With its sweet and spicy flavor and its unique shape, there is no other fruit quite like the pineapple. If you’ve been longing for a way to grow this delicious fruit, the good news is that it’s very easy to do in your own home! In this article, we will teach you how to grow a pineapple plant from a pineapple. Then, we tell you all about taking care of your plant and knowing when it’s ready to harvest. Read on to get started growing this tropical fruit!

[Edit]Things you have to know

• Twist the leaves at the top of a fresh pineapple to separate the fruit from the crown. Let the crown dry for 1 week.
• Place the dried pineapple crown in a glass of water and place it in indirect light for roots to grow.
• Plant the crown in well-draining soil once the roots are about 3 inches (7.1 cm) long.
• Place your pineapple plant in a sunny window that receives direct light, watering when the soil is dry.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Taking off the pineapple crown

1. Choose a fresh pineapple. Choose a pineapple with cheerful green leaves that have not turned yellow or brown. The skin of the fruit should be golden brown in color and should give a little when squeezed. Smell the pineapple to see if it is also ripe. It should emit a sweet and intoxicating smell.^[1]
   
   • Your pineapple must be ripe to become a plant, so make sure it isn’t too ripe. An underripe pineapple is usually very green, hard, and has a slight odor.
   • Check that your pineapple is not too ripe as well. Overripe pineapples are easy to crush and often have wrinkled skin. Gently pull on the leaves as well. If they come out right away, the pineapple is too ripe to plant.
   • Make sure the pineapple does not have mealybugs around the base of the leaves. They look like small grayish-black spots.
2. Twist the leaves off the top of the pineapple. Hold the body of the pineapple with one hand and use the other to grasp the base of the leaves. Simply twist the leaves to remove them from the pineapple. You are now left with the crown, or stem, of the pineapple and the fruit of the pineapple.^[2]
   
   • If you have trouble unscrewing the crown, cut off the top of the pineapple with a knife. Then cut off any excess fruit around the crown.
   • When twisting the leaves, do so gently to ensure that the crown remains intact. New roots sprout from the end of the stem, so without them the plant cannot grow.
3. Remove some of the lower leaves to expose more of the stem. Removing the lower leaves helps the stem take root once it is planted. Simply remove some of the lower leaves so several inches of the stem are exposed. If there is any fruit still attached to the stem, cut it off with a knife, being careful not to cut the stem.^[3]
   
4. Turn the wreath over and let it dry for a week. The inside of the pineapple crown is still wet when you cut it, so it needs to be dried. Planting a wet stem can encourage rot, giving the pineapple less chance to grow. Just place the stem upside down in your kitchen to dry completely for about 1 week.^[4]
   
   • Once the stem is dry, it is fine to plant it in well-draining soil. You don’t need to put it in water first, but it helps to know when it starts to take root. Plus, it’s fun to watch!

[Edit]Rooting of the crown in water

1. Fill a large glass with water. In order for strong, healthy roots to grow, your pineapple crown needs plenty of water. Choose a glass that is large enough to fit the pineapple crown inside, but small enough that the pineapple can be held without being completely submerged. Then fill the glass with water.
   
2. Stick toothpicks into the crown of the pineapple to suspend it in the water. To ensure only the bottom of the crown is in the water, place 4 toothpicks around the top of the stem. Push them in just enough so they stay in place.^[5]
   
3. Put the pineapple crown in the water. Rest the chopsticks on the edge of the glass. The bottom of the stem should now be submerged in the water, while the leaves are sticking out of the top.^[6]
   
4. Place the crown in bright, indirect light and wait for the roots to emerge. Pineapple plants love light, so find a warm spot to rest where it gets plenty of filtered light. Over the next 3-6 weeks, little white roots will start to come out of the stem and begin to grow.^[7]
   
   • Pineapples grow best in temperatures between 65 and 85 °F (18 and 30 °C), so keep them out of drafts and bright direct light.
   • Change the water every few days to prevent mold from growing.

[Edit]planting the crown

1. Fill a 6 in (15 cm) pot with well-draining soil. Pineapple plants are drought tolerant and do not like to sit in soggy, damp soil. Choose a well-draining garden soil that has a mix of 30% organic matter. This allows excess water to drain from the pot and gives the pineapple the right mix of nutrients to grow healthily.^[8]
   
   • When choosing a pot for your pineapple plant, make sure it has drainage holes in the bottom.
2. Plant the crown in the pot once its roots are 3 inches (7.1 cm) long. When the stem has many long thick roots, it’s time to put it in the ground. Poke a hole in the ground with your fingers and place the pineapple crown inside. Make sure the base of the leaves is just above ground level. Then, press the soil down firmly around the base of the stem and water it well.^[9]
   
3. Place the planted pineapple in bright light and keep the soil moist. Your new pineapple plant needs a warm, sunny, and humid environment to grow big and strong. Let it adjust to bright indirect light for about 2-3 weeks before moving your plant to a location where it will receive at least 6 hours of direct light. Water it about once a week, or when the top 1-2 inches (2-5 cm) of the soil are dry.^[10]
   
   • If you live in a warm climate, keep the pot outside if you prefer. When temperatures start to drop below 60°F (15°C), bring your pineapple plant indoors.
   • To help your plant root faster, make a mini-greenhouse over your pot. Just slip a plastic bag over the top of the pot and remove it when you water.
4. Fertilize your pineapple plant about once a month. Giving your plant nutritious fertilizer helps it grow strong. In spring and summer, fertilize once or twice a month with a water-soluble fertilizer. In fall and winter, feed it only once a month.^[11]
   
   • Pineapple plants generally prefer fertilizers with a 10-10-10 ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
5. Expect flowers and fruit to grow in 1 to 3 years. Be patient, as it may take several years for your plant to develop the flowers that turn into a juicy pineapple. As you continue to water and care for your plant, a red cone will eventually appear in the center of the leaves. Blue flowers will follow, and finally a small budding fruit. The pineapple takes about six months to fully develop.^[12]
   
   • The pineapple fruit grows from the flower, above the ground, in the center of the plant.
   • When the pineapple fruit is ripe and ready to be harvested, cut it off from the stem, just below the base of the fruit. Do not cut the pineapple before it is ripe, as it will not ripen once the stem has been removed.

[Edit]Video

[Edit]Tips

• The full-size pineapples you’re used to at the store grow from 6-foot (2 m) tall pineapple plants. Yours probably won’t grow as big in 1-3 years, so don’t be surprised if your first crop of fruit is smaller than you expected.
• Repot your pineapple plant into a larger pot when it begins to overwhelm or grow too large in its current pot.
• Keep your plant in a warm area to ensure that both it and your soil stay warm.
• While wild pineapple, or Bromeliad pinguin, is also edible, the juice is especially acidic and can irritate the mouth. Most people boil or roast it first to avoid irritation. You can find it in Florida, but it grows mostly in Central and South America.^[13]
• To increase your chances of success, grow 2 pineapple plants at a time.
• To encourage your plant to flower, place it in a plastic bag with two very ripe apples cut in half. The ethylene gas released by apples can trigger the flowering process.^[14]

[Edit]things you will need

• Pineapple
• flowerpot
• Floor
• Water
• clear glass or jar
• toothpicks
• Fertilizer

[Edit]Related WikiHows

• eat cherries
• grow dwarf pineapples
• orchid care
• grow a tomato plant
• take care of a bromeliad
• grow watermelons
• grow a ginger plant
• Design a successful indoor garden
• Grow Cuttings from Established Plants
• propagate your plants
• cut a pineapple
• eat a persimmon
• care for a mulberry tree
• grow irises

[Edit]References

[Edit]quick summary