Jack Daw

Pineapples are tropical fruit, I'm afraid, that if you want to grow it in soil all year long in zone 9, it will have small chances (needless to say that it likes humid conditions as well...) of survival.

It can be propagated by seeds, that however you can't find in the pineapples from grocery stores.
These seeds only evolve, when there are genetically different plants pollinating each other. However, plantains in tropical countries usually have large fields of the same pollinator and thus, the plants create sterile fruit. Sometimes tiny seeds can be found in the fruit though.
The seeds lose their viablity even faster than those of bananas.

Propagation in countries such as your and mine can be done via the center green part of the pineapple. After you have eaten the pineapple, peel the bottom part of the green center of the fruit (remove the leaves and let there be a solid yellow to white tissue about 3cm long) and let it dry in a glass for about a week (if you don't let it dry, it will rotten or dry out and not make roots).
Keep it in the glass in such a way, that the peeled part points downwards, is completely in the air and doesn't touch the glass. After those 7 days, put it in the pot and wait for a very long time. I usually also put some plastic bag or PET cut in the middle over it, to keep it humid inside.

Pics below, to demonstrate, how a rooted example looks like. It's about 5 months since I have began drying it out. Slow gorwer, because I keep it in low lights...

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ewitte

Mine came from the grocery store

How to Grow a Pineapple Top Indoors

I'm in zone 9b (or is it a?) so even during the winter I can probably just take the pot inside at night and back out during the day 90% of the time.

john_ny

They root quite easily from the tops. I've found that the best way to get the top off, is to just twist it off. This way, you don't get flesh coming with it (which would just rot, unless you cut it off.) Then, peel off most of the lower small leaves. Sometimes, especially on the "Golden" variety, you will find little half inch roots already there. Otherwise just stick them in some moist potting mix, and you'll have roots in a few weeks. I even rooted them in just a cup of plain water.
You can also grow them from seeds, but it takes forever. Supposedly, pineapples must be pollinated by a hummingbird. There are no hummingbirds in Hawaii, and it's illegal to bring them in: they don't want seeds in their pineapples. However, the fruits we get around here (New York area) come, mostly, from Central America, or the Caribbean, and they have hummingbirds there so, sometimes, we find some seeds. They are about the size and shape of sesame seeds, only darker, and are found right under the surface.
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The round thing, in the center, is a dime.

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John

sunfish

Home Depot here in San Diego has pineapple plants with fruits the size of baseballs on them.I believe they were about $13.00.

NANAMAN

Updated pics of pineapple patch:

Pernambuco

Pernambuco

Daca

Natal Queen

Sarawak

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alpha010

Those look great and tasty Brian! So, when am I gettin one?? lol

Shaggy

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austinl01

Beautiful plants and fruit! Love the looks of those red pineapples.

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Austin
Arkansas River Valley

Average January Low: 31°F, Average August High: 92°F
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damaclese

i just wanted to report that i did the pineapple top thing in the water technique i now have four pineapple plants growing i potted them up in cacti mix they seem to like this i do have to water daily here in the desert but surprisingly the lack of humidity doesn't seem to be a draw back they growing pretty fast about 1" a week is that good? i think in ground would be the best but I'm not sure they would survive zone 9 is any one had success in starting them? i used some fruit tree food on them thats a 5-6-4 with microsomal bacteria they really like that or so it seems.

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ewitte

I just found a baby growing on mine as well.

alpha010

Mine is growing good, showing signs of stress from the chilly nights but still hanging in there. No suckers on it yet though.

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NANAMAN

Here's a few updated pics.

Natal Queen

Pernambuco

Sarawak

Dacca

A few new ones

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ewitte

Update same plant

Banana Gallery - Pineapple Plant

NANAMAN

Unfortunately, the pineapple plants I purchased online, labeled Pernambuco, are not Pernambuco plants. I did however ID them as a wild red pineapple! Anyway, they aren't what I wanted, so they have been removed . I emailed the ebay seller a few days ago, but have gotten no response yet! I don't know what they could do to make it right,( 2 yrs. of growing the wrong variety ), as I don't want anything else! Guess that's the chance you take when ordering off of ebay.

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Worm_Farmer

Oo man, I ordered from the same place. Was the fruit any good?

damaclese

i got min from the tops i salveged from the grocre store they were marked as golden so im thinking thats what they are LOL there about 12" tall now i started them in May they dont seem to mind the heat or low humidity as a mater of fact they have put out some pups too

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NANAMAN

I never tasted them, but they are said to be seedy and not sweet. They don't smell good enough to put in your mouth, but that makes sense, they aren't cultivated for table fruit.

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Worm_Farmer

That really stinks man, I have been loving how good and fast mine or growing but know I cant eat them makes me want to just throw them away. I feel bad you wasted all that time and nutrients to find out it was something you did not want at all.

sbl

I grew one from a top I cut off a pineapple--I also got a few seeds that started, but I lost them when I took them outdoors. The fruit I got was delicious and it sent up 4 pups that I have now gotten pretty close to fruiting size--I am hoping for some flowers soon. The flowers on mine were purple--does anyone know if all pineapple flowers are purple?

ArchAngeL01

how long till fruit to grow from the grocery store tops???

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Brad

sbl

Mine was about 19 months to bloom and another 4 to ripen.