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View Full Version : So, as I ramble arund buying a pineapple every now and then


Kat2
07-18-2015, 06:41 PM
I was wondering if the hang tags, besides the obvious numbers and words. could really tell me what tops I'm acquiring. Or is there a site that would match up with PLU/SKU information.

According to my research, which is no doubt flawed, the tops I'm currently growing from Chestnut Hills are MD-2s; they're my normal because of price and taste. But today I couldn't resist 99 cents with gloriously perfect tops (fruit looked okay) so I came home with a couple of "smaller than I like" Del Monte Golds described as "Extra Sweet Pineapple". They're ripening in my window so I don't know how they taste but would love to know what they are because, after waiting 10 years for a very healthy rooted top to stop laughing at me whenever I mentioned fruit when we both resided in MD, I am finally living where I can and will get my own fruits...hopefully before I croak...and I'd just like to know what I'm growing and someday perhaps eating.

PS I had the last laugh on that smirking, Miracle Grow hogging, non productive, recalcitrant piņa. Disposing of it went against all my "you can't throw out a plant...surely you can use any and all stuff again--it's all stuff--don't support landfills" mantra but I, in good conscience, actually just dumped him, good soil and all, (saved the pot--good pot--I have my standards) in the trash and let the garbage guys have their way with the ingrate. I comforted myself knowing that any compost formed from its decomposition would be more than worthlessly lazy and fertilely challenged.

Perhaps even worse...be glad it's gone...be so glad...

Okay, enough about all that silliness. Help on IDing my potential pineapple plants would be so appreciated

Hammocked Banana
07-19-2015, 10:36 AM
Del Monte has a patent on their "extra sweet" pineapple, so that indeed is what it is. They are very protective of they're cultivar and punch the tag through the growth center of the top to prevent people from rooting it. That being said, I have no problem rooting at least 50% of them, but half of these will only grow suckers. I actually think the suckers grow faster though. I dont have much experience with other varieties of pineapples bc that's all I can get here. However I've read that pineapples don't ripen any further once they arw harvested, they only rot. Maybe I just like semi rotted pineapple then haha.

Mark Dragt
07-19-2015, 04:37 PM
Del Monte has a patent on their "extra sweet" pineapple, so that indeed is what it is. They are very protective of they're cultivar and punch the tag through the growth center of the top to prevent people from rooting it. That being said, I have no problem rooting at least 50% of them, but half of these will only grow suckers. I actually think the suckers grow faster though. I dont have much experience with other varieties of pineapples bc that's all I can get here. However I've read that pineapples don't ripen any further once they arw harvested, they only rot. Maybe I just like semi rotted pineapple then haha.

That explains things. I bought one of these "extra sweet" pineapples and the tag was punched through the center. I did not know it was a prevention of propagation. Well after most of the center rotted out it finally rooted and we will see what happens. Also I found some seeds while cutting the fruit and one of the seeds has sprouted. :nanadrink:

Kat2
07-19-2015, 05:11 PM
Del Monte has a patent on their "extra sweet" pineapple, so that indeed is what it is. They are very protective of they're cultivar and punch the tag through the growth center of the top to prevent people from rooting it. That being said, I have no problem rooting at least 50% of them, but half of these will only grow suckers. I actually think the suckers grow faster though. I dont have much experience with other varieties of pineapples bc that's all I can get here. However I've read that pineapples don't ripen any further once they arw harvested, they only rot. Maybe I just like semi rotted pineapple then haha.So I have a 50% chance--I can live with that. I have very few times seen a ripe pineapple in a US store; they were dead on ready when I shopped in Costa Rica. After cutting open a green one and tossing that vile stuff, I've always let them "stew" at least a few days on the counter until they were yellow and they were pretty good. Didn't think there were rotten but what do I know?

Why am I letting them cook in my BR window? Quite simply rats. Rats who think my house is their home. Former owner raised snakes as did next door neighbor who was evicted years ago and landlord released the parents; people who have snakes often raise pinkies and I suspect these somehow escaped because no matter what I do they find a way back inside--heck, one got in bed with me this past winter.

