Pineapple that took 10 years to grow… in Hampshire!
SHE doubted it would grow in the less than tropical climes of Hampshire.
But when Tracey Aldridge’s friend told her that if she planted the top of a pineapple another would sprout from it, she thought she might as well give it a go.
Now, after it sat doing very little in her conservatory for ten years, the tropical plant has actually produced fruit.
Mother of two Mrs Aldridge, 56, said she was stunned to discover a tiny but perfectly formed pineapple – which are normally found in South America and the Caribbean.
The semi-retired science technician, from Gosport, Hampshire, said: ‘The pineapple is only about 2.8in with the leaves measuring around 3in. It’s a miniature pineapple and it smells delicious but I don’t have the heart to eat it.’
Mrs Aldridge said she and her best friend Donna were having a fruit salad in 2007 and she was about the throw the top of a pineapple away when Donna gave her the advice.
She said she was ‘a little sceptical’ but left it in water, and once it rooted she put it in compost. She said she then just ‘let it be’ in her conservatory, admitting she did not give it much attention in winter when she goes to her holiday home in the French Alps.
She added: ‘I suppose having a conserva- tory does help it to grow, but nonetheless it does seem quite bizarre, because of where pineapples are usually grown.’ Gardening expert Brian Kidd congratulated Mrs Aldridge, adding: ‘The big problem is in the winter, because pineapples are very tender and if the temperature falls below 40F (4.4C), the plant can suffer. She has done everything correctly and deserves a lot of credit for that.’ Mrs Aldridge said: ‘I could end up with a pineapple farm one day – that would be remarkable.’