Monday, October 31, 2011

Ten or more things I did not know about the Pineapple Plant.

Story of My Pineapple Plant

After about two years the stem of the original plant is flowering now.
It was almost dead due to competition of a robust weed.
I took the weed with diffuse roots away and the stem of the pineapple plant was rotten due to competition for nutrition.
I thought it might die and just placed it between other plants and put plenty of water.


Below are things I did not know but discovered during the last two years.


1. Even though I knew that the crown of the fruit can be used to grow it, I did not know what happens to the mother plant when the fruit is separated.


2. I did not know its leaves can be used to make a fine silk like thread (it is in fact finer than the silk thread) and prepare fabrics.

3. It grows very slow and one can have only one fruit a year.

4. It has a very beautiful flower.The colour varying from lavender to purple to red


5. Its roots do not go deep.

6. I did not know from which part of the tropics it originated. Now I know it is from South America.


7. Mother plant produce shoots called suckers once the fruit is removed. They can be used to grow new plants.


8. I do not know how many shoots / suckers it makes certainly more than one.


9. I did not know other plants with diffuse root system compete with its growth and lot of chemical are used in commercial growing.


10. I did not know the fruit is rich in manganese.