House is not nearly livable; I don't have a real kitchen so I don't cook much. But when I do I scrupulously clean my kitchen and dry out the sink so their only source of water is the toilet; I've rubber banded my cabinet where all they could eat were spices which they did before it was secured. Dried cilantro. Really? I finally bought poison expecting the carcasses to stink in the walls but apparently they don't or I'm so old I've lost all sense of smell. I had 3 including 1 black one. I know 2 are dead; 1 I found under a chair and the other staggered over my foot last Saturday night then found its way into the wall behind the toilet. Did I say this house was not nearly livable? Who doesn't put a ring around that hole in the wall where the hose comes in to the toilet? Buildings in FL are very odd.

Something inside ate my rooted tomato cutting. I declared outright war and put out more bait. I guess that prized rooting filled it up because bait lay there untouched for days.

However, I think (hope) the last might be gone now and perhaps croaked outside because I left my newly installed French doors open last night (I checked and no armadillo are now inside) and the bait was finally gone. I do shut my BR door at night even though I technically live alone because waking up to a gentle tugging on your sleeve at 3AM is a bit disconcerting.

That explains things. I bought one of these "extra sweet" pineapples and the tag was punched through the center. I did not know it was a prevention of propagation. Well after most of the center rotted out it finally rooted and we will see what happens. Also I found some seeds while cutting the fruit and one of the seeds has sprouted. :nanadrink:
I would love to know more about how to identify seeds and how to propagate them. I think I've encountered them before but don't know. Any links?

Mark Dragt
07-19-2015, 05:27 PM
I would love to know more about how to identify seeds and how to propagate them. I think I've encountered them before but don't know. Any links?[/QUOTE]

There is a ton of info online. Google-propagating pineapple plants, sprouting pineapple seeds, propagating pineapple tops.

You could spend a evening reading through all the info. Good luck!

Kat2
07-19-2015, 06:30 PM
There is a ton of info online. Google-propagating pineapple plants, sprouting pineapple seeds, propagating pineapple tops.

You could spend a evening reading through all the info. Good luck!Oh, I have already done the hours of research; I live alone and am totally alone save the rats so what else would I do with my nights? :ha:

I just checked my last 2 "just stick them in the dirt" M-2s and they rooted! I would have had 4 but was playing with cutting tops according to the information found An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie (http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02571862.1988.10634244#abstract) that didn't work for me but I'm terribly disorganized just now. (Not sure why it shows that "title" for the link but I found tandfonline.com by searching for sectioning pineapples and the above link works for me just not 40 plants from 1 crown.)

crazy banana
07-19-2015, 11:08 PM
Have you checked out this website for searching PLU codes?
IFPS :: Search PLU Codes (http://www.plucodes.com/search_wizard.aspx?)

Kat2
07-20-2015, 10:08 AM
That's a new one for me, CB, thanks!

Kat2
07-24-2015, 05:49 PM
So I gave one away but insisted on having the crown back; we'll see. The other I opened up; it's delicious! And so far I've found 10 seeds. Since this is a hybrid, I'm sure any babies from these will be odd but I'd like to grow them. How?

Mark Dragt
07-24-2015, 06:30 PM
So I gave one away but insisted on having the crown back; we'll see. The other I opened up; it's delicious! And so far I've found 10 seeds. Since this is a hybrid, I'm sure any babies from these will be odd but I'd like to grow them. How?

I placed mine on a moist paper towel and put the paper towel in a ziplock bag. Then placed in a sunny window. Out of 6 seeds only 1 sprouted. There may be other ways to sprout the seeds. The tiny plant is so small. Good luck!

Worm_Farmer
07-31-2015, 03:34 PM
I have been throwing away Sugar Loaf pups!

Kat2
07-31-2015, 06:46 PM
I have been throwing away Sugar Loaf pups!Oh, no! I've now given beautiful ripe pineapples to people 3 times and merely asked for the top back. Ingrates tossed them. So I only had 1 extra sweet top but it did root!

Worm_Farmer
08-01-2015, 03:37 PM
Oh, no! I've now given beautiful ripe pineapples to people 3 times and merely asked for the top back. Ingrates tossed them. So I only had 1 extra sweet top but it did root!

I dont need the tops back. The plants have so many pups, I dont have anywhere else to plant them. I put some in cabbage palms, just to see how well it can do as an air plant.

merce3
08-01-2015, 05:01 PM
i always wondered why they punched the tag so deep, but like everyone else i have no problem getting the tops to root. take that del monte! ;P

Kat2
08-01-2015, 06:45 PM
I dont need the tops back. The plants have so many pups, I dont have anywhere else to plant them. I put some in cabbage palms, just to see how well it can do as an air plant.And how are they doing?

