Pineapples aren't hard to grow but they do take a time commitment; depending on the method, it may be several years until the plant flowers and produces fruit.
If you want to grow your own pineapple, the cheapest method is to start from the green top of a fresh grocery store pineapple. Before you get started learn more about pineapples' health benefits .
The optimum air temperature is 32°C during the day and 20°C at night. For every 1°C above or below, the optimum growth rates decrease by about 6%. During periods of intense sunlight and high temperature (above about 35°C), fruit is susceptible to sunburn damage. A frost-free site is essential.
Enter your estimated daily temperatures to see if your location is ideal to grow a pineapple.
If youâve ever wondered how to grow a pineapple, hereâs a tip: start
with them as houseplants. Itâll take some time, but if youâre patient
youâll eventually have a taste of the tropics in your living room!
Hereâs how to root and grow pineapples indoors in your home.
Choose a pineapple thatâs evenly ripe, with a nice healthy set of green leaves. Avoid ones that are overripe or that have dead or sick-looking leaves.
Slice off the top of the pineapple fairly close to the crown. Carefully cut away the rind and remaining fruit â itâs important to remove any fruit flesh that will rot later. Then, make very thin slices in the stalk, until you see a ring of brownish dots. These are the âroot primordia,â the unformed roots that youâre about to grow.
Pull off some of the lower leaves on the pineapple stalk, exposing about an inch of bare stalk.
Set the pineapple crown aside for a few days to allow the wound to dry. Pineapples are susceptible to rot, so itâs important to dry out the cut end before planting.
Fill a 6-8 inch pot with a light, fast-draining mixture â cactus potting mix â or a mixture of peat, sand & perlite. Plant the pineapple crown about an inch deep, gently firming the soil around it.
Water the pineapple stalk very lightly, just enough to moisten the soil using a spray bottle. Place the pot in a bright window, and water when itâs dry, just enough to keep it moist. Donât use any fertilizer yet.
Itâll take about one to three months for your pineapple to root. To test the progress, gently tug on the crown to see if it is taking hold in the soil.
Once your pineapple has firmly rooted, it will begin growing new leaves from the center. At this point, you can repot the plant in a 10-12 inch pot. After about a year of growing, you can move it to its final home in a large 5-gallon planter.
