Hello,

Has anyone had experience growing pineapples in the uk? In the garden
centre it said that although they are the commercial variety, it does
not get hot enough to ripen them here and they should be grown for
ornament only. Would a greenhouse not get hot enough? What temperature
do they need.

Thanks.

When the British Isles migrate to the Tropic of Cancer, you will be able to
grow Pineapples there just like they do in Hawaii, Captain Cook.

How hot do you think it gets in Hawaii?

wrote in message
...
Hello,

Has anyone had experience growing pineapples in the uk? In the garden
centre it said that although they are the commercial variety, it does
not get hot enough to ripen them here and they should be grown for
ornament only. Would a greenhouse not get hot enough? What temperature
do they need.

Thanks.

On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 21:38:35 GMT, "Cereus-validus"
wrote:

When the British Isles migrate to the Tropic of Cancer, you will be able to
grow Pineapples there just like they do in Hawaii, Captain Cook.

How hot do you think it gets in Hawaii?

32-33 DegC

Have never been involved with their growth personally in the UK. The
Victorians' 'big houses' grew them to maturity in 'hot frames' and these
have been restored and are working at The Lost Gardens of Heligan in
Cornwall.The heat generated has to be greater than in a greenhouse~~so I
understand.
Best Wishes
"Cereus-validus" wrote in message
...
When the British Isles migrate to the Tropic of Cancer, you will be able
to
grow Pineapples there just like they do in Hawaii, Captain Cook.

How hot do you think it gets in Hawaii?

wrote in message
...
Hello,

Has anyone had experience growing pineapples in the uk? In the garden
centre it said that although they are the commercial variety, it does
not get hot enough to ripen them here and they should be grown for
ornament only. Would a greenhouse not get hot enough? What temperature
do they need.

Thanks.

wrote in message
...
Hello,

Has anyone had experience growing pineapples in the uk? In the garden
centre it said that although they are the commercial variety, it does
not get hot enough to ripen them here and they should be grown for
ornament only. Would a greenhouse not get hot enough? What temperature
do they need.

Thanks.

Not only would it not be hot enough for most of the year but AFAICR from a
tour round a plantation in hawaii a few years ago, they take 2 years to come
to maturity, so youd need to keep the greenhouse heated very well (~25 deg C
at least, maybe 30?) over 2 autums, winters and springs. I also imagine you
wouldnt get enough light here.

--
Tumbleweed

Remove my socks for email address

On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 10:16:24 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

/4/04 9:14


Hello,

Has anyone had experience growing pineapples in the uk? In the garden
centre it said that although they are the commercial variety, it does
not get hot enough to ripen them here and they should be grown for
ornament only. Would a greenhouse not get hot enough? What temperature
do they need.

Thanks.

I think the ones that were grown in the gardens of great houses years ago,
were grown in frames which I seem to remember learning were heated by the
use of copious amounts of rotting manure.

The were heated by vast boilers that minions stoked day and night for
sod all.


Of course, those were the days
when everyone kept horses, so.....

and minions lived in a shoe box in the gutter.

wrote in message
...
Hello,

Has anyone had experience growing pineapples in the uk? In the garden
centre it said that although they are the commercial variety, it does
not get hot enough to ripen them here and they should be grown for
ornament only. Would a greenhouse not get hot enough? What temperature
do they need.

Thanks.

Well I have a 5 year old pineapple grown from the top of a supermarket
bought fruit, it's still growing strongly, and I keep my fingers crossed
that it will do something eventually.

Bob Flowerdew has grown pineapples in this country, inside a polytunnel, in
a specially heated house I think.

Anyway, what I have constructed is a small, was 18" cube of plastic sheeting
on a frame, I had to up this to a 2 foot cube last autumn. This then sits
inside the greenhouse, and has already this year reached, well over 100
degrees. The real problem as I see it is keeping the light levels up high
enough.

