July 1: You, Too, Miiight Be Able to Grow a Pineapple

Well, borrowing the idea from Kristi Montague, I decided I needed a swift kick in the pants to get back on a decent blogging schedule...which means that I have big plans to blog for the 31 days of July. (Be sure to check out Kristi's Indian-inspired photoshoot for July 1st.) I've got so, so, so much to tell you this month...I mean, seriously.

I need to ask you...do you live in Hawaii? Yeah, I don't either. When you live in Tennessee, you don't see many pineapple plantations scattered around, BUT...you can still grow a pineapple - because obviously we live in an almost tropical climate ourselves. (O.K., not really, but it certainly feels like it.) When I found this out (thanks to my Aunt Becky) I became Very Excited. We tried it - and it works. Well. I mean, we haven't *eaten* the pineapple yet, but it's coming along.

See? Is that not one of the cutest plants you've ever seen?? You cannot dissuade me from thinking so. Don't even try.

All you do is twist off the top of a pineapple (you *do* have to buy a pineapple to get a second FREE pineapple) and remove any fruit bits (or it could cause the plant to rot) and plant it in a pot with well-draining soil. You may also want to root it in water first if you prefer. In the colder months, keep it inside near a window with plenty of light and water it about once a week. When it gets warm, move it outside and water more frequently. It does need to be able to dry out between waterings or the leaves start to turn yellow. (Not that we have any experience with that.)

Here's the catch...it may take up to TWO YEARS to grow a pineapple. So, if you were ever wondering why pineapples are so expensive, well, there's your answer. We've been growing this one for a year - or maybe a year and a half...we really can't remember. Over a month ago, we noticed that teeny-tiny pineapple starting to form. It was an exciting day and I almost couldn't believe our good fortune.

I don't know exactly what's up with it right now, but it looks healthy, if very stemmy. According to some "very scientific" journals on the subject, we might call this a teenager pineapple.

Since I don't have much interest in eating the top part, though, I certainly hope the fruity part has a growth spurt soon. I'll keep you updated.

P.S. Ms. Ethel, a lady we go to church with, has planted two pineapple plants in the past and says the pineapples she got from them were SO sweet and so much better than the ones from the store. Crossing my fingers that I can soon say the same!