~~!

Never fails!
Olds

Fuzzybear · April 24, 2004, 02:11:53 AM

Olds! Dude, you can grow pineapples?

How cool [8D] is that????

I am so jealous!

Here's the deal...you grow me pinapples and I'll grow you some whitetail!!! lol!!

Hmmmmmmmmmmm....pineapple on smoked salmon - yum![:p]

"A mans got to know his limitations"
Glendora, CA - USA!

Oldman · April 24, 2004, 02:40:53 AM

Fuzzybear,
Where do you live? If you can keep them from freezing I can help get you started.... I grow mine in containers.

Let me know. I can send to you a couple of establish 1 year olds.
Olds

Fuzzybear · April 24, 2004, 03:34:06 AM

I currently live in the Los Angeles area, however, I will be migrating/emigrating to Eastern Washington....It is awfully generous of you to offer, however, I don't think they will survive 5 months here and then 18 months in Washington...I can only drool at this time!

"A mans got to know his limitations"
Glendora, CA - USA!

whitetailfan · April 24, 2004, 06:06:13 AM

Hey Fuzz,
Don't be swapping any whitetail for pineapples - I'll trade up in the draft to get ahead of Olds. You want some danelions??? - that's about all that's growing around here right now.[;)]

I've actually got a herd of deer that live in my area of the city here in Lethbridge. I live less that a mile from the coulees of the Oldman River (no relation to DoW-Oldman) and there are about 20-30 head of Mule Deer that graze past my house and drop the odd "reminder" that they were here behind my house or on my lawn. No problems with the trees yet as I don't have any nice ones to wreck.[}:)]

It's hilarious to watch my 2 year old yell out to me every time he sees a deer go by - makin' me proud[:D][:D][:D]

whitetailfan
"Nice Rack"
Lethbridge, AB

Oldman · April 24, 2004, 07:22:27 AM

Fuzzybear,

I have a friend up North that grows them. He got two in a kids wagon. When it turns cold he brings them inside and places them in a Southern window. He has been growing them now for almost 10 years I believe... Of course you understand that it is one Pineapple per plant. After that the plant is only good for compost. So pups are important.
Olds

Fuzzybear · April 24, 2004, 02:14:15 PM

No kidding Olds?

I might reconsider...how big do they get? Wouldnt want the wife to throw it at me if she tripped over it![:D]

Whitetail: Dandelions huh? That's California salad man! According to what I found on the net, I can expect: black bear/western rattlesnake[:p]/porcupine[xx(]/whitetail[:p]/elk/moose/bobcat to wander around but mostly whitetail...

"A mans got to know his limitations"
Glendora, CA - USA!

Oldman · April 24, 2004, 04:41:21 PM

Hey Fuzzybear,

I joke about a girl friend with my wife. I joke about game-hacking. However, when it comes to my pineapples I never joke LOL [:D][:D][:D]

I just took a look at my log. The ones I have in containers at the moment are now 15 months old. I'm afraid at this time line if I pull them it would set them back at least 4 years if not longer.

We can stay in touch and when these pups are ready...6-8 months I can ship you 2-4....that would be up to you. Now I've been growning these for almost 15 years now. I can tell that if you grow them in a container the chemical fertizers are out of the question. Before they fruited the "salts" from the chemical stuff would kill them. You might get by with an "open" container with chemical, but that would not work inside your house as you would need to over water to bleed out the salts. If you want to grow them as I do we can get together and talk about it. If so I will link you to software that will allow you to talk to me over the net. You will need a head set and mic. Software is free, and I run / own the voice server. So it is all free [:D] (I like the word Free. Brings out the best in me LOL!)

Now take a look at this link. (You might get a security warning when you click on it...that is just MS and don't worry about it. This site is safe.) You will see the basic idea of how I water my plants. I make my own Growth Containers. Earth Box is just to small for my needs. However, they would work for one pineapple plant.

The link: https://www.earthbox.com/graphics/CutawayWhole.gif
After looking this over and should you like directions on how to make your own I can help. I have made them from 30 gal containers to 8 foot long containers. [:D]

As to the size that pineapple plants get this is a picture of 3 adults and one smaller one. They make a great house plant as long as they get direct sun light 4-6 hours per day. But you will need to take them out in the summer months to get the most out of the sun or you might be 5 years before they fruit--Yuck!

