How To Regrow A Pineapple From Crown

I’m betting you all are just dying to know how to propagate and grow your own pineapple right?! LOL Well even if you’re not, Im gonna tell you how anyway! If you’re already buying a pineapple, why not take the crown and plant a new one...it only takes about three years to produce its first fruit! Yes, three years. I didn’t find this out until about year in. I kept getting excited, and telling myself “any day now, I can feel it’s about to sprout”, while rubbing my hands together with a grin. Nope. Not even close. Well I’m about 18 months in, and my crown is still going strong. And it’s huge now! 

So why take the time to grow a pineapple that takes three years to even sprout?! Because it’s fun...pretty to look at throughout its growing stages, and it’s easy! Plus, you’ll eventually be rewarded with the fruits of your labor! My oldest son also loves to help me with all my projects and experiments, so it’s a fun activity to do with the kids. AND my kids are more willing to try their fruits and veggies more when they’re growing them themselves!

All you have to do is save the crown of a pineapple you buy from a grocery store. Twist off the crown, and make sure you cut off any remaining fruit because it molds, and peal off the first couple layers of leaves. Let the crown callus over for a couple of days, then I like to root my plants in water. You can read all about water propagation in my previous post Water Propagation 101. 

pineapple roots…

one week vs two months

Once your pineapple has calloused, I like to place mine in a mason jar. Fill the water just enough to submerge the the bottom half of the crown’s stem. I love watching the roots grow, and the mouth of the jars are just wide enough for the crowns to fit without falling in. 

I had roots maybe a week later. The proper propagation specialist would probably tell you to plant it now because like I mentioned in my previous post, the roots might have a hard time adjusting to soil if it’s left in water. But I haven’t had this problem yet, so I like to let mine root for awhile. 

When you’re ready, plant it in a pot! I used palm and cactus soil because that’s all I had on hand, and it’s been working perfectly fine. Then I kept mine inside because I think it was fall or winter when I planted it. They thrive in tropical weather, so if you live in a colder place, keep your pineapple inside. During the spring I repotted it in a bigger pot and put it outside. I’ve been watering it once a week, and now it’s about 2 1/2-3ft wide! So I’m assuming it’s thriving...lol?! I have a year or so before I can expect it to sprout, but I didn’t want to wait that long to share this with you guys. It’s definitely one of my favorite plants to look at at the moment, and it’s a great conversation starter when people come to visit. Everyone is shocked when they find out I’m growing a pineapple in my front yard! 

So if you’ve done this before, I’d love to hear your experience and any tips you can offer. How long did it take for your pineapple to sprout? Leave them in the comments below!