Grow A Beautiful Pineapple Houseplant From A Pineapple Top!
Today as I was cleaning the living room for the quickly approaching holiday of Passover, I let out a little yelp of joy. Why you may ask? Well, to my great surprise I actually succeeded in rooting a mini pineapple top, something I've been meaning to try for years. The thing is that we don't eat pineapple all that often so the opportunity just doesn't arise, but now that I've had success with rooting this mini pineapple top, I'm gonna treat myself to a regular sized pineapple as well, if I happen to see one! And since all things pineapple are all the rage, well this idea is perfect right now.
The idea behind making a nice houseplant using a pineapple top that you would normally discard isn't that one could actually grow pineapples, but rather that one can enjoy growing a tropical plant with nice folliage without spending a dime, well except for some soil possibly. With this in mind, when you buy that pineapple do pick the one with the nicest top, as that will become your plant. And come to think of it, a few pineapple tops in one planter would look great too, right?
How To Grow A Plant From A Pineapple Top:
Cut the top off of your pineapple such that leaves are attached to a base of about 1/2 to 1 inch. The top can be rooted in either soil or water, and apparently it may be easier in soil. I used water and it worked just fine. The main thing is that it takes 6 to 8 weeks to root (I didn't know this and was about to give up…..) so do have some patience. If you root the plant in water, you will then need to plant the rooted top in soil. The plant needs bright light, and can dry out slightly between watering.
Apparently you can get a pineapple top to flower, but it may take a few years. To increase the likelihood of flowering, bury an apple in the soil, or put the plant in a bag with an apple for a few days, and that may help.
That is it! Enjoy this fun way to get some exotic looking houseplants, I certainly plan on it!
Ah yes, and this photo above, that looks like some kind of creature is what the roots look like, pretty great right?
2 Comments
Susan
I grew up in Hawai’i and have grown many pineapple top plants. I always root it in soil and they take off wonderfully.
Sara Rivka
Thanks Susan, I’m going to put this one in soil, and next time I see those overpriced pineapples in my local vegetable store, ( I usually only see them in January when they are imported for our holiday which is all about eating fruit) I’m not going to look at the price I’m going to think of it as my next house plant, ha ha!