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It is possible to take a store bought pineapple and cut the top off of it, and plant the top. Pineapples are bromeliads, and the fruit is essentially a flower that grows out of the middle of the plant. The time it takes to get a pineapple to bear fruit is usually at least two years.

ROOTING IN WATER:

After allowing the fruit to dry, one way to root the pineapple top is by putting it in water. The water should be quite shallow. It only needs to be deep enough to cover the bottom area of the core where the top will start to grow roots. It will be necessary to refresh the water every few days.

Make sure that the water doesn't touch any of the foliage because that can cause the leaves to rot. The roots will start to grow from the sides of the core. As is the case with most bromeliads, it won't develop a very deep root system.

PREPARING TO PLANT

After cutting the top off of a pineapple, clean the area so that it's as free of fruit as you can get it. The key to successfully growing a pineapple is to allow the top to dry for one or two days before planting it. One of the reasons people aren't successful with growing pineapples is because they don't allow the top to dry. As a result, the the stump may begin to rot before it has a chance to grow. Make sure that all the food stuff is removed from the top and around the core area.

PLANTING

When planting the pineapple top in soil, it is important to use soil that will drain properly. If the soil is too dense and holds too much water, the bromeliad will rot. Start the pineapple out in an 8 inch clay pot. Clay pots absorb extra water, and for plants that like to stay dry, they are ideal, if not preferable. Eventually the plant will outgrow the 8 inch pot, and will need to be transplanted into a 12 inch pot. That should be the largest size pot that the plant will need.

The soil should be a good draining soil. It is okay to use a commercial potting soil or a light garden soil. Mix garden soil with organic matter to make sure that the soil drains properly. If necessary, add some Perlite to the soil. Before putting the soil in the pot, put a shard of a broken pot in the bottom. That will hold the soil in and improve the drainage. Add a layer of very course gravel before filling the pot with soil.

It is also possible to grow a pineapple in water, but with water, it is necessary to add nutrients to replace what the water lacks. A hydroponic fertilizer that contains all the necessary plant nutrients will work. Treat the pineapple top as

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