The Great Pineapple Project

[snowballsarebad]

Or, How Arika Tried to Grow a Pineapple.
So, with all the plants I could try to grow...I pick this, the lovely pineapple. Perhaps it is part of my love affair with Hawaii...or just an eccentricity...
Anyhow, with all the love of growing things on here, I thought somebody might find this interesting. Or, if anybody has done this before, perhaps you could let me know what I'm getting into. I've read that they need to get about 6 feet across to produce a pineapple. This coming when I am moving to an apartment in Virginia that is approximately half the size of my house. Yay!
So, I'll be updating every now and then, with pictures.
I acquired the lovely fruit on July 2. We dined on it at Mark's and my engagement/moving away party on July 3. Chopped the top off and let it sit in the dish rack at the family cottage for nearly a week, then peeled off some more lower leaves. It's been in the mason jar for about a week now, and it already has roots about 1 inch long. At this point, I'm not sure if I should be putting it in soil, or if I should let the roots grow a bit more. So, since I'm feeling lazy this week and procrastinating like it's my job...I'll give it another week to grow even more roots.
So, here's the pics. You'll notice that the roots look hairy. Hope this is hairy root stuff and not mold. Also, I'll shoot for better picture quality next time.

[pikevi]

snowballsarebad: I have 3 pineapple plants. One is doing well in a small pot and the other two are just struggling but alive.

I have seen fruits on plants as small as 30cm ( 12 ") but I am not sure if they are edible. I am hoping mine will bear fruit(s) this year

Please keep us posted.

I will post photos of mine tomorrow.

[chefatplay]

Snowball, Pikevi is right, a pinapple plant can be very small when it produces fruit. It all depends on the type of pineapple. We used to have them edging the patio all the way around. The plants were small because we didn't fertilize them and so the resulting fruit was small, but delicious. Those are roots, go ahead and plant! They love sun, sun, sun. Have fun. If you keep it outside and it rains, rain water will collect in the top of the plant, tiny frogs love this area. They are so cute.

[Mercedes]

That's great! I'm doing that with our next pineapple from the grocery store!

[Vivienne]

Me too Mercedes! Perhaps my kids will be interested in a project like this... and then eventually I can get them interested in orchids.

[mayres]

My daughter got a pinapple from a friend that went to Hawaii about eight years ago. I cut the top off and planted it (my second one to grow) and it has been growing in our home ever since. If they don't get as much light and heat as they would like they tend to get a little spindly. They also do get (as you noted) a little large. Mine is at least three feet across and constantly gets bumped by someone. As you all have noted, a fun "let's do it and see what happens" project. Almost as much fun as my avocado that I planted a few months ago thanks to another thread on this forum some time ago (not my first either).

[pikevi]

Mayres: Did it ever bear fruits?

chefatplay: so nice to pick a pineapple from the 'front yard' for dessert

Photos of mine are attached.

[chefatplay]

Yes, Pikevi, it is great. The plant will die, but a new one grows out of the old one, so to speak. Once they get started, you can always have them around.

[snowballsarebad]

It is good to hear that the plant might not get as large as I read somewhere! I'm also looking forward to it producing offshoots, so I might always have a couple plants around. It would be so nice to have a pineapple produced once a year or so!

[mayres]

Pikevi - no baby pinapples yet. I think it needs a lot more sun and heat than I give it. I was thinking I should put it outside during the gardening season - out in the sunshine, but have failed to follow through. Maybe next year. I'm guessing it would really take off if I did?

[palito]

Nice experiment, those are very easy to grow.

You can also try the nicer ornamental Ananas with yellow in the leaves. You can get a nice pink pineapple fruit in a small plant.

[LeftCoastAngler]

Is it true that pineapples feed via the crown, and not the roots? I have heard this, and was wondering... I too have several Del Monte Gold pineapples... They haven't shot out fruit yet, but I'm anticipating!

~LCA.

[pikevi]

Pineapple being a bromeliad would probably breathe through the leaves.I am not sure if it can also absorb other nutrients. Interesting point though.

[chefatplay]

With all the talk about pineapples going on, it's making me want to grow some again. No time better than the present, huh? We throw dozens of pineapple tops away a day at work. I think I'll take a bag and confiscate some. LeftCoast, mine will be Del Monte golds, too. I think a pot will work best this time. The lawn guy won't be able to egde them to death!

[LeftCoastAngler]

Originally Posted by chefatplay

The lawn guy won't be able to egde them to death!

Silly Lawn Guy!

~LCA.

[LeftCoastAngler]

Here's my patch:

The ones in containers seem to be doing better than the ones in ground...

~LCA.

[electric.chowder]

I picked up an old pineapple plant about a year ago at a plant clearence for $1 and it hasn't really done anything. I kept up watering it, but didn't really seem to grow. Until recently I noticed today that it's starting to grow a baby

[arleneg]

snowball,

Those look like roots.

I never knew one can grow a pineapple with just the top part. I'll have to save the top next time we have a pineapple.

Thanks for starting this thread! I learned something new.

[Sharyn]

Let's just say it's been MANY years since I've grown a pineapple top. It's fun, like growing vines from the sweet potatoes. For those of you who would like to try a pineapple top, here's link to get you started. Good luck.
http://www.yougrowgirl.com/grow/save_pineapple.php

[pikevi]

Those are nice, LeftCoastAngler. Are the little ones amongst the three large ones baby pineapples or just some grass?

electric.chowder: The baby looks cute

Thanks for the URL, Sharyn. Now I know why only three of mine survived!