Saturday, October 13, 2012

How To Start a Pineapple Plant from a Cut-Off Top

I dug a Cut-Off  Top from a Pineapple out of the Kitchen Trash - after my Daughter left the room! Then I found a Gallon Coffee Can, filled it with 1/3 water.   I plunked the Pineapple Top into the water.  I Set the Top in Semi-Shade on my Patio and waited.for a couple weeks. When I pulled the Pineapple Top out and looked, the bottom was rotting a little but the Top looked good except for a few brown tipped leaves around the outside. No roots. Just a little rotting matter at the bottom. . I rinsed  most of the loose matter off under a faucet and set the Pineapple Top back in the water. Admittedly, I was kind of loosing patience with this project!
  Finally, about 2 weeks later, checking the water level;  I notice several short thick white roots growing out of the center.of the mass at the bottom.I set the plant back in the water and waited a few more weeks.

About the 6th week after starting this project, The roots were over an inch (2 Cm.) long. I cut off a few yellow tips of outer leaves with a kitchen shears.and then decided it was time to put into soil. The Plant was plunked  into a three-gallon (10 liter) bucket with my regular soil mix. The plant is flourishing. Take a look. Even the Cut-Off leaves are healing and regrowing.


  Our new Pineapple Plant is doing fine in the Blue Painted, three gallon "Budweiser Bucket". One of my kids won The bucket in a heated Texas Hold'm Poker Tournament!  It was very pretty but pretty useless.  ( I "borrowed"it ).  To the Right in the White Bucket is a Wild Garlic Plant.  On the far backside,  barely visible, is a small Blue Easter Bunny bucket with Onion Chives.

Since we are in Zone 6B, a Pineapple Plant cannot survive outside through our winters.   It starts to look sickly at about 40 degrees. It has to be put in a heated greenhouse or brought indoors where it is Warm and can get lots of Warm Southern Window Light or  a good Plant Light to flourish during the cold months ahead. I will set the Pineapple Plant Outside again when the temperatures - both Day and Night are at least above 60-F (10 Centigrade). Usually in May in the Cooler States. Why not grow a pineapple Plant from that Pineapple Top that landed in your Kitchen Trash. It's Free, It's easy. And it's fun! 


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Cheers!

Bob
GrandBobs Garden
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