How to Grow Pineapples

Step 2: Cut and Eat...

Take your pineapple home with you. Rinse the fruit off, then place it on it's side on a cutting board. Take a knife and cut off the leafy top part of the pineapple, along with an inch or two of the pineapple's meat. Set this aside while you proceed to eat the rest of the pineapple

Comments

[kaway27]

I eat a lot of pineapples and just threw away the top part. I never thought I can plant it that way. I going to try to plant them from now on. Nice instructable. Thanks.

[kdunn]

Leaving any fruit on the plant is a sure fire way of failure. Remove all fruit from the plant (ie cut exactly where the leaves begin) so that fungus will not kill or stunt the growth. Also, remove about a third of the leaves from the lower portion. Do this gently and one at a time so you will not disturb the roots that form between the lower leaves. Then stick in a bucket of dirt in a partially shaded area for the first week while watering regularly. Then transplant to full sun. If you do this you will have pineapples within 6-10 months in fertilized soil! Also, I have been told that if you can isolate the core from the fruit the time to fruit can be even further reduced. I am currently testing this, so I cannot give directions at this time.

[suayres]

Can you grow them this way in a pot or bucket? I live in Wisconsin, so growing them outdoors is out of the question (we had waist- high snowfalls this past winter--NOT unusual)!

[gia]

Yes, you can grow them in a plant pot. A mature pineapple needs 12" pot but you can start with a smaller one, and transplant it to a bigger one on the second or third year. Exposure to sun (South window, or even outdoors for summer) is awesome.
For outdoors growing, pineapples need at least US hardiness zone 9B or warmer (Corpus Christi TX, Florida, HI or PR). But you can keep the pineapple outdoors until it gets cold (low 50s/below 15c), and move it then indoors.
I managed to make my pineapples make fruit (more wiht kdunn's ideas than the original poster's) even in Ireland.
In Hawaii, a pineapple can mature in 18-20 months. Anywhere colder than that, it can take longer. But don't worry too much about when it might make fruit - pineapples look awesome as plants even before they make fruit.

[destructopop]

Great advice!
Great instructable!
I am so looking forward to the adventure of growing my own pineapples!

[joshirelan]

I agree with kdunn, when u leave the bottom on u ask for failure. removing the leaves from bottom exposes roots already grown. It makes it easier. plus why waste roots already grown

[mpawanexpo]

I like pineapples & i want to grow it in my home.I live in hot area where in summer the temperature is about 45-50C.Is it possible to grow pineapple in this area in pot or in the ground,in full sunlight or under shade .