The harvest....

The way of life of people in the "undeveloped" countries is simple and very close to nature. Growing and fruiting and harvesting are just an everyday way of life. They see so many machines and technology in the way of life of the industrialized nations and it's awesome.

While those of us trapped in the industrialized nations if we are fortunate enough may get to experience something like growing and harvesting a pineapple.

I don't know if it was ready to be picked but the foliage on top of the pineapple was getting so big. At least the pineapples in the store don't have so much foliage. So I took it this morning.

The fruit had a little shoot attached and I've heard if the shoot is planted it will grow into a separate plant. So I separated it leaving a little of the stalk attached and planted it.

I used a bread knife to cut the pineapple from the stalk because it has serrated edges and cuts like a saw. The pineapple stalk is thick.. over an inch but I found it was not at all difficult to cut through.

There is another shoot still attached to the mother plant. I wonder if it will produce another fruit while still attached.

I wonder what would happen if I didn't take the pineapple fruit and the foliage on top kept growing. Would another pineapple form on top of that foliage and the plant start to look like a double-decker. The bottom fruit beginning to rot and dropping its seeds. And if left alone the plant would continue to do that. A fruit forming at the top over and over again until it was like tree? With a fruit at the top?????

I'll let the pineapple sit for a while and see how it might ripen. I hope I didn't take it too soon. I still have two more about the same size in the garden so I can let them grow a little more.