Pineapple, a member of the bromeliad family (Ananas comosus), is easy to grow in your home garden if you have a warm climate with plenty of sun exposure. Pineapple is a very hardy plant that tolerates a variety of weather and soil conditions.
Native to South America, the pineapple became famous 500 years ago and quickly became a commercial crop in many warm climates around the world.
Pineapples are generally not grown from seed. Instead, they are grown from suckers and cuttings of adult plants, or by growing pineapple fruit crowns.
You’ll find many articles on the Internet that explain step by step how to grow pineapples from the canopy. I’ve tried many variations, from rooting in a glass of water to letting it dry for weeks. In fact, different techniques work.
I have found pineapples to be very easy to grow and the details of how or where they are grown are not important. If you want a tasty pineapple, plant a canopy of the pineapple you like to eat. If you want a vigorous, healthy plant, start with a vibrant, healthy canopy.
Time required: 500 days.
How To Grow A Pineapple At Home With a Crown
Removing the crown from the pineapple
Choose pineapples with healthy, uncut crowns. Twist (don’t cut) the crown, it will come off the pineapple easily.
Remove the lower leaves from the crown
You’ll find many articles on the Internet that explain step by step how to grow pineapples from the canopy. I’ve tried many variations, from rooting in a glass of water to letting it dry for weeks. In fact, different techniques work.
I have found pineapples to be very easy to grow and the details of how or where they are grown are not important. If you want a tasty pineapple, plant a canopy of the pineapple you like to eat. If you want a vigorous, healthy plant, start with a vibrant, healthy canopy.
Time required: 500 days.
Removing the crown from the pineapple
Choose pineapples with healthy, uncut crowns. Twist (don’t cut) the crown, it will come off the pineapple easily.
Remove the lower leaves from the crown
wait for your pineapple to bloom
It takes an average of 18 months for a pineapple canopy to bear fruit. The exact timing depends on when you plant in relation to flowering time. Also, pineapple plants that are in poor condition (too shady, diseased, battered by a lawn mower, etc.) may take an extra year to build flowering strength.
harvest your pineapple
When pineapple ripens, it changes color and develops an intensely sweet flavor. You can leave it in your garden until it is fully established, as the plant has a natural defense against birds. (Though eventually the ants might be interested). Cut the stem just below the base of the pineapple fruit. You can snap off the crown of this fruit and start the whole reproductive cycle all over again!
postharvest management
Many people think that pineapple plants die after harvest. That’s not quite right. The leaves slowly die back, but healthy plants usually develop new growth on top. If you regrow more than 1 stolon, you can leave the healthiest stolon in place and the others can be removed and planted elsewhere. Suckers can also grow from the base of the plant – remove these and replant.
Preparations for Planting Pineapple Crowns
Densely planted pineapple farm
First, you’ll want to pick a pineapple with a healthy-looking crown. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to cut away most of the crown or remove the crown entirely for packaging and shipping.
If you find pineapples with intact crowns, buy as many as you can and plant a few at a time if you have space in your garden.
To remove the crown, grasp it firmly (note the sharp, serrated blade) and twist. The crown should come off the ripe fruit easily. If you’re not sure if you can do it with your bare hands, use gardening mitts, oven mitts, or a dish towel to cover your hand holding the crown.
The reason you should twist the crown instead of cutting it off the fruit is that the crown extends down into the fruit for a short distance. The small roots are almost always already attached to this base of the crown, and the survival and growth rate of the plant will be greatly improved if the base is left intact.
You should let the base of the crown dry out for a few days, because pineapple root rot is real. Then again, it probably doesn’t matter, especially if you’re growing more than 1 pineapple crown.
Plant Pineapple Suckers
Commercially, pineapples are grown from cuttings and saplings harvested from mature pineapple plants. This allows new plants to take less time to mature than planting a canopy.
If you live in an area where pineapples are grown, you can buy pineapples in bulk from farms. Note that good canning varieties are not necessarily good for fresh fruit production.
In my experience, commercial farmers are not interested in selling suckers when wholesale pineapple prices are high.
Right now in my area we have such low prices for pineapples that farmers sell excess pineapples on the side of the road (although they keep the best pineapples for their own use).
