The yard's first pineapple of spring

[Nords]

Pineapples take about two years to mature and only blossom/fruit if they're pollinated.

This one's been growing for about 18 months and a bee must have finally wandered by...

 

[Martha]

If January is spring, what is winter?

 

[Outtahere]

How long does it take to grow to an edible fruit? Just the summer?

 

[kat]

Cool pics, Nords!

Hey, it was 54 degrees today in upstate NY. I don't care what the next eight weeks are like, I see spring!

 

[Outtahere]

Same kind of weather in Boston, warm 50's, spring is on the way, I'll be in FL for two weeks at the end of the month, by the time I get back winter will be just about over

 

[Jarhead*]

Nords,

I really envy you being in Hawaii. - But only in Dec, Jan and Feb!

Cutthroat: With an average high of 41 degrees, and low of 23 degrees in March, and an average high of 40 degrees and low of 25 degrees in November, the months book-ending Jan. Feb. and March, aren't exactly balmy.

One of the guys I play golf with, (In fact I played with him today), retired out here from Minnesotta. He's easy to spot. He's wearing a short sleeve shirt, and the rest of us are whining and sniveling with wind-breakers on.

Jarhead, who agrees with ReWahoo, that Texas is the best college football team in the country.

 

[MJ]

We've got free use of a Condo. - But she's got this Christmas snow thing and this will be a hard sell.

CT, I thought the cost of xmas snow was at an all time high this season. You should be able to sell it all off.

MJ

 

[Dawg52]

Nords,


I'm trying to talk the wife into leaving next year about Dec. 15th for Arizona - We've got free use of a Condo. - But she's got this Christmas snow thing and this will be a hard sell.

Leave Dec 26th. You should be able to pull it off.

 

[Nords]

If January is spring, what is winter?

I haven't checked the data, but think it's been a pretty warm winter.  I can't remember having a pineapple fruit this early, and our tomato plants are going crazy.

How long does it take to grow to an edible fruit?  Just the summer?

It'll take 3-4 months, depending on how much fertilizer & water is applied.  It'll be about half the size of the store-bought but this is our biggest plant so it may be more impressive.  I think this one is descended from a Costco-supplied Maui Gold.  My FIL keeps sprouting them and they're cheap/easy ground cover.

One of the reasons I posted the picture is because the plant is still in the process of popping up the fruit.  Usually we go out in the yard in the morning, see a two-inch pineapple above the plant, and ask each other "Darn, was that there yesterday?!"  I'll post an occasional shot until it's harvested.

We got over 400 tangerines from our tree-- the second crop of the season, too-- and it's finally pooping out.  I'm keeping an eye on two banana trees and our mango trees are threatening to blossom.  I'm also hoping that this winter has been wet & "cool" enough to inspire our lychee tree!

But she's got this Christmas snow thing and this will be a hard sell.

Our daughter gets maudlin about that crap too.

Tell you what, you come out here next December, leave your wife behind, and we'll ship our daughter to her. That way everyone can be happy with their weather... and I promise your wife that our kid will be happy to shovel the driveway & sidewalks for her whole visit!

 

[Sheryl]

It'll take 3-4 months, depending on how much fertilizer & water is applied.  It'll be about half the size of the store-bought but this is our biggest plant so it may be more impressive.  I think this one is descended from a Costco-supplied Maui Gold.  My FIL keeps sprouting them and they're cheap/easy ground cover.

Does the plant die after fruiting, or is it perennial?

 

[Nords]

Does the plant die after fruiting, or is it perennial?

Uh-oh, you're pushing the limits of my agricultural vocabulary.

I looked it up at the UH Agricultural Extension. (I appear to be wrong about the bees since it seems that the plant can be forced with ethylene or calcium carbide. Geez, one more piece of infrastructure to tinker with.) The plant will put out a shoot that eventually produces another pineapple, and it might even put out a second shoot afterwards for a third pineapple. We've got plants that are a couple years old and they don't die after fruiting, but they don't seem to produce a new crop either. I guess I could experiment, or perhaps I'll give my FIL a couple of apples and a plastic bag for him to take over.

I was surprised to learn that those flowers hide inside the plant for as long as two months before the fruit develops. Now I'm watching all of them to see if they flower.

But the big growers usually just harvest the first pineapple, plow under the field, and start over.

 

[Sheryl]

That answered my question - and more

I didn't know the plantations plowed them under, that is interesting.

 

[Nords]

A month later

It's been a month, and now we have three pineapples sprouting. The first photo is of the earlier pineapple (lots of water so lots of progress in just one month) and the second photo is one of the new fruits still holding its blue flowers.

 

[JPatrick]

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<It'll take 3-4 months, depending on how much fertilizer & water is applied. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Speaking of fertilizer-----I seem to remember a trip through the fields as being an excellent time place the windows in the way up position.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

You should try the drive from Sacramento to Stockton down I-5 on a nice warm still day

Imagine all of the poop in the world, stuck up your nose.

Our plum trees are blooming, and the leaves are starting to come out on the other trees. Unfortunately next week when we dip back down into the 50's at night and the rain starts again, a lot of the plum blossoms will stunt. That happened the last two years, with the early bloom. Cuts the fruit by about 60%. Which isnt necessarily bad...the first year I was here we were sick of eating plums by early july.

Nice living in farm country. At least once a week someone leaves me a giant sack of peaches, tomatoes or nuts. Two years ago I just happened to not use the front door for almost a week. Then I found the week old 20lb sack of peaches someone left out there the week prior, that had sat in the 100+ degree heat all that time. I check the door every day now...

 

[JPatrick]

Nice living in farm country.  At least once a week someone leaves me a giant sack of peaches, tomatoes or nuts.  Two years ago I just happened to not use the front door for almost a week.  Then I found the week old 20lb sack of peaches someone left out there the week prior, that had sat in the 100+ degree heat all that time.    I check the door every day now...

I don't know about the peaches and the nuts, but it sure looks like you've been getting regular donations of a couple of nice melons   

 

[REWahoo]

At least once a week someone leaves me a giant sack of peaches, tomatoes or nuts.

Just for clarification, you live in California and people leave fruits and nuts on your front porch.
I know there must be a joke in there somewhere... :

 

[JPatrick]

Just for clarification, you live in California and people leave fruits and nuts on your front porch.
I know there must be a joke in there somewhere... :

Callifornya;;;The only place you don't have to visit the produce section to find fruits and nuts

 

[SteveR]

...Imagine all of the poop in the world, stuck up your nose....

You guys ever been to a feed lot? Imagine a feeding area one mile square with over 500,000 cows eating and pooping. You cannot imagine the smell. The locals call it the smell of money. Makes me glad I don't have to work in that field or live near those places. I still gag when I think about it.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Callifornya;;;The only place you don't have to visit the produce section to find fruits and nuts

You forgot the flakes!

 

[astromeria]

When the season and wind were right, you could smell the garlic of Gilroy, CA in the South Bay (San Jose) and lower East Bay (Fremont/Milpitas). Always made me smile.

Lovely pix, Nords. mmm...juicy fresh pineapple. Got one last weekend that's ripe & ready for dessert tonight.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I was never sure if that smell was garlic or the BO from 7 million people crammed into one small area.

Lets go with the garlic...

 

[Nords]

At least somebody has been happy with the last month of rain...

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Hmm...todays a pineapple day...some in hawaii, some in minnesota...

 

[Nords]

Hmm...todays a pineapple day...some in hawaii, some in minnesota...

Well, actually Martha helped remind me that it's been a month.