How to Sprout a Pineapple Plant

Growing a pineapple plant from the top of a pineapple is a fun experiment for kids and a great project for adults. There are a few ways to grow a pineapple plant from a pineapple. The following is the easiest method. Even young children can attempt this as a science experiment.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pineapple
• Knife
• Potting soil
• Pot
• Water
• Fertilizer
• Warm environment

1. Choose a pineapple from the produce aisle in a grocery store. Pick one that is firm and yellow (not greenish) with green leaves (not yellow or brown).

2. Grab the crown of the pineapple and cut the top off with a sharp knife. Make sure that the knife goes 2 inches down into the fruit.

3. Purchase moist, sandy potting soil and a medium-sized pot from a grocery or department store. Fill the pot with the potting soil. Make sure you fill it up loosely. Do not pack the potting soil.

4. Place the top of the pineapple into the potting soil. Cover the bottom of the fruit loosely with the soil.

5. Wet the soil once weekly, but don't saturate it. Spray the leaves once a week with water so they don't dry out. Fertilize the soil about once a month.

6. Place your plant in a warm environment. A pineapple plant thrives in warm climate. Freezing temperatures will kill the plant. Move it indoors if you live in an area where the winters are cold. Make sure it gets at least 6 hours of bright light each day.

Tips & Warnings

• You can test a pineapple to see how ripe it is at the store. If you can pull off a leaf just by gently tugging, it is overripe. Don't choose a pineapple that is too ripe for this project.
• Your pineapple plant should grow to be about 24-inches tall in approximately 2 years.
• You can also grow roots on the stalk before planting it by carefully tearing off just the stalk. Trim the leaves about an inch up from the bottom. Place the stalk in a glass of water and change the water every few days. In 3 weeks you will have enough root growing from the stalk to plant.

[lynninnc]

on 12/29/2007 You might want to do some more research on this. All of the fruit needs to be sliced away from the crown and the roots exposed--otherwise the whole thing will just rot. Then you place the stem of the crown in water to root it first before you plant it.