A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 Rooting a pinapple top

Does anyone know anything about growing a bromelliad from a pinapple? I just thought it would be worth while to ask because I can't tell if mine is working out or not. It's been at least three or four weeks and the only thing I've noticed is at first the tips were continuosly and slowly dying back until After an inch I cut them and since have seemed to stay green. I don't know do the new leaves come out soon or long after. FYI the thing I thought would be a problem was when I planted it I thought I could have made the core too small.
Thanks in advance.

To propagate a pinapple plant, use a fresh pineapple that has healthy leaves on the crown. Twist or cut off the crown (leafy stem) just above the fleshy part of the fruit. Strip away the leaves from the lower inch of the crown. Place the crown in a narrow vase or glass filled with water that will allow the bare stem to stay in contact with the water, but hold the leaves above the water. Place it in a bright spot that is protected from direct sun. Keep the water level in contact with the bare stem at all times. Change the water weekly.

Roots usually appear within a week or two. When the roots are an inch or more long, then put it into a 4 or 6-inch clay pot using a damp soil less, peat-based potting mix. Water thoroughly whenever the top inch of soil feels dry. Gradually increase the light so that it ends up on a sunny windowsill.

Pineapple plants do best in direct sun and warm temperatures (above 60 degrees). If you move yours outside in the summer, introduce it to direct sun gradually over the course of two weeks. You can increase the chance for flowering by keeping it quite potbound in a peat-based potting mix. Water thoroughly whenever the top inch of soil feels dry. Fertilize regularly at half strength when it is in good light and growing vigorously.

Thanks Will I'll keep this one Just incase it works but I think I'll go get a new one and try it that way. If it does flower it will fruit but most likely won't ripen enough to be eaten with out lots of bottom heat am I right?

It sounds interesting, let me know how it goes, I may just try one myself.

I did this a while ago, using the methods that you used, Apples...and had the same thing happen, the tips died back a little bit and then stopped.

I keep it outside whenever possible and it's a bit chilly here in Gainesville, FL right now, and it's on my porch not getting direct sunlight, so it has been very dormant. It has definitely put down roots and seems to be doing well, just not thriving. I am excited to see how it goes this summer.

I think it's starting to root cause I watered it yesterday morning and this morning the soil is dry on top and it usualy stays wet for a few days so maby! When I planted it the bottom leaves were allready dead but were very close to the plant so I didn't cut them. That first week it was quite wet and very wabbaly so I took it out and took of all the dead leaves(this being when I so the core very small and still wet and smelling like pineapple, so I ate it... No, just joking! but it did smell very stongly like pineapple) and replanted it up to the leaves that were ok. So maby now the roots are growing off of the bare stem! (bonzai beginer) I had read that they were very easy to root, I guess as long as you do it properly. They look very cute when first started, like a pineapple if you have the right pot like me! Just out of curiousity where does it fruit from, if it fruits.

It sounds like a very neat experiment, I'll definantly consider it! Btw, I was looking at ivy the other day remembering what you said about it being an easy yet time consuming side project, unfortunatly the leaves were all crumbling and dead.

That's no good. Silly department stores they'll try to sell you weeds if they can get away with it. :p
p.s. At loblaws a cuple days ago they had this huge ivy that had very small leaves and I found a little tiny peice growing on the side of the pot that was kind of loose and now I have a new potential bonzai... Shh don't tell any one.

Oh, lucky. They actually had some nice aboricola's though, only one problem they were about 12 inches high and about the same wide, they were massive!