Like other houseplants, pineapples can be kept indoors. Planting the pineapple fruit’s crown will teach you how to grow a pineapple in a pot.
Is It Possible to Grow Pineapples?
Pineapples (Ananas comosus) are a member of the bromeliad family of blooming plants, which also includes Spanish moss and desert-dwelling succulents. In tropical regions like Hawaii and South and Central America, farmers cultivate pineapples for commercial purposes. You can start a new pineapple plant at home from the luscious tropical fruit seen in grocery shops.
Five Supplies Needed to Grow a Pineapple
Growing pineapples at home is a simple endeavor that needs a few essential supplies and tools:
- A fresh pineapple should have a mostly yellow exterior and a hint of brown around the leaf crown. Green pineapples are underripe, but orange or dark golden yellow pineapples could be overripe. You should pick a pineapple that has the most vibrant yellow skin imaginable.
- To grow pineapples, you’ll need a six- or eight-inch potting pot made of clay or terracotta. You might need to move your expanding pineapple to a larger planter after a year.
- Before planting, use a sharp knife to trim the edge of the stem and remove any extra fruit. You can twist off the pineapple top.
- For the first stage of rooting, which takes place in water, use a mason jar.
- Any soil with a blend of sand, peat, and perlite is a suitable option for succulents or cacti. Another option is organic potting mix.
Eight Steps to Growing a Pineapple
A pineapple plant must be propagated gradually from a store-bought fruit piece. To grow a pineapple, follow these instructions:
1. Remove the crown from the pineapple
2. Trim away any excess fruit flesh.
After removing the crown, trim away any extra fruit meat, bottom leaves, and suckers, which are tiny growths in between the leaves, with a sharp paring knife.
3. Cut off the bottom of the stem
Next, thinly slice off the bottom of the stem. The root primordia will show up as a ring of tiny brown dots. Look for it. The pineapple plant’s roots will start to show here.
4. Allow the stalk to air dry.
Depending on the humidity, a few days may pass before the stem completely dries. Place the stalk in a warm, well-ventilated environment with sunlight. This will enable any surplus moisture to dissipate and prevent rot.
5.Place the crown in a glass jar.
Pour some warm water into a jar and insert the pineapple crown so that the bottom of the stem is submerged. It should be kept from falling into the jar by the leaves. (Some farmers choose to forego this stage in favor of planting the pineapple crown straight in the ground.)
6.Change the water every few days
You should see tiny root sprouts coming up from the bottom of the stem after about a week. It’s time to pot your pineapple whenever these roots get to be about three inches long, which may take several months. As long as part of the lower leaves are still green, it’s acceptable for the pineapple to turn brown.
7.Place the pineapple into the prepared pot
After adding some soil to the pot’s bottom, add your pineapple inside. So that the pineapple crown protrudes from the top, fill in the dirt surrounding the plant. For the first few weeks, keep the plant in indirect light and water it when the soil is dry. New leaves will eventually start to emerge in the center of the plant.
8.Move your plant to a sunny location
You can transplant the plant to a location with full sun once it is firmly established, healthy, and developing new green leaves. Maintain a damp soil, but do not overwater.
How Much Time Does It Take to Grow a Pineapple?
Although it takes a lot of effort, growing pineapples at home may be a fascinating culinary and gardening enterprise. Initially, it takes several weeks to go from freshly purchased fruit to rooting a new plant. Subsequently, after being planted in the ground, your pineapple can begin bearing fruit in as little as six months to three years, given the right circumstances. However, it takes time for plants to mature, and you may need to transfer them several times to a larger container before they bear fruit or blossom.
Your pineapple’s growth may be impacted by the climate in your area. Being tropical plants, pineapples do not grow well in the winter. Consequently, they must be taken inside during the winter months in places with lower temperatures. Additionally, pineapples can perish in freezing conditions. However, if you reside in a warm, humid climate, you can put your pineapple plants outside all year round.
