It’s really interesting to see how different plants grow. I was lucky to catch the ratoon pineapple just as it began to crown, and this is how it grew from March to July this year…
First sign that it’s time for the pineapple to start developing the fruit – you see the shade of pink starting to show in the centre.
Three weeks in and you see more pink bromeliad leaves emerging.
Week 5 and the shape of the fruit starts to show. The lower parts have purple flowers.
Week 9 and the fruit seems formed after all the flowering has finished.
Week 13 and the skin looks like it’s toughening up. A sucker is also starting to grow.
Week 17 and the fruit is ripening. The crown has grown impressively.
The ratoon pineapple and new sucker.
This pineapple was harvested 18 weeks after we first noticed it crowning. If I recall correctly, the first pineapple also took about 18 weeks to grow, even though it was heavier. So that makes it about four calendar months for a pineapple to reach harvest!
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