Duncan

The heating used in the frames does only seem to be/have been horse manure
and seemingly with little real headroom unless further frames can be
positioned on top as needed.
The old workers' hovels are now changing hands in excess of £200,000 a
time and delightfully modernised but not greatly extended.
Best Wishes.
"martin" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 10:16:24 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

/4/04 9:14


Hello,

Has anyone had experience growing pineapples in the uk? In the garden
centre it said that although they are the commercial variety, it does
not get hot enough to ripen them here and they should be grown for
ornament only. Would a greenhouse not get hot enough? What temperature
do they need.

Thanks.

I think the ones that were grown in the gardens of great houses years
ago,
were grown in frames which I seem to remember learning were heated by the
use of copious amounts of rotting manure.

The were heated by vast boilers that minions stoked day and night for
sod all.


Of course, those were the days
when everyone kept horses, so.....

and minions lived in a shoe box in the gutter.

"D Russell" wrote in message
Has anyone had experience growing pineapples in the uk? In the garden
centre it said that although they are the commercial variety, it does
not get hot enough to ripen them here and they should be grown for
ornament only. Would a greenhouse not get hot enough? What temperature
do they need.

Well I have a 5 year old pineapple grown from the top of a supermarket
bought fruit, it's still growing strongly, and I keep my fingers crossed
that it will do something eventually.

Me likewise! They're easy to grow from the tops of the fruit, but take a
few months to get going. Most of the original leaves from the 'crown'
will shrivel and die.

I have two pineapple plants. One is from a Queen pineapple (the
very small ones that taste great but are expensive, with serrated leaves).

The big one is two years old and now has leaves two/three feet long with
wicked spikes on the end All I do is move it from outdoors to indoors for
the winter, then back out again. It hasn't gone out yet this year. While indoors
it sits beside a sunny window. While outdoors I don't give it any special
protection except bringing it in if the weather's windy, cold and wet.
Normal rain and cool summer nights don't seem to bother it.

It hasn't flowered yet. I read somewhere that the flowering process needs
initiation using ethene gas (e.g. from ripe apples). This may be a way
around the lack of heat and light.

Nick H. (Surrey).

On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 14:58:38 +0100, "D Russell"
wrote:

Bob Flowerdew has grown pineapples in this country, inside a polytunnel, in
a specially heated house I think.

Anyway, what I have constructed is a small, was 18" cube of plastic sheeting
on a frame, I had to up this to a 2 foot cube last autumn. This then sits
inside the greenhouse, and has already this year reached, well over 100
degrees. The real problem as I see it is keeping the light levels up high
enough.

Thanks for the replies; there does not seem to be a consensus of
opinion, but I'll be optimistic and hope for success. Nothing
ventured, nothing gained. What's the worst that can happen?

I bought a green pineapple from the garden centre, and I have only
recently bought the greenhouse, but already it (the pineapple, not the
green house) is beginning to turn yellow. The weather this week has
saved me a large watering bill, but has kept the greenhouse shaded and
cool. I will follow your advice and try to grow within polythene
inside the greenhouse for double the effect.

Thanks again.

wrote:
Thanks for the replies; there does not seem to be a consensus of
opinion, but I'll be optimistic and hope for success. Nothing
ventured, nothing gained. What's the worst that can happen?


It begins to die and rot, then some tropical bug lurking in the depths of
your plant takes hold and decimates your garden, then the neighbour hood,
then the whole country.....

then again, you might get a tasty pineapple.

Ummm, worth the risk?

go for it!!

pk

26/4/04 9:14

Hello,

Has anyone had experience growing pineapples in the uk? In the garden
centre it said that although they are the commercial variety, it does
not get hot enough to ripen them here and they should be grown for
ornament only. Would a greenhouse not get hot enough? What temperature
do they need.

Thanks.

I think the ones that were grown in the gardens of great houses years ago,
were grown in frames which I seem to remember learning were heated by the
use of copious amounts of rotting manure. Of course, those were the days
when everyone kept horses, so.....
Here's the Heligan site and they may be able to help you:
http://www.heligan.com/home/home.html

I'm wondering if your gc was in fact selling

--

Sacha
(remove the weeds to email me)