Key Points
You can grow pineapples indoors by starting with a ripe fruit top and giving it warm, sunny conditions to root.Use a well-draining pot and slightly acidic soil, and water only when the top third of the mix has dried out.Keep temperatures above 68 degrees Fahrenheit and fertilize lightly every few weeks to help fruit form within two years.
Pineapple is a versatile fruit, as popular in savory dishes as it is in an array of delicious desserts. What you might not know is that it can be grown indoors—as long as you follow the right steps and give it proper care.
Like all fruits, pineapple will need a bit of extra attention when grown indoors. Here, we spoke to experts about how to do it perfectly, so you’ll have delicious harvests in just a few short years.
Nastya Vasylchyshyna, resident botany expert at Plantum
Mark Brewer, president and co-founder at The Living Urn
Best Varieties
There are several pineapple varieties that are better suited for the indoor gardening.
“Dwarf, queen, and sugarloaf pineapples are great if you can find them at speciality or international grocery stores,” says Mark Brewer, president and co-founder at The Living Urn. “The best pineapple variety to propagate that’s most commonly found in American grocery stores is the Smooth Cayenne and its MD-2 hybrid.”
If you don’t want to start your pineapple plant from scratch, then just do a little research. “Dwarf ornamental pineapples can be found at specialty houseplant stores, tropical plant nurseries, or even large garden centers, and make excellent indoor cultivars,” he says.
How to Plant
Credit:
Getty / Geshas
Ready to plant your pineapple at home? Folow these steps:
Choose your fruit: Choose a fresh, ripe pineapple with a healthy green top, free of yellow or dry leaves. “A spoiled, partially rotted one won’t propagate well—or at all,” Brewer warns.
Remove its top: Use a clean, sharp knife to carefully cut off the top, remove some of the lower leaves, and expose about one inch of bare stem. “You want the leafy stem and where it connects to the core of the pineapple,” Brewer says. “Gently peel or pull off the leaves at the bottom or base of the pineapple stem that you’ve cut.”
Let it sit: Place on a clean dish and let it sit undisturbed. “Leave the cutting in a warm place for one to two days to let it dry and heal, which helps prevent rotting.” says Nastya Vasylchyshyna, resident botany expert at Plantum. Avoid putting it in direct sunlight.
Place in water: Fill a clean container with water and place the pineapple cutting inside, making sure only the bare stem base is covered. “Put it in a warm, sunny room,” Vasylchyshyna says. “Replace the water as it evaporates.”
Move to a pot: Roots should appear in about one to two months. Once they reach about one inch in length, you can pot the plant.
Care Instructions
Once your pineapple plant is established, you’ll have to provide it with the right soil, sunlight, and temperature in order for it to thrive.
Container
Choose a container with drainage holes. Pineapples require excellent drainage and light soil to avoid root rot. Look for a container at least 12 inches wide to begin, and keep in mind that you’ll need to repot as your plant grows larger.
Soil
Pineapple thrives in well-drained, slightly acidic soil. You can use a commercial potting mix formulated for bromeliads. “Alternatively, make your own with three parts all-purpose growing medium, two parts orchid bark, two parts perlite, and one part coarse river sand,” Vasylchyshyna says. “The mix should stay crumbly, even when wet.”
Sunlight
Place the plant in a bright location where it can get at least seven hours of daylight. A south or southwest facing window is ideal—or use grow lights if needed.
Water
Water the pineapple abundantly, soaking the soil all the way down. “Give the plant another drink when the growing medium dries by about one-third,” Vasylchyshyna says. “Pineapple tolerates slight drought better than overwatering, and constantly wet soil can cause rot.”
Temperature
Keep the temperature at or above 68 degrees Fahrenheit, and protect the plant from drastic temperature changes and overcooling. “The pineapple prefers high humidity, but tolerates moderate levels,” Vasylchyshyna says. “If it’s very dry in your house, mist the plant regularly, or place a humidifier nearby.”
Harvesting
Patience is key when growing pineapple at home—it only bears one piece of fruit at a time. “About two years after planting, it’ll flower and form fruit, which ripens in six to seven months,” Vasylchyshyna says.
However, you might be able to shave off a few months with consistent fertilizing.
“Go slow and steady with a balanced liquid fertilizer, and you could see fruit in a year and a half to two years,” Brewer says. “Try every four to six weeks, and use slightly less than what’s recommended. It’s better to use less, but more frequently.”
Pineapples don’t get sweeter after harvesting, so pick them only when fully ripe. “Signs of ripeness are a yellow-gold color, a strong sweet smell, and the fruit detaching easily from the plant,” Vasylchyshyna says. “When it’s time to harvest, gently twist and pull the fruit without much effort. If it stays firmly attached, wait a little longer.”
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