Kat2
08-01-2015, 06:49 PM
i always wondered why they punched the tag so deep, but like everyone else i have no problem getting the tops to root. take that del monte! ;PI guess I'm just stupid but I don't know what "punching the tag" means. Is it a hole in the center? If so, it should make no difference. Supposedly you can cut a top into pieces to make many more than 1 plant. I've failed at doing so thus far and, since I don't have access to a lot of tops for experiements, I'm just doing solos.

merce3
08-01-2015, 06:56 PM
I am talking about the way they attach the dole tag. They pierce into the heart of the crown.

Worm_Farmer
08-03-2015, 03:38 PM
And how are they doing?

We will see. I just did it a few weeks ago. So lets wait till after winter and see what happens. :)

Mark Dragt
08-20-2015, 11:17 PM
[url=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=58606]http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=58606&size=1
New pineapple plant growing from seed. Out of 6 seeds only 1 sprouted. They sure are small.

Mark Dragt
08-20-2015, 11:25 PM
[url=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=58605]http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=58605&size=1
After much of the center rotted and fell apart during the rooting process, new growth showed from under the soil. This plant didn't have much of a chance with the way the tag was attached. But it pulled through.

siege2050
08-21-2015, 06:35 PM
That explains things. I bought one of these "extra sweet" pineapples and the tag was punched through the center. I did not know it was a prevention of propagation. Well after most of the center rotted out it finally rooted and we will see what happens. Also I found some seeds while cutting the fruit and one of the seeds has sprouted. :nanadrink:

If it is seed from a patented hybrid, the resulting plants probably will be different than the original parents, but that never stops me from growing offspring from hybridized stuff, sometimes the results are pretty cool. Just be careful if you order seed for something from Ebay, etc. for something specific that you want, that place is full of seeds from hybridized stuff that will not look like the plant you might have originally wanted. An example would be something like my Canna Musafolia Grande, you see seeds for sale all the time, but they do not come true to type because Musafolia Grande is a hybrid. Some of my seedlings come up different colors, different heights, very rarely does one look Identical to the parent plant. Almost all the time, the offspring are never giant, which is one reason people buy that variety in the first place.

Mark Dragt
08-21-2015, 07:20 PM
If it is seed from a patented hybrid, the resulting plants probably will be different than the original parents, but that never stops me from growing offspring from hybridized stuff, sometimes the results are pretty cool. Just be careful if you order seed for something from Ebay, etc. for something specific that you want, that place is full of seeds from hybridized stuff that will not look like the plant you might have originally wanted. An example would be something like my Canna Musafolia Grande, you see seeds for sale all the time, but they do not come true to type because Musafolia Grande is a hybrid. Some of my seedlings come up different colors, different heights, very rarely does one look Identical to the parent plant. Almost all the time, the offspring are never giant, which is one reason people buy that variety in the first place.

It was the first time I found seeds in a pineapple. Only found 6. I just had to try it. That plant is so small. It will be really cool to see it grow and turn into a full size plant, and maybe fruit.

Kat2
08-21-2015, 07:22 PM
I have 11 seeds in a small clear take out condiment container; they're nestled in a moist paper towel. I see no signs of growth yet but they do seem plumper. Yes, I'm fully aware that they're from a hybrid so haven't a clue what if anything will grow. The year my wonderful tomatoes produced so many babies that I didn't buy or start new plants and got stuck with the lousiest golf ball sized fruits nobody in their right mind would consider a tomato was my season of enlightenment. I do save open pollinated seeds.

siege2050
08-21-2015, 07:55 PM
Some of the hybrid offspring have cool traits, I had a Canna omega (First man made Canna hybrid) that is normally orange ish make 10 foot seedlings once with yellow flowers instead, like its shorter parent Canna Glauca. I saw pineapple in Home Depot the other day with fruit on it, I might have to go back and get one just for fun. For me paper towel germination works best on most things I have tried.

Kat2
08-21-2015, 08:03 PM
They're selling those here; it's the 2nd year. Price has gone up a dollar to $13.98. I can buy a lot of 99 cent to $1.39 fruits for that price.

Mark Dragt
08-21-2015, 09:34 PM
I have 11 seeds in a small clear take out condiment container; they're nestled in a moist paper towel. I see no signs of growth yet but they do seem plumper. Yes, I'm fully aware that they're from a hybrid so haven't a clue what if anything will grow. The year my wonderful tomatoes produced so many babies that I didn't buy or start new plants and got stuck with the lousiest golf ball sized fruits nobody in their right mind would consider a tomato was my season of enlightenment. I do save open pollinated seeds.

