How to Root a Pineapple Plant

Planting the pineapple crown allows it to grow roots.

The pineapple is a tropical fruiting plant. John Atlee of the Bromeliad Society International writes on the society's website that a pineapple plant can grow up to 4 feet tall and 4 feet wide when given a big enough pot, but smaller pots result in smaller--perhaps more manageable--plants. In general, a rooted pineapple crown will not result in a plant comparable in size to those grown on pineapple plantations. Pineapple plants will flower under the right conditions, and the common grocery store pineapple (Ananas comosus) produces a red stalk with blue flowers.

Things You'll Need

• Pineapple
• Clean, sharp knife
• 8-inch clay pot
• Rooting hormone with mild fungicide
• Potting soil
• Compost
• Water

Instructions

1. Remove the crown--the foliage--by gripping it tightly and twisting it. It should come off fairly easily with a little pineapple flesh attached.

2. Trim the flesh from the base of the crown with a sharp, clean knife. This is extremely important because leftover flesh is often what causes rot.

3. Strip off some of the lower leaves by pulling downward on them and cut the bottom of the crown until you see what the University of Hawai'i at Manoa describes as "small, round structures visible around the perimeter of the stem base." These are young roots. There should be about 3/4 inch of the leafless crown exposed at the base.

4. Place the crown someplace dry and shaded for 5 to 7 days. This will allow the leaf scars to heal and is yet another step in preventing rot.

5. Wet the exposed part of the crown and dip it in a powdered rooting hormone that contains a mild fungicide.

6. Plant the crown in an 8-inch clay pot filled with two parts potting soil and one part compost. Water the soil and keep it moist while the crown develops roots.

7. Place the pot in indirect sunlight for 8 to 10 weeks while the crown grows a healthy root system. After the roots have established, move the pot to a sunny window where the plant will receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also root a pineapple crown in water, but the water must contain additional nutrients. Use a hydroponic fertilizer to supply those nutrients.

References

• University of Hawai'i at Manoa: Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences: How to Grow a Pineapple in Your Home
• Iowa State University Extension: Rooting and Growing a Pineapple
• Bromeliad Society International: Starting a Pineapple Plant From A Pineapple