How to grow pineapples...?

[BigWaveDave]

I'm looking for a sure fire way to grow pineapples from the pineapple tops.  Has anyone tried this?  Does the fruit of the new plant taste as good as the original pineapple?

Thanks, David

[MattyB]

Dave, it's easy to get them to root.  Just cut off the top and stick it in some soil.  Soil needs to be warm (greenhouse or summertime).  It will quickly root out and then you can plant it out in full sun.  They're tough plants and can take cold and drought a bit.  It takes several years to get a pineapple out of them and they're usually small but taste pretty darn good.  Think of it as a full sun hardy bromeliad that's not very ornamental.

[BigWaveDave]

Hey Matt, thanks for the info.  I like the simple green foliage, and they are the cheapest broms I can find , except maybe at a brom society meeting.

[BobbyinNY]

  Quote

Hey Matt, thanks for the info.  I like the simple green foliage, and they are the cheapest broms I can find  , except maybe at a brom society meeting.

I even got one to take root here in NY and now it's about 1 1/2 ft wide.... I'm expecting a fruit pretty soon. It's just about 1 year old.

[Zac in NC]

Yeah it will taste the same( or at least it should) because it is a clone of the fruit you ate. The only thing that could change is the amount of water and the amount of sugars produced from not being in quite so tropical a climate.

Zac

[Neofolis]

I followed the instructions on this webpage: How To Grow A Pineapple, which worked well for me and helps to avoid the chance of rotting when trying to get it to root.

Mine is still very young and was only potted up maybe 6-8 weeks ago, but seems happy enough.

The brown tips formed on what was the crown from the original fruit, but the new foliage is perfectly healthy.  I will remove the burnt leaves when it is a little more established.

[bgl]

Dave,

I've grown numerous pineapples here, and I've found that the best approach is to simply remove the "top" by rotating it in either direction until it separates from the fruit itself. Then plant the "top". And yes, expect two years before you see any fruit. The fruit tends to get smaller and smaller for each generation, and after about the third generation we just throw them away because at this point the fruit is too small to bother with!

Bo-Göran

[Matt in SD]

Dave,

Like Bo said, twisting the top off is the best way to go.  I rotted several trying to cut them off, but the twist method has been 100%.  Also, I don't section the cut part as the link Neofolis posted suggets, but rather justs pull the leaves off from the base until you see some roots.  There are usually roots already growing among the lower leaf bases. Just peeling leaves until there 1/4" to 1/2" of newly exposed flesh is about right.

I haven't gotten any pineapples off of them in California.  Supposedly it can be done in a greenhouse, but I can't afford the space in there.

Matt

[Gonzer]

Concur, concur...twist off, don't cut.

[Neofolis]

As you can see from my pic, the cutting worked fine for me, but I guess people will use whichever technique they have had success with.  It was the first detailed information I found, when I was planning to grow mine, so that's what I went with.

[BigWaveDave]

Just got back from the sevens tournament at petco park  Thanks for all the info.  I'm going to shop around for some different varieties.

[amazondk]

You might try and find the variegated leaved ones that have red fruit they are pretty ornamental.  We also havea variety around here that get as big as 20 pounds.

dk

[aussiearoids]

The tops can rot if not left to dry before planting , they will keep for many weeks !

Seen mounds of tops kept on the side of the road by a commercial grower while he prepared the paddock , he told me he has kept them for over 6 months .

With well prepared soil and correct fertilization he could get fruit in 18 months .

[Trópico]

I have several types of pineapples as pineapples are my favorite fruits. Currently growing three from tops of supermarket pineapples. One of them already gave me a pineapple, smaller but far sweeter than the mother. Also growing one of those red forms that Walmart sells, and a Hawaiian gold, which also gave me a pineapple a few months ago, and a variegated form Ananas bracteatus which I like a lot and highly recommend, except don't try to pull weeds around it, ouch!

[Zac in NC]

Frank- You sure do love to grow plant you get at your grocery stores.

Zac