Pineapple useful properties
Pineapple( Ananas comosus( Sticlcm.) Merr.) is a low perennial herbaceous evergreen plant of the bromeliad family. The only plant of this family, included in the number of fruit crops, with a rosette of dense jagged leaves up to 80 cm long. The birthplace of pineapple is the country of Central and South America.
In the wild, pineapple grows in Brazil. From there he was taken to other countries. It was first brought to Spain in the early 16th century. At present, cultivated pineapple is cultivated in many countries with tropical climate, less often in subtropics and greenhouses( in temperate latitudes).
The internal part of the fruit contains 11-15% sugar, less than 1% lemon and other organic acids, vitamin C( 40 mg%), potassium salts( 321 mg%) and copper( 8.3 mg per 1 kg of edible part).In addition, they have many different vitamins( C, P, PP, A, B and others).The flesh of the fetus is 65 - 70% of its mass. They find alkaloids in the pineapple, as well as bromelin, a mixture of enzymes that improve digestion. In addition, bromelin has anti-inflammatory and anti-edematous action.
Pineapple cone-shaped
Family of bromeliads. The genus of pineapple. Natural climatic conditions: subtropics of Brazil( Campos).
For indoor gardening, the most interesting is A. comosus( Anastasia large-lumpy, variegated) with white-striped leaves, with sharp spines 2 -3 mm at the edges. In pineapple, the leaves are sessile, linear-xiphoidal, assembled into a basal rosette, their length does not exceed 70-100 cm, width 2-3 cm. Under optimal conditions of maintenance in the apartment for 2 to 3 years, a 40 -50 cm flower-spike appears, covered with 150- 200 flowers. At the top of the fruit( fruit) is a rosette of leaves, which can be rooted, planted in the soil. The flowers are located on the axis of the copulation in the inflorescence spirally and very tightly, so that the ovaries grow together, forming a kind of cone( what we used to call the fruit - pineapple).
Moisture requirement: moderate glaze, constant humidity.
Temperature regime : in winter it is desirable to decrease to 10-13 ° С.
Light mode: photophilous plant( the color of the leaves is more intense in bright light, although pineapple can exist under moderate illumination).South exposure is preferable.
The requirement for soil : the optimum soil mixture from soddy, humus and leaf earth with sand in the ratio of 2: 2: 2: 1, fertilizing in the summer every two weeks, mainly organic fertilizers.
Reproduction of : apical shoots( "sultans"), radical children-offspring.
Features : edible.
Recently bred pineapple( A. nanus), which forms sockets with leaves no more than 20 cm.
♦ Accommodation. For indoor pineapple maintenance throughout the year, a bright, sunny, warm room with a temperature of 20 - 22 ° C is needed. The plant does not tolerate temperatures below 15 ° C.In winter, pineapple is kept in a bright room with a temperature of 18 - 20 ° C.
♦ Care of .During the period of plant growth and development( April-September), abundant watering with lime-free water is recommended. In the same period, fertilizing the plant 2 times a month, for fertilizing we advise using a universal fertilizer "Flower" or liquid fertilizer "Rainbow".
For normal growth and development of pineapple in room conditions, high humidity is needed. It is recommended to put a pot of the plant in July and August on a pallet with gravel filled with water. The transplant is done every 2 years in the summer. As a substrate, a weakly acidic universal floral primer "Begonia" or "Senpolia" is used.
♦ Pests and diseases - scabbards, spider mite. With an excess of moisture there is a patchiness of the leaves.
♦ Reproduction of - by radical or apical rosettes of leaves, offspring. After flowering and fruiting, the rosette leaves the leaves, and next to it appear daughter sockets, which go to reproduction.
Helpful features
Pineapple juice is often recommended for use in gastrointestinal diseases and liver diseases. Pineapples are also useful in diseases of the cardiovascular system, kidneys and anemia. However, it must be remembered that pineapple juice increases the acidity of gastric juice and therefore its use should be limited in case of gastric ulcer and gastritis with high acidity of gastric juice. Pineapple juice is used as an antiscorbutic agent. In homeopathy pineapple is prescribed for functional disorders of the nervous system. In Indian medicine as a protivoglistnoj means use juice from leaves of a pineapple.
Fruits are usually eaten fresh, in large quantities they make canned food and juice from pineapple. The juice goes to the preparation of wines, punch, liqueurs. Both fresh and canned pineapples come to our country. The use of pineapple juice is quite common.
The star of Italian cinema, Sophia Loren, eats a pineapple every other day, thus providing herself with a whole complex of vitamins and the extra liquid needed for the face.
In addition, from its fruits you can prepare wonderful compotes, juices, jams. Pieces of pineapple fruit can be sugaried or made of them unique to taste candied fruit.