Let's keep in touch about this if you like. I'm more than will to help and believe me of all of the things I grow the pineapple when it fruits bring a joy into my family's life...not to mention the eating!
Olds

Oldman · April 24, 2004, 04:48:59 PM

Oh ya here is a link so show you how I made my 8 footers. Also there is a drawing at the botton that show another style. Plus a few pictures.

http://www.dow-mgc.org/cgi-bin/iB3/ikonboard.cgi?s=55bc5a49e3449ae668eeb6c3e8333856;act=ST;f=1;t=1156

Olds

Fuzzybear · April 24, 2004, 11:40:37 PM

Olds: I've been eyeballing websites on "how to grow pineapples at home" and it' seems fairly easy - kinda like smoking - low and slow! LOL...I'll definetly keep in touch to see how your pups are coming along.

Funny thing on that earthbox...I'm using one right now for two tomato plants and they are huge! I've got seven fruits right now and planted them the last week in March...I am very much impressed with how those boxes work (I bought this one as a tester for the tomatos)bought it from http://www.gardenerssupply.com for about 30 bucks if I remember...looks like you've got two in yours.

THey do look like great houseplants but when you get to retire, all you've got is time so 5 years???

"A mans got to know his limitations"
Glendora, CA - USA!

Fuzzybear · April 24, 2004, 11:45:21 PM

Hey, by the way, is that fencing to keep your two wheeled friend out? Kidding - my Boston Terrier (well, one of them anyway) likes to eat my red peppers! Scared me one time - found red poop in the yard - thought the little rascal[:o)] had a problem till I saw her stripping my peppers! LOL!!! I mean really LOL!!!

"A mans got to know his limitations"
Glendora, CA - USA!

Oldman · April 25, 2004, 12:08:21 AM

Fuzzybear,

I gave all of my 5 Earthboxes away...Their water reservoirs are just too small for my needs.

Most Pineapples I grow will fruit in 2 years. If they are allowed to dry out, or not being fed good then the time goes past 2 years.

At the moment I have about 20 plants. At times I have had up to 40. What is nice is I never have had an insect, fungus or blite problem with them. Nothing except the once in every 5 years or so it will get cold enough here to kill them. Even that is a short lived problem to deal with.

EDIT: Yes the fence was to keep Skyway out of the garden. When he was walking on all four he loved the smell of fish extract and into the containers he would go a diggin. Good bye plants, soil mixture, and he seem to like to eat the wick containers~~LOL Go figure.

Fuzzybear · April 25, 2004, 02:13:56 AM

Well, I can understand how you'd like something bigger for sure. I'm already thinking two plants is to much for one container...I'm loading 1-2 gallons of water a day into it at this time and it's only in the 70's (high) out here!!

Makes perfect sense that you'd want to build your own to contain more plants rather than spending 30 bucks per plant container!!

By the way, have you smoked your salmon with any pineapple yet? I'm intrigued mostly because I like the taste of both of them...

"A mans got to know his limitations"
Glendora, CA - USA!

Oldman · April 25, 2004, 11:32:39 AM

Sorry, I don't care for salmon. So no I have not. Even with my main containers (not the 8 footers) with two indeterminate tomato plants I've had to fill the water almost daily. Of course I've been known to grown some large tomato plants---vines over 15 feet long.

Next the watermellon really take up the water as well. Getting back to pineapples they do not take up a lot of water. Now that I think about it you could get away with 2 in one EarthBox.

Below is a drawing of what my friend up North does. The wagon is the type you would find in resturants that garbage cans are place on. Fat air fill tires. However, it is low to the ground. Next the water reservoir is a heavy duty tuffy container with lid. He added a center support to it. The Growth Containers are 5 gallon buckets. His wife painted flower etc. all over the cart, water container, and Growth Buckets. It looks really nice! He is using Olfin as the wicking material. He drill several holes for aeration at the bottom of the buckets.

As I said in the winter months he rolls it into the house. He told me it is quite a conversational piece when folks come over. Especially in the winter months. And of course he is totally organic....he just can't add the fish extract when they are in the house~~~phew!

Oldman · May 10, 2004, 05:26:14 PM

I don't want to wear this out folks about organic gardening....but on my 6 pineapples that have fruited I now count over 42 pups... This, I think, is my record to date!

If you ever want to grow something in containers and would like to know how to do it organicly then you are welcome to ask me any questions(s) you would like to.
Olds