Post #277168 by VampiressRN on Sat, Jan 6, 2007 5:17 PM

Oh yeah....I have heard of planting the tops.....thanks for the reminder. I googled how to grow a pineapple plant and found the following, which I might give a try.

You can definitely start your own plant from the top of a store-bought pineapple. I would recommend starting with an organically grown pineapple, because it's likely to contain less chemical residues that could interfere with growth.

All you need to do to start is to grab the pineapple by the crown and twist off the top. A small portion of the stalk will remain attached. Let this piece dry out for a few days before you plant it to help prevent decay. After the crown has "cured", you'll want to strip the lower 1 inch of the stalk of its leaves or they'll rot when covered with dirt.

Fill a 6-inch pot with 2 parts potting mix and 1 part perlite (or peat moss). Place the crown piece on top of the soil mix and place it in a location with bright (not direct) sunlight (at least 5-6 hours per day). If you plant the stalk in the pot at an angle, so only part of it touches the soil, there is less chance of the stalk rotting. However, this is not necessary. Dipping the stalk-end in rooting hormone first is also optional. Keep the soil moist by misting it with water. You may want to cover the pot with a plastic bag to conserve moisture. Be patient. The stalk may root in as little as 2 to 3 weeks, but you may have to wait for several months before you see signs of new growth. Once you do, repot the rooted crown into a 1-gallon container filled with a well-drained growing medium.

Start fertilizing the crown once a month during the active growing season. Keep the pot outdoors during the summer and bring it inside for the winter. The crown should stay in this gallon-size pot for at least 1 year. After that you can move the plant to a 5-gallon container filled with well-drained soil and a bit of compost or well-rotted manure. Always keep the soil moist, but not wet. After yet another season (a total of 2 to 3 years time since planting), watch for small blue flowers. Three to 4 months after they appear you should have a pineapple.

Patience is the key to successfully growing a pineapple plant. It often takes two years or more for a plant to bear fruit in peak growing conditions. The pineapple is a tropical plant so it can be severely damaged by freezing temperatures. During the summer months, the plant can be placed outdoors without too much worry. During the winter, keep the plant indoors near a sunny window. Water the soil lightly once a week.

Many people have had success with a pineapple house plant. One of the biggest problems is getting the plant to produce fruit. If the plant is two years old and has not flowered (the flower precedes the fruit), you can force fruit the plant by putting the plant and pot into a plastic bag with an apple. Move the bag to a shady spot and leaves it for three or four days.

Put the plant back in the sun. After a few months, a red cone should appear followed by blue flowers and eventually a fruit. It takes about six months for the fruit to fully develop.

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Today I ate at Chevys and had the Prickly Pear Margarita....my favorite there.  
**Prickly Pear**  
Prickly pear juice, Sauza Hornitos Reposado and Tuaca