How to Plant a Pineapple Top (Step by Step)

To plant a pineapple top, twist the crown off the fruit, pull off the bottom leaves, let it dry for two days, then plant it about 2 inches deep in a free-draining mix or start it in water. That follows CRFG’s advice, and it is how most home gardeners start a pineapple plant. This guide expands on the starting section of our pineapple plant guide with every step, the aftercare and what to expect.

Choose a good pineapple

You are really choosing the top, so pick a fruit with a crown that looks like a healthy plant: a full, green, upright tuft of leaves with no brown, dry or slimy patches. UF/IFAS says that in all cases, the larger the crown, the more rapid the growth and the sooner the plant fruits after planting. Choose the largest, firmest crown you can.

Eat the fruit first, or hand it to someone who will. Our guide on how to cut a pineapple shows how.

How to plant a pineapple top

1. Twist off the crown. CRFG says crowns are removed from store-bought fruit by twisting until the crown comes free. Hold the fruit in one hand, grip the crown firmly with the other and turn it. Do not slice it off with a knife.
2. Strip the bottom leaves. Pull off the lowest leaves, down to a bare stem about an inch long. CRFG says the bottom leaves are removed. This exposes the base, where the roots will grow.
3. Remove any fruit flesh. Rub off any soft, wet pulp stuck to the base of the crown, because it can rot.
4. Let it dry for two days. CRFG says the crown is left to dry for two days. Stand it upright or lay it on a paper towel somewhere dry and out of the sun, so the cut surface seals.
5. Plant it. Set the crown about 2 inches deep (CRFG) in a pot of fast-draining mix, firm the soil around the base and water lightly.
6. Put it in the light. Place it where it gets as much sun as you can give it. UF/IFAS says pineapples grow best in full sun, and growth slows below 60°F (15.5°C).

Soil or water?

CRFG says the prepared crown is planted or started in water. Both work.

If you start in water, keep the leaves out of the water, because wet leaves rot. Pot it up when roots have formed, using the same mix described below.

What potting mix to use

Pineapple likes a well-drained soil that is slightly acidic to neutral. UF/IFAS says plants grow best in sandy loam soils of neutral to mildly acid pH, and CRFG gives a range of 4.5 to 6.5. Use a gritty mix such as cactus mix, or ordinary potting soil with plenty of coarse sand or perlite mixed in. Drainage matters most. UF/IFAS says pineapple plants are not tolerant of excessively or continuously wet soil, and too much water applied too often causes root rot.

What pot to use

Start with a small pot with drainage holes, a size or two bigger than the crown, then move up as it grows. UF/IFAS recommends a 3- to 7-gallon container with drainage holes for a full-size plant, and says a bigger container allows a bigger plant and fruit. Our pineapple plant in a pot guide covers the pot stage.

Aftercare for a new pineapple plant

• Water lightly. Keep the soil only barely moist while the plant establishes. After that, UF/IFAS says to water during dry periods lasting more than 6 or 7 days in hot weather, and every 10 to 14 days in cooler winter months.
• Give it full sun. UF/IFAS says shade reduces plant growth, time to flowering and fruit size and quality.
• Feed lightly. UF/IFAS says young plants should get 1 to 2 oz (28–57 g) or less of fertilizer every 8 weeks, increasing the amount as the plant grows. Mild foliar feeds are also fine.
• Keep it warm. Growth slows below 60°F (UF/IFAS), so bring the pot indoors on cool nights, and well before frost.

You will know the plant has rooted when it holds firm if you tug it gently, and when new leaves grow from the center.

How long until it fruits?

A long time. CTAHR says a field planted with crowns needs about 18 months after planting before the first fruiting, and UF/IFAS gives 18 to 24 months from planting to harvest. After the flower spike appears, the fruit takes another 5 to 8 months to ripen (UF/IFAS, CTAHR). A crown-grown plant is a patient project, and the plant is handsome all the while. If yours is taking its time, our guide on why a pineapple plant is not flowering explains what to check.

Other ways to start a pineapple plant

UF/IFAS lists four types of planting material: the crown, slips and hapas from the stalk below the fruit, suckers from the leaf axils and ratoons from underground. CRFG says slips and suckers are preferred, though crowns are the main material for home gardeners. If you have a mature plant, look for slips under the fruit and suckers at the base, and plant them 3 to 4 inches deep (CRFG). CTAHR says slips can be stored butt end up in a dry place for up to one year, though they should be planted within one month of harvest for best results.

Common mistakes

• Planting a wet, unsealed crown. Dry it for two days first.
• Cutting the crown off with a knife. Twist it off, as CRFG describes.
• Burying the leaves. Keep the lowest leaves above the soil line.
• Overwatering. Root rot is the main danger (UF/IFAS).
• A shady spot. Plants in shade grow slowly and are slow to flower.
• Expecting fruit in a year. Plan on a year and a half or more.

Ready to go further? Our pineapple plant guide covers site, soil, feeding, flowering and harvest. If you like growing from kitchen scraps, our guide to growing a banana tree from a banana explains what works there.