How to Propagate a Pineapple Plant
A pineapple is one of the easiest exotic plants to grow at home. Though it originated in the Americas, this delicious fruit has a long tradition of being grown around the world in large part because of its ease of propagation. With just a little work, you can start a pineapple plant at home. It makes a beautiful house plant with its long, spiked, silvery green leaves. If you're fortunate, it may even flower and produce another pineapple. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Sprouting the Crown
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1
Get a pineapple. The pineapple should be fresh, with a good crown of leaves on top. Pull a few of the individual leaves. If they don't come loose easily, you have a good pineapple for propagation.
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2
Cut the crown from the pineapple with about one inch of fruit attached.
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3
Slice the fruit from the crown a little at a time until you notice little root buds around the outer edge of the flesh.
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4
Remove about one inch of leaves from the base of the crown by folding them forward, then stripping them off the crown. You will notice little bumps around the base of the crown. These are called primordia and will be the starting point of the plant's roots. Set the prepared crown aside to air dry for a few days.
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5
Place the base of the crown, after it is dry, in a glass and cover the base with water, ensuring the primordia are under water. Place the crown and glass in an area away from sun or cold. Allow the crown to sit for about two weeks.
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6
Examine the crown for roots. If they have formed, you are ready to plant the crown.
Planting the Crown
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7
Place one to two inches of small rock in the bottom of an 8-inch flower pot. Fill the rest of the pot with potting soil mixed with perlite.
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8
Place the pineapple plant where it will get plenty of sun, around 6 to 8 hours each day. Room temperature is perfect for your new plant. Plant the crown by putting the base in the soil and pressing it around the plant.
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9
Water your plant as it grows, keeping the soil damp, but not wet. Move your plant outside during the summer months to get more sun.
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10
Feed your pineapple plant with diluted liquid fertilizer for the first two months. After that, you can use full strength fertilizer.
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