I saved some seeds out of some store bought Roma tomatoes. And yes the tomatoes do not look the same as originals. I just picked the first ripe ones. Haven't tasted yet. Either way, it's fun to try. Seeds that usually get thrown out, get a chance at my house.

siege2050
08-22-2015, 03:28 AM
They're selling those here; it's the 2nd year. Price has gone up a dollar to $13.98. I can buy a lot of 99 cent to $1.39 fruits for that price.

They are expensive here in the middle of the US in grocery stores, close to 4 bucks. I have tried several times to get one to root, but I can never get one to, they always turn yellow, and get moldy. Tried it in water, and in soil. The one in water did the best, and actually grew a few roots. I bought a papaya (Not sure why, they will probably die over winter) the other day because I did not want to wait on ordering the seeds, and the dang thing cost me about 6 dollars lol (I learned not to eat papaya like you do watermelon, it about dissolved my face lol). Ginger is crazy here, I saw it in an organic food store for like 8 dollars a pound, Turmeric was 12 I think. I cant get regular grocery store ginger to sprout. I think they spray it when some kind of inhibitor, as my closely related Pine cone ginger sprouts like crazy, and the rhizome is nearly identical.

evildeadguy81
10-22-2015, 04:53 PM
Hi the Del Monte Extra Sweet Pineapples Are an MD-2 Variety pineapple. i buy them all the time and grow them from tops and they will produce new fruit when i buy them here in florida where i'm at the tag on the tops is only going through one of the pineapple tops leaves and not through the center... like you all mention above.

Most pineapple growers if they don't want you regrown there pineapples they will remove the tops in some places and sell just the pineapple itself and than some growers will drill out the center core of the pineapple top keeping it from producing a pineapple later on but the top will still grow and produce suckers or slips not all pineapple variety will produce them.... i myself grow many variety of pineapples

evildeadguy81
10-22-2015, 06:27 PM
Hi again when it come's to pineapple seed germination it can take anywhere from 2 to 6 months to germinate so it can be pretty slow most people who try to germinate pineapple seed have had better success at germination with the wet paper towel and zip lock bag method.... some had germination around 1.5 to 2 month mark and some much longer than others

Kat2
10-23-2015, 06:58 PM
I've been able to purchase pineapples from this company only once at Aldi; they were delicious and rooted wonderfully. I like their site because it explains quite a bit and seems, to me, to be very interested in supplying a good product. Chestnut Hill Farms | Home (http://chfusa.com) YMMV but I like their approach to growing product. Sometimes, to make money, you have to inject chemicals into the equation. Judiciously which I believe they do. (Riding by pineapple fields in Costa Rica when I was there in 2008 was the 1st time I realized they do not come from trees!)

BTW, I didn't know that M2 were the result of research funded by growers thus not solely owned by any party it seems. Chestnut Hill Farms | MD2 History (http://chfusa.com/pineapples_md2.htm) With that understood, I'll keep rooting and playing with tops. I planted a 4 way split of a rooted crown. Will they grow or rot? We'll see...

evildeadguy81
10-23-2015, 07:05 PM
Hi i have seen that website before in the past. most of my pineapple plants i got from this website PINEAPPLES - EDIBLES (http://wellspringgardens.com/products-2/oineapples/) and i buy alot of pineapple pups from ebay. and than my tops i get from a save-a-lot store that is close by to me.... i never had any trouble growing from tops i get from stores.... and about the 4-way split i have heard someone talking about it but not sure how it will turn out

evildeadguy81
10-23-2015, 07:13 PM
this here was part of the site below Del Monte Gold™ Extra Sweet' (also called MD-2)

HS7/MG055: Pineapple Growing in the Florida Home Landscape (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg055)

Kat2
10-23-2015, 08:57 PM
evil, do you also grow bananas? If not, that's okay IMO. Pictures of your plants, even if only piņas, would be appreciated; we're kinda plant pic junkies here. And, if you want to thrill the masses, you can edit your profile to show the city in which you reside.

evildeadguy81
10-23-2015, 09:03 PM
Hi at the time I only have one dwarf Cavendish banana plant and soon I will post some photos

