Hardiness Zone: 6a
Linda
A: Linda,
It takes some patience to grow a pineapple this way, but it's worth the effort. Start with an organic pineapple. They are less likely to contain pesticide residues that can inhibit growth. Grab the pineapple by the leafy crown and twist off the top (a little of the stalk will remain attached). Let this crown piece cure (dry) for 5 days. This will help seal off openings and prevent rotting and decay. After curing, bare the stalk by removing the lower 15 leaves from the crown, pulling them in a downward fashion. If you notice tiny roots forming at the base of the leaves, try not to damage them.
Fill a 6-inch pot with 2 parts potting mix and 1 part perlite (or peat moss). Place the crown piece on top of the soil mix and place it in a location with bright (not direct) sunlight (at least 5-6 hours per day). Keep the soil moist (not wet).
It may take as long as 2-3 months, but eventually you should see new growth. Repot the rooted crown to a gallon-size container using a mixture with slightly less perlite or peat moss) and start fertilizing the crown once a month during the active growing season. Keep the pot outdoors during the summer and bring it inside for the winter. The crown should stay in this gallon-size pot for at least 1 year.
After 1 year, move the plant to a 5-gallon planter filled with well-drained soil amended with a little manure or compost. The soil should be kept moist (not wet). After another season, the plant will experience a surge in growth. Watch for short-lived, delicate blue flowers, followed by fruit in 3-4 months.
Ellen
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We went to the Dole Plantation in Hawaii, and they say not to cut off the top, but to twist it off. Grab a firm hold on the top, and on the bottom, and twist the top. It will actually come right off. This, then can be planted.
Hi,
When I bought my house almost two years ago there was a pinapple plant in the yard with a green pinapple on it. When it turned yellow I cut it off from the plant, sliced it up and ate it. I saved the top of the pinapple leaving about a half inch of pinapple and let it sit in a shallow container of water until it sprouted a couple of little shoots then planted it in the ground. It grew tall and produced a very tasty pinapple for me. I have the top of that one in a shallow container waiting for the shoots to sprout so I can plant it.
Hi, What I did was slice the pineapple top off
along with approximately 2 inches of the fruit. Let
this dry out for approximately a week and then
www.floridagardener.com/
the above link tells how to do it.
hth
brenda-ohio
All I have ever done is cut the top quarter to one half off the top of the pineapple and plant in potting soil. I leave about half of the green top (I will call then the leaves) out. Water well the first time and then weekly after that. I have found it works best to not really saturate the soil every time.
I agree with Carolb. Twist the topoff the pineapple, do not cut it. Put on a pair of gardening gbves to protect your hands and grab the top of the pineapple around the leaves and twist. The top will come off. I then pulled off several layers of the lower leaves to expose the white root nodes and put the top in a few inches of water.
Can I grow a pineapple outdoors in Pennsylvania? I would love to try this.
Sandy
Will try yet again to do this but this time with your tips.......
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