Pineapple - Crowning Achievement

Crowning achievement Pineapples aren't typically grown from seeds, but by planting the top of an existing fruit. It usually takes 2-3 years for a new pineapple plant to mature.--outdoorhappens.com

You read it first in this week’s The Factory in Guide magazine. 

Do you like pineapple? I love it in the summer - it's very refreshing! But I have never tried to grow one.  In Hawaii they have fields and fields of them. They seem to really grow well there. In fact, the Dole Food Company has a plantation on Wahiawa, Oahu, as the climate is very pleasing for the plants to grow.

Although it is one of the more acidic fruits, it is packed with great nutrients. It is a great source of antioxidants, with longer lasting antioxidant effects. Also a very good source of fiber, pineapple may aid in digestion, support iron absorption, promote faster healing after injury, help relieve arthritis symptoms, and help support the immune system with essential vitamins and minerals.

There are at least three ways to try to grow a pineapple plant. You can collect seeds from a previous fruit, use the crown top from a previous fruit, or use little plants spawned from the mother plant.

When growing pineapples, remember that their roots do not like to stay wet. In fact, they like similar soil conditions as cacti: well drained and on the dry side, but with an acidic pH of 4.5-6.5. To determine when to water, the soil should be dry and you should check inside the junctions where the leaves meet the plant. If there is water in those little pockets, then skip watering. If there is no water, then water over the top of the plant. Fertilize monthly with a balanced liquid fertilizer (5-5-5, 10-10-10, etc.) mixed according to the manufacturer's directions, and showered over the plant just like a normal watering.

Pineapple plants need ample space, about five feet between plants if growing in-ground or three to five feet in containers. They also grow best in lots of sun (at least 6 hours per day).

If you want to try starting a plant from the crown of an existing pineapple, make sure it is very ripe and either cut off the leafy top part, along with an inch or two of the pineapple's meat, or twist the top off. Remove the lower half dozen or so leaves from the bottom of the green shoot, then set it aside and allow it to "cure," or dry out, for about a week. 

Set the top in a shallow bowl of warm water. Change the water every few days, and observe as roots grow over the next few weeks. Then plant the cured pineapple top in a 10-inch pot filled with a coarse potting mix, and fertilize it with a balanced liquid fertilizer (shower the liquid right over the top). The plant will grow indoors like a tropical houseplant with moderate light and can be moved outdoors in warm weather. 

Remember, it usually takes 2-3 years for a new pineapple plant to mature. Either way, it would be fun to try this together as a family and see what comes of it.