Image of growing a pineapple at home. Tamarah @Afro and reno is holding a mostly yellow pineapple she grew herself
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Grow pineapple the easy way

ByTamarah

The easiest way to grow pineapples is from a pineapple top. You know, the part you take off before cutting into the delicious fruit! It’s so simple to grow if you are in a warmer climate, but I hear its do-able in colder climates with some planning

Follow along to start your first pineapple plant…and in 2-3 short years you too can grow one pineapple. I know, thats a long time but well worth it for the most delicious pineapple you will ever have!!

Image of growing a pineapple at home. Tamarah @Afro and reno is holding a mostly yellow pineapple she grew herself
My First pineaple

Tools for the Job

What do you need besides patience to grow pineapple?

  • Pineapple top (preferably from organic pineapple)
  • Water
  • Cup
  • Large Planter (for small space growing or if you are in a cold climate)
  • Plant Fertilizer
  • Sunshine

Step 1: Prep pineapple top

Getting your plant ready and getting some nice long roots is the first step in a pineapple plant journey. Removing the top is super simple. I just grab the pineapple top, hold the base of the pineapple and twist.

  • 1: Twist off the top
  • 2: Remove bottom row of leaves
  • 3 Place in a cup of water
  • 4: Change water every couple of days
  • Image of Tamarah @afro and reno removing a pineapple top by twisting
  • Image of Tamarah @afro and reno removing several bottom layers of leaves to reveal the root nubs
  • Image of Tamarah @afro and reno placed the pineapple top in water, infant of it are the leaves she removed and the base of the pineapple ready to cut to eat

NOTE:

Some stores prevent you from being able to plant pineapple tops by cutting them off before you purchase. Some pineapple varieties are patented and illegal for people to grow

Image of a grocery store pineapples which have the tops cut off to prevent people from planting them
Store with pineapple tops cut off

Step 2: Grow some healthy roots

This will take several weeks…to about a month. You want to keep changing the water every couple of days. Making sure there is enough water to cover the bottom part of the pineapple top. Within a couple of days you should see the roots start to come out!

  • Image Tamarah @afro and reno showing the pineapple top root nubs before placing in water
  • Image Tamarah @afro and reno showing the pineapple top root nubs after placing in water one week
  • Image Tamarah @afro and reno showing the pineapple top root nubs after placing in water two weeks
  • Image Tamarah @afro and reno showing the pineapple top root nubs after placing in water three weeks
  • Image Tamarah @afro and reno showing the pineapple top root nubs after placing in water four weeks

Step 3: Plant it in the ground, water

…and possibly forget about it. This is the waiting portion of the pineapple growing process. Sorry to say his can take two to three years before you start seeing fruit! In the meantime you will see the leaves grow long and wide. The plant is getting its roots firmly in the dirt. It is establishing itself and getting all of is nutrients so it can eventually. make the final push to grow a pineapple.

A singular pineapple

In subsequent years you could get pups these are the new off shots to grow fruit year after year that may yield two fruit. However, your first fruit will only yield one.

Side note: If you do get two pups in later years it’s a good idea to separate them so they don’t have to compete with each other for nutrients.

Image of pineapple plant flower sprouting early spring. At first it looks like pink spikes inside of plant. This plant has two
Double Pineapple plant

Alternatively you can also plant your pineapple in a planter. It’s best to do it in a larger planter and make sure it is getting fertilized regularly. In the picture above the planter was too small for even one plant…but with two the growth of the pineapple fruit of both were stunted.

Step 4: The pineapple flower

One spring you will notice a pink alien looking thing in the middle of your pineapple. That is the first formation of the pineapple flower! Congratulations!

Image of Growing pineapple plant in the ground. It gets very big and wide
Image of pineapple plant flower sprouting early spring. At first it looks like pink spikes inside of plant
Image of pineapple plant flower sprouting early spring. At first it looks like pink spikes inside of plant. Flower starts to grow out of the plant
Image of pineapple plant flower sprouting early spring. At first it looks like pink spikes inside of plant. Flower starts to grow out of the plant
Image of pineapple plant flower sprouting early spring. At first it looks like pink spikes inside of plant. This plant has two

Step 4: Fertilize and watch your fruit grow!

This is the best part…watching slowly as the fruit starts forming right before your eyes! At first you have a weird pink alien looking growth come out from the middle of your plant, then slowly you start seeing a pineapple form. The new pineapple top forms, the spikes become the green outer part of the pineapple, it gets bigger and bigger…then finally it’s yellow.

  • Image of a pineapple as the pink spikes give way to forming the fruit. The spikes start to retreat
  • Image of pineapple plant with pineapple forming still green
  • Image of a pineapple turning yellow, the inner parts of the hexagon in the fruit are still green
  • Growing Pineappple image of a pineapple that is very yellow, with a little sunburn brown spot but it is almost ripe
  • Image of Tamarah @afro and reno picking pineapple that is fully ripe

It’s ripe for picking!

Note: Protect your Fruit

While its growing the are lots of wildlife who would love to have some pineapple too! It’s a good idea to start protecting your crop so they don’t get to it. Build a cage, make it hard to get to. As the fruit ripens they can smell it and will munch.

Bird, Squirrels and raccoons are be biggest culprits

Growing Pineappple image of a pineapple completely eaten on the inside by most likely a racoon
Eaten by a raccoon

Store bought plants

It might be tempting to skip the two year process and just buy a store bought plant. These plants a lot of times will have fruit on top making it tempting. The ones I’ve seen at a big box store were super stunted. They are grown in planters too small for them to really be able to thrive and you can tell by their size the fruit will reflect that for the first harvest.

Image of a big box store pinaple plants which look stunted
small, stunted

Finally: Harvest and enjoy your fruit!

When your pineapple plant is ready you will know. It will smell clearly like a pineapple and it will be a nice bright mustard yellow! IT should have no or vey little green on it. Do not pick it before smelling it to be sure.

Pineapples ripen on the plant, they do not continue to ripen once picked.

When it’s ready to pick just twist the fruit off from the plant. You can use the top to create a new planet ensuring you have years of fruit to come. If you can stagger the years you plant them so you can have pineapple each year!

Image of Tamarah @afro and reno cutting up harvested pineapple into spears
Cut and enjoy!

Would you grow pineapple too?

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