How gardeners managed to grow pineapples in England

[joel]

https://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/pineapples/pineapples.htmThe tan pits were lined with pebbles at the bottom followed by a layer of manure and then topped with a layer of tanners’ bark into which the pots were plunged. The last of these elements was the most important. Tanners’ bark (oak bark soaked in water and used in leather tanning) fermented slowly, steadily producing a constant temperature of 25ºC-30ºC for two to three months and a further two if stirred. Manure alone was inferior, in that it heated violently at first but cooled more quickly. Stable bottom heat is essential for pineapple cultivation and tanners’ bark provided the first reliable source. It became one of the most fundamental resources for hothouse gardeners and remained in use until the end of the 19th century.

 

[joel]

 

[joel]

The Victorian method of growing pineapples had been lost but thanks to the restoration of the gardens on the Heligan estate near St Austell in Cornwall we know a lot more. The art of pit management was lost and in the absence of any written instructions, the staff had to learn through trial and error.

They found that temperature control and humidity are all important and the plants must not be over watered. Frequent changes of fresh horse manure are essential to keep up the temperature during cold periods and emptying and re-filling the trenches, either side of the pit, are tough and unpleasant manual tasks.

These trenches are covered with boarding to maximise the delivery of heat into the pit itself, through holes in their double-skinned walls. They have also realised that as the days of horse-power have long passed it’s increasingly difficult to source the quality, and expensive to transport the amount needed of freshly rotting horse manure required for a whole winter’s heating.

It has been quite a learning curve for the staff at Heligan. The current variegated variety when ready to harvest took five years before it even began to fruit, then another two to grow the fruit. With the hours it has taken to look after the pineapple, transport costs of manure, maintenance of the pineapple pits and other tasks, each pineapple would probably cost more than £1,000 to grow.

Although pineapple pits are heated by fresh horse manure but the pineapples themselves do not come into contact with any manure or urine at any stage. Manure is loaded into manure trenches behind and in front of the pit itself. The heat generated from the manure travels through the hollow walls and through the bark beneath the potted plants to recreate a tropical environment for them to grow in.

So this is a valuable exercise in learning just how the Victorians grew the exotic fruit and after restoring the pits at Heligan, keeping them in use is rewarding for the staff and for the visitors. Any pineapples that grow are given to members of staff as a thank you for their hard work.

https://www.countrygardener.co.uk/2020/01/08/how-gardeners-managed-to-grow-pineapples-in-england/

 

[joel]

https://www.heligan.com/news/the-story-of-the-10000-pineappleRare, exotic and hard to grow, Pineapples were a symbol of great status and wealth in Victorian times. A pineapple on your dining table meant you were a person of discernment, style and affluence.

We believe that we have the only working, manure-heated pineapple pit in Britain today. It was unearthed in 1991 and architectural and horticultural historians spent many months researching the history of its construction and technology. The first structure here was probably built in the eighteenth century.

It took three years of anxious nurture before we spotted the first flower bud. HRH Prince Charles stopped to admire it on a private visit to the gardens in June 1997 and by October that year we finally celebrated our first harvest. It was the second pineapple that was delivered to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her 50th wedding anniversary, for we elected to sample the first one ourselves – in case it tasted of manure! Needless to say, it was delicious.

The art of pit management was lost with the demise of the apprentice system and, in the absence of written instruction, our staff had to learn through trial and error. Control of temperature and humidity are all important and the plants must not be over watered. Frequent changes of fresh horse manure are essential to keep up the temperature during cold periods and emptying and re-filling the trenches, either side of the pit, are tough and unpleasant manual tasks. These trenches are covered with boarding to maximise the delivery of heat into the pit itself, through holes in their double-skinned walls. With the days of horse-power long passed it is increasingly difficult to source the quality - and expensive to transport the quantity - of freshly rotting horse manure required for a whole winter's heating.