Kat2
10-23-2015, 09:13 PM
Hi at the time I only have one dwarf Cavendish banana plant and soon I will post some photosA couple of years ago I also had only 1 DC; I now have 8 other varieties I believe. I'm not terribly concerned if I have duplicates but am enjoying learning to garden here in Fl after years of growing stuff very much further north. Do consider adding your city to your profile so your neighbors can help you locate more bananas to grow.

evildeadguy81
10-24-2015, 04:12 PM
Hi again i updated my profile added what part of florida i'm from and here is a photo of my DC its a few months old
i'm not sure i will be getting to many more other types of banana plants i wanna stick with the dwarf kind that don't
get very big
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=59013&size=1

Kat2
11-19-2015, 08:48 PM
I have 3 pineapple seedlings! They're from MD-2s. Does anyone know what varieties the parents were? Or could be? I'd completely forgotten about my little takeout salad dressing cup until today; I assumed I'd be tossing my failed experiment. And then I looked inside! I tried to get a decent picture but couldn't. There appear to be several other plumped up seeds.

What do I do now? They can't survive on a paper towel scrap. Advice/links would be appreciated. (I have never ever been able to sprout seeds on a towel and successfully transplant but these appear a bit hardier than tomatoes.)

Gala
11-19-2015, 11:24 PM
Kat2, you can plant them in small seedling containers just divide them and place on top of the soil with the paper towel and cover with a little bit of soil, sprinkle some water over and let them grow. ;-)
I've been growing my pineapples from top for 4 years or so. They were all from store bought pineapples tops. Now I am getting new different verieties and my callection is growing fast. Next year I am expecting my variegated ones to fruit. Can't wait. I will post some pictures later.

evildeadguy81
11-20-2015, 01:03 PM
Hi again kat2 because you got the seeds from the mother plant doesn't mean they will turn out to be the same as the parent plant. That's why it's best to grow them from tops or the offsets.... Right now it's going on 2 month's and none of my pineapple seeds have sprouted I'm hoping it will be soon next time I start some pineapple seeds I will try the nicking them method and see if that helps

Kat2
11-20-2015, 04:48 PM
When I propagated figs in an another life I realized that practicing fignorance was best. Tugging at figsticks was counterproductive as was even glancing their way; averting your eyes when watering was something I tried to do. Telling yourself you're merely watering twigs in pots is best.

Apparently fignorance works for pineapple seeds also. (Or would that be pignorance? As long as there's bacon, I'm fine with that.)

Oh, I know full well I won't grow anything like what I ate. Well, actually I could because hybrids are very sneaky and sometimes remain the same or quite nearly. (Lemon Boy tomatoes are an example of that: some will not breed true and some will.) But I had the seeds and that little cup took up very little space and I was curious; the resulting plants will not need much room for a very long time so why not?

But I really would love to know what parent contributed to MD-2. Once upon a time I let hybrid tomato volunteers supply me with my crop for a season. Those golfball sized tasteless orbs I harvested convinced me to grow only open pollinated tomatoes. If you keep potato leaf plants out of the mix (particularly currants), odds are you can save seeds for years to come.

Kegas76
11-20-2015, 05:06 PM
Apparently fignorance works for pineapple seeds also. (Or would that be pignorance? As long as there's bacon, I'm fine with that.)

Pineapathy

:2221:

Kat2
11-20-2015, 05:35 PM
Pineapathy

:2221:Excellent! We're on a roll!

So what term should be used by those of us waiting on our 1st flag leaf?

Gala
11-20-2015, 08:50 PM
Here are some pictures in progress. :-)

http://i.imgur.com/MfTKcAa.jpg?1

http://i.imgur.com/pZEwCjV.jpg?1

http://i.imgur.com/xhmiRlQ.jpg?1

http://i.imgur.com/jYCEcri.jpg?1

http://i.imgur.com/GSHcGVA.jpg?1

Kat2
11-20-2015, 09:07 PM
Luscious looking fruit; plants prettier than mine. Those appear to be FL pictures--are they? Why not put your location in your profile?

And do you have a suggestion for what to call flag wannabees?

PS Were there seeds in your fruits? Supposedly only hummingbirds are interested in pineapple blooms so without them you have none.

Gala
11-21-2015, 12:00 AM
Kat2, I am in Central Florida. The seeds are supposed to be inside of each section where were the flowers I guess but usually I find them on top of the fruit (5-8 seeds only) and bees are the polinators. For the term... well, what about phlagmatic? Phlag-mat-ic. :-D