Pineapple
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Posted: Jan/23/2006 3:50 PM PST
My mom managed to find a pineapple at the store with its complete top. We cut it up for the kids last night and I am going to try to grow the top. Dont know if this late of season one will work though. My mom and brother did one several years ago and it grew. They got one pineapple off of it before they gave it to my grandma. She got 3 or 4 off of it (or its suckers) before she over loved it (over watered it) and killed it. They had started theirs in water. The stuff I looked up says to start them in dirt. Anyone ever do either method before? |
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Posted: Jan/23/2006 9:50 PM PST
Well, i love doing it, because the kids get a kick out of it. Ok Ok, so i get a kick out of it also  . Im not sure exactly, but i think it took about 2 years to get the fruit. Im in new york, so I have to take it in during the winter months , and try to keep it alive. I had many problems years ago, because I never removed all the fruit from the bottom, so it would get moldy, smell and rot. That is when i removed all the fruit, and peeled away the bottom few leaves, to creat like a 'stem', which was easily submerged in the water. The plants actually get very big in the summer.larry |
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Posted: Jan/23/2006 9:50 PM PST
Larry, I have a question for you. Mine still had the fruit on it in the water (somehow my brother managed to get one to grow roots like that but had several rot so I guess he just got lucky with the one). So I took the fruit off and peeled a few layers of leaves off. On the bottom most layers where the leaves were, I see something kind of like roots only they were brown and flat. Is that normal? A couple are about 1 1/2-2 inches long. They are somewhat curved around the plant to where you couldnt of seen them with the leaves on. |
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Posted: Jan/23/2006 10:12 PM PST
From what I remember, the roots were whitish looking. At first, they looked like little white 'nubs' on the stalk. But after a few weeks of developement, they got as long as 3 or 4 inches, with little 'hair like' roots stemming from the main roots. there were probably about 8 - 10 main roots from tbe stem. When, i transplanted the pineapple, it was very hardy. It didnt mind the change from water to soil at all. Its been 2 or 3 years since I did this, so im basing everything off my memory (which is always a little questionable) larry |
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Posted: Jan/23/2006 9:13 PM PST
Let us know how you do with it KK. Larry- how long does it take from the starting stage to the fruit bearing stage? |
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Posted: Jan/23/2006 9:14 PM PST
Great photos Larry - thanks for sharing |
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Posted: Jan/23/2006 9:13 PM PST
here are pics of 1) Roots starting to form on the submerged pineapple plant 2) The pineapple starting to emerge from the center of the plant 3) The baby pineapple Attachments:    |
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Posted: Jan/23/2006 8:59 PM PST
Ive done this many times. I always have started mine in water. I make sure i get all of the fruit off of the top. I submerge about an inch or 2 of it in water. Make sure you check the water each day, because as it evaporates, the level will drop.. After a few weeks, you will noticably see the roots develope. At that time, i transplant the plant in dirt. good luck, larry |
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Posted: Jan/26/2006 9:30 PM PST
This is just FAR too cool! I love growing things from seed (I used to grow an avacado with every pit my mom ever had - I dont like avacadoes!). I'd do the stick the toothpicks in it and suspend it over water thing. They never "bushed out" or lived long. But to try a pineapple. WOW! Next time I go to the grocery store, I am gonna buy a pineapple for sure. So, one question. What do you mean when you found one with "a complete top"? And I don't usually buy pineapple (I like it, but it is alot for one person to eat!) so, please excuse my igorance. I just want to verify.... Cut the top off, with a bit of the fruit, then, to get rid of the fruit, can I cut around the green top part? then pull a few leaves off, so I have what larry has in his first picture? Is that the "look" I'm aiming for? I never thought of trying a pineapple!!! |
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Posted: Jan/27/2006 3:52 PM PST
From what I understand (anyone feel free to correct me if I am wrong) some places cut the very top out of the pinapple and they won't grow. That is just what I always heard and I know my mom and brother always look for ones that havent had the very center cut out of the top. Question about mine--not sure if it going to make it or not. Should it look like the leaves are dying? |
