How to grow a pineapple from its crown - the ultimate fruit scraps planting hack
Use what you would ordinarily throw out to grow a whole new plant
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Pineapples are one of our favourite tropical fruits. And if, like us, you’ve ever wondered whether or not you can grow your own pineapples, did you know that it was possible to grow a pineapple from its own top?
How to grow a pineapple from a top
There are a number of steps to follow and while it may not be the quickest of processes, it is a fun and inexpensive gardening hack to try out.
What you’ll need
- A healthy pineapple
- A sharp knife
- Good quality soil; try this Westland Houseplant Potting Mix from Amazon
- A mason jar
- A larger pot or container
Step-by-step
1. Select a healthy pineapple
Firstly, select a good pineapple for planting. It should have healthy-looking bright green leaves and there should be no signs of insects or disease.
Next, check that it is ripe enough to be planted. Look at the gold colour that forms from the base upwards. The more gold, the riper it is. Most supermarket pineapples will be suitably ripe for planting.
2. Cut the top off your pineapple
Once you’ve enjoyed and consumed the pineapple in question, it’s time to cut the top off of the tropical fruit, which is also known as the crown. Aiming for around 2cm below the leaves tends to be an ideal spot, according to the experts.
‘Remove some of the lowest leaves, helping the pineapple become less dense,’ LeisureBench's garden expert Steve Chilton recommends. Then ‘trim the bottom of the pineapple far enough so that the root buds are visible.’
3. Let the pineapple crown/top dry out
Depending on the temperature of where you lay your crown to help dry it out, it can take anywhere from one to two days up until a week for it to fully dry out.
To do this, you’ll want to lay it on its side somewhere that gets direct sunlight. A windowsill could be a good spot, if you have the space.
4. Choose your growing method
Growing a pineapple from a top is possible both by water propagation and soil propagation. So, it's really your own personal preference when it comes to which method you opt for.
But here are the exact steps for each of the distinct methods:
Water propagation
When propagating by water, you’ll want to fill an empty glass jar with warm water and place the crown in with the remaining leaves sticking out of the top.
During this process, keep the crown out of direct sunlight and change the water every other day. You should see roots coming through after a week or so.
Don’t be discouraged if you see the leaves of your pineapple top start to dry out or turn brown during this process, this is completely normal.
Once it’s ready to be planted, choose a pot or container with enough space for the roots to grow.
Soil propagation
If you decide on soil propagation instead, you’ll need to plant the pineapple top or crown in some good-quality soil, making sure that you cover it up to the base. It’s also important to choose a container or pot which will allow for future root growth. Then place the container or plant pot in indirect sunlight. And don’t forget to keep it well-watered to stop the burgeoning plant from drying out.
‘Once the plant starts growing fresh roots, you must allow it to get around 6 hours of sunlight per day. If it's summer when you plant it, you can move it outside but make sure to bring it back in before freezing conditions come in the winter,’ Steve outlines.
How to care for your potted pineapple crown
For each of these methods, once you have planted your crown or top in soil, you'll want to ensure that the soil is consistently moist but never waterlogged. You also don't want to place this particular plant in direct sunlight either.
After 8 weeks or so, you should begin to see signs of new leaf growth at the centre of the plant.
FAQ
How long will it take to produce fruit?
In a similar way to how to grow a plum tree from a stone, it'll be a little while before your pineapple plant is producing fruit. In the case of pineapples, this could be 2-3 years before the fruiting takes place.
Steve concurs, ‘continue to monitor and keep watered until the pineapple flowers. This could be a couple of years, as they are slow-growing plants, and will grow even more slowly in the UK climate.’
Your pineapple plant will also likely outgrow its pot several times as it begins to get bigger, so this is something to bear in mind as it will need repotting at regular intervals. When doing so, make sure to cut away any old or dried-up leaves as and when necessary.
