How to Plant a Leftover Pineapple Top and Grow an Endless Supply of Delicious Fruit

You can grow a pineapple from its crown—yes, really. So before you toss that spiky top in the trash, consider giving it a second life as your very own tropical plant. With a bit of patience, this simple project can turn into something surprisingly rewarding (and delicious).

Ready to try it yourself? We asked gardening experts to share exactly how to grow a pineapple from a store-bought fruit—from rooting the crown to harvesting your homegrown prize.

Preparation

Start by using a sharp knife to cut off the very top of a pineapple, leaving most of the leaves and crown intact.

Before planting, make sure to remove every last piece of flesh, says Laura Irish-Hanson, a horticulture educator at the University of Minnesota. This may mean that you need to peel off a few of the lower leaves.

This step is important because remaining flesh may cause the crown to rot, and your plant may die once it has been planted. Another way to do this, according to Robert Paull, a professor of tropical agriculture at the University of Hawai'i, is to let the top of the fruit dry for a few days. Then, remove any excess flesh before planting.

Planting

Pineapple plants tend to have very shallow roots and don't develop an extensive root system, says Paull. As a result, to prevent the plant from falling over, Irish-Hanson recommends growing the crown in a heavier pot made from a sturdy material, such as terracotta. You can also mix sand into the soil to add more weight.

As for the soil itself, Irish-Hanson suggests a coarse, bark-filled potting mix—or anything that isn't too fine, such as a germination mix or seed-starting soil. The container itself needs to be well-draining, with sufficient holes to prevent the soil from becoming too wet.

Finally, when planting the crown, don't bury the leaves, says Irish-Hanson—otherwise, they will rot. If all goes well, you should start to see roots developing within 2 to 3 weeks.

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Care Instructions

Getting roots to appear is one thing, but you'll need to give your pineapple crown the proper care in order for it to one day bear fruit. Here's everything you need to know.

Sunlight

As a tropical fruiting plant, pineapples need strong sunlight—about six to eight hours a day—in order to grow.

When growing the plant indoors, you can try to use LED lights for the winter months, but Irish-Hanson warns that they may not be strong enough to simulate the sunlight that pineapple plants need to bear fruit. "You have to get them within one to two inches of the LED lights for it to be strong enough," she says.

Temperatures

Pineapples will die quickly if the temperature gets too far below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, says Paull, so don't be too eager to move them outside in spring. If you suspect it's going to be too cold, or even a bit chilly, then bring your pineapple indoors for the night.

Watering

Pineapples are tropical, but they're used to drier conditions, and they won't tolerate soggy soil—otherwise they'll rot quickly.

"Water them every week or so, depending on the potting mix, how wet it is, and how wet you've kept it," says Paull. If you're growing a pineapple in a windy area of your garden, then Irish-Hanson recommends monitoring the pot to make sure it doesn't dry out too quickly.

Fertilizer

Paull recommends using a slow-release fertilizer around the base of the plant when planting. You can also try foliar fertilizer every four to six weeks, depending on the plant's size.

Harvesting

It can take 16 to 36 months for a pineapple crown to bear fruit, though the exact time will depend on where you're growing it. "In some northern parts of the US, they've got to survive the winter," says Paull.

Pineapple plants flower during shorter, tropical days, says Paull. You'll know when one is flowering "because it has these really beautiful bracts at the center," adds Irish-Hanson. The bracts are typically vibrant and multicolored, contrasting beautifully with the green leaves. Once these start to develop, it will take five to seven months for the fruits to ripen.

To harvest the fruits, you'll want to wear very thick gloves, says Irish-Hanson, as pineapple leaves can be razor sharp. Make sure to use a sharp knife, too. "Be very careful, because you're not cutting a piece of fruit against a cutting board," she says. "It's in the open air. So always cut away from yourself."