Have you ever wondered what the plants look like that produce some of the tropical fruits you may have on hand? These days Google provides easy answers to questions like that, but a more satisfying path is to grow it yourself. And more than that, it can be a 'teachable moment' with your children.
Here's what you'll need:
15 cm (6 in.) diameter pot
peat-based potting mix (not garden soil)
clear plastic wrap or clear plastic bag
rubber band
a warm, bright location
one or more of the following fruits: dates (with pits), pineapple, mango, papaya, citrus (orange, lemon, lime, tangerine, grapefruit, etc.),
First, fill your container with potting mix. Water well and allow it to drain completely. If the potting mix is dry and fluffy, use hot water to moisten. Next, prepare your planting material. Each fruit needs to be prepared differently for planting; see below. Once you've finished planting, cover the container with the clear plastic and secure with the rubber band around the rim.
Normally, additional water is not required until you see signs of growth. This may take a few to several weeks depending on the species. Once growth starts, remove the plastic cover. The root system will be rudimentary at best to start, so make sure that the media does not dry out. Maintain evenly moist media, never too wet.
Keep the seedlings in bright light but out of direct sunlight until better established. Then, slowly introduce them to full sun, keeping in mind that the media will dry out faster the warmer it is. For the first while (4 to 6 months for seedlings), use an all purpose or general water-soluble fertilizer (e.g. 20-20-20 + micronutrients) at half-strength every two weeks. After this time, follow label instructions. As the plant grows, gradually increase its pot size.
Fruit Preparation
Date: remove the inch-long pit, taking care not to damage the thin, brown outer skin of the pit. Cover the pit with about 2.5 cm (1 in.) soil. The first growth will be a pair of grass-like spears.
Pineapple: firmly grasp the top leafy portion (this is what you'll be planting) and twist to remove from the main body. Remove a few of the small lower leaves to expose 2 - 4 cm (.75 - 1.5 in.) of the stalk. Sink the base of the stalk into the moist media about 5 cm (2 in.). Use a clear plastic bag in place of the plastic wrap. Remove the bag when you see signs of new top growth. Give the pineapple plant a gentle tug to test for the presence of roots. If the plant lifts out, cover again for a week or two.
Mango: cut away the flesh to expose a large, flat seedpod. Allow the pod to dry for a day or two and then carefully split it open and remove the large bean-like seed. Alternately, take a sharp knife to the pod and simply cut a small opening on the edge to allow moisture to enter. Insert the seed into the media, just covering it. A shoot with a couple of long spearhead-shaped (lanceolate) should emerge after a few weeks.
Papaya: Split the fruit in half, top to bottom to reveal hundreds of round black seeds. Plant several in a pot, no deeper than a few millimeters (1/8 to 1/4 in.). Seedlings will be small at first, with a couple of small round pale green first leaves. True leaves appear next. These will have five main lobes like a maple leaf. At this point carefully lift out the seedlings, taking care to minimize root disturbance, and plant in separate pots.
Citrus: Remove pips from the segments. Plant about 2 cm (1 in.) deep. Seedlings will be small with a pair of small, shiny green, lanceolate leaves. As the plant grows, new leaves will be similar to the first ones but larger, reaching 7 - 10 cm (3 - 4 in.) depending on species.
- This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (www.saskperennial.ca; [email protected]).
Upcoming Events
Join CHEP (Saskatoon) on Feb. 8 at the Community Garden Conference to learn how to create a community garden. Contact Gord to register (306-655-4575 ext 279 or [email protected]).
