How to Grow Pineapple
Pineapple At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Tropical Fruit
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Tender
Cold Hardiness
Survives to 5°C
Plant Family
Bromeliaceae
Growing Season
Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Pick a ripe pineapple with fresh green leaves and twist the leafy top off the fruit. Pull off the lowest few rows of leaves to show 2 to 3 cm of stem, and let it dry for 1 to 2 days. Pot it in a small pot of fast-draining mix about 2 weeks after your last frost, or any time indoors, and roots form in a few weeks.
A pineapple top from the grocery store grows into a plant that makes one pineapple in about 2 years, then gives you pups for the next round. It is a tough plant that stores water in its leaves and has small roots, so it is perfect for a pot. It cannot take cold below about 5°C (41°F), so it spends winter indoors by a bright window.
When To Start
Pineapple needs warmth. Wait until your last frost has passed and the soil has warmed before sowing.
We do not have exact sowing dates for this one yet.
When should you plant Pineapple?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Pineapple Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Pineapple Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Pot up your pineapple top in a fast-draining mix
2 weeks after your last frost
Bring your pineapple to a bright, warm spot before frost
3 weeks before your first frost· every year
See if your pineapple is golden and smells sweet at the base
About 600 days after you plant it
Water your new pineapple plants well while they settle in. Deep and slow is best.
About 1 days after you plant it
Your pineapple top is busy making roots. Keep the mix lightly moist and the pot in a warm, bright spot.
About 30 days after you plant it
Your pineapple is settling in. Let the soil dry a little between waterings, since it does not like soggy roots.
About 90 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Pineapple's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
60 cm
Plant Spacing
160 cm
Row Spacing
Vertical Growing
No.
Succession Planting
No.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Growing Tips
- 1Give it full sun outdoors in summer and your brightest window in winter.
- 2Use a fast-draining potting mix, such as one made for cactus, with a little compost added.
- 3Water only when the top 3 to 5 cm of mix is dry, and pour a little water into the centre of the leaves now and then.
- 4Feed with compost tea once a month in spring and summer.
- 5If the plant is 2 years old and still not flowering, put it in a clear bag with a ripe apple for a week, since the gas from the apple can make it flower.
- 6Bring it indoors before nights drop below about 5°C (41°F).
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
100 cm
Mature Height
100 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
30 days
When to Pick
Pick when the skin turns golden and it smells sweet at the base
How to Harvest
- 1A pineapple is ready when the skin turns from green to gold from the bottom up and the base smells sweet.
- 2Cut it off with a sharp knife, leaving a short piece of stem.
- 3Eat it within a few days, because it does not get any sweeter after picking.
- 4Each plant fruits only once, so pot up its pups to grow your next pineapple.
- 5Twist the top off your homegrown fruit too, and root it the same way.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
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