After a few weeks I noticed the old leaves seemed to be drying and dying back, but there was new growth coming from the center. Success! I immediately drove to the store and picked up another pineapple, and repeated the process. My original plan was to get a pineapple every week or two until I had 8-10 plants. However, today when I was at HEB getting something else in the produce section, I noticed several pineapple tops and skins in a trash box behind the counter where they chop, juice, and package fresh fruit. I asked if I could have some of the tops. Even though they thought I was crazy at first, they gave me six pineapple tops for free! One person's trash is another person's treasure. I brought them home, and while preparing and planting them, found that almost all had really well developed root initials. I'll move them all to the greenhouse just as soon as I get the drip irrigation system installed. I can't wait to taste a homegrown pineapple!
Pineapple Top I love fresh pineapple, and I had once read that you could grow your own by planting the top of a fresh fruit. Pineapples are tropical and very cold-sensitive, so I never bothered to trying it, but now that I have a greenhouse I'm going to give it a shot. I bought a ripe yellow pineapple from HEB, brought it home, and twisted off the top. While the boys were happily eating the delicious fruit, I was examining the tough leaves. I peeled off several layers of leaves to expose about an inch of the stalk, and found several little brown bumps. These are the root initials, which will develop into the root system of the new pineapple plant. One website I read suggested leaving the top out to dry for a few days, but I didn't. I just planted it in some plain potting soil and watered it in well.
After a few weeks I noticed the old leaves seemed to be drying and dying back, but there was new growth coming from the center. Success! I immediately drove to the store and picked up another pineapple, and repeated the process. My original plan was to get a pineapple every week or two until I had 8-10 plants. However, today when I was at HEB getting something else in the produce section, I noticed several pineapple tops and skins in a trash box behind the counter where they chop, juice, and package fresh fruit. I asked if I could have some of the tops. Even though they thought I was crazy at first, they gave me six pineapple tops for free! One person's trash is another person's treasure. I brought them home, and while preparing and planting them, found that almost all had really well developed root initials. I'll move them all to the greenhouse just as soon as I get the drip irrigation system installed. I can't wait to taste a homegrown pineapple!
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Clayton Bell
I'm a geologist in Houston, Texas who loves growing fruit trees.
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