How to Grow Your Own Pineapple

Every pineapple you eat can be propagated to grow another one. Growing your own is fun and rewarding, plus you get a free pineapple!

Emma
29 January 2015

Did you know that you can grow your own pineapple tree from the green bit you usually cut off and throw away? It’s pretty easy too, here’s how.

You will need:

1 x Pineapple
1 x Jar
1 x Pot
Water
Soil

Step 1. Cut the top of the pineapple off, just below where the leaves start. Or you can twist it off by carefully grasping the lowest part of the leaves and twisting until it pops off.

Step 2. Remove some of the leaves from the bottom, this is so leaves at the base will not be sitting in water.

Step 3. Fill your jar with water and place the pineapple top in the jar of water so that the base -- but not any leaves -- are submerged. Let the leaves balance the pineapple in the jar. The leaves will rot if they are touching the water. Keep the plant away from hot areas, such as sunny windows. Let the roots grow for about three weeks.

Step 4. After substantial roots have appeared, fill a pot 3/4 full with potting soil. Bury the roots and bottom part of the plant in the soil.

Step 5. Keep the soil moist, but not wet, placing the pot in a sunny warm spot.

It can take a couple of years before it fruits but the plant itself has wonderful long green leaves. They usually only produce one good fruit, I have heard of the plants producing a second fruit but it’s rarely as good as the first.

Happy Growing!

Comments (9)

Pineapple Pups
I am wondering if our friend who has many pups cuts and replants these infants.No? We have harvested our first pineapple (grown from a top) which was large, full flavoured and now with Hoselink instruction is in water with tassles of roots ready to go in to soil I will pot this one and keep it away from frost for a while. We have more plants growing in both pots and veggie patch to harvest next year. Thanks Hoselink for all your good products and this site.
Trevor, 2 May 2016

Pineapples in Sydney
I have several pineapples in pots with two flowering at the moment. I got them from tops which I planted in pots filled with soil from my garden. Once I realized that they had rooted and were growing OK I placed the pots under a tree in my front yard and never did anything to them as they seem to require little water and get some nourishment from the leaves that fall off the tree. It took several years for them to start bearing fruit, but as they are also a decorative plant that is quite acceptable to me. I live in South West Sydney where during winter we have frost.
Peter, 21 February 2016

One pineapple top to 34 pineapples
I have been growing pineapples for a few years, I don't find necessary to place the top in water, all I do is pull the first three rows of leaves to expose the root nodules and let it dry for a couple days, I have thrown tops that I don't want on to a pile of old grass clippings with a bit of rain off they go, like all bromeliads they like to watered from the top, I've never used pineapple tops since I use only pups which I get between three to ten from each pineapple, this year I had 34 pineapples average of 2 kg to 4 kg. Next year crop will have to wait, complete tear of my, quad tendon will slow down my gardening for awhile. I started growing them in large shrub tubs, I use a cheap potting mix, I fill the tub half full then add chicken, blood and bone wetting agent. then add 50mm more of potting mix, mix the fertilizer and potting mix together, then put another 100mm of potting on top, sprinkle some wetting agent on top water in well, push the pineapple top in to the soil and water with some seasol and water once a week just to keep the soil moist, when the plant gets about 600mm tall I give it a hand full slow release citrus fertilizer and potash this promotes flower growth. Happy pineappling
Bill , 14 February 2015

Sydney Pineapples
My daughter has been growing pineapples successfully from store bought fruit for some years. They are in a sandy soil with a wattle tree (acid) overhanging. Takes 2 years and fruit each year beyond.
Margaret, 3 February 2015

Pineapple growing
My daughter and son in law were given two tops to grow from a friend. They grew beautifully and the fruit was just delicious. It now has another pup nearly ready to pick. They were so sweet and quite large fruit. They are definatly going to put some more in.
Margaret Taylor, 3 February 2015