Originally Posted by twotallgirls

So yes, you can usually continue to have more fruit … Once I pick the fruit, there usually is a “sucker” that I look for on the mother plant that I focus on to continue growing. I’ve been able to have a few generations by growing the suckers from one plant but eventually the base stem gets too long, lays on the ground, and that when I get rot. A single one of my pineapple plants can put off 5-8 different types of pups so I pull up the plant if it gets stem rot as I can easily replace it with one of the pups. I live in S. FL so I don’t worry about weather (just too much water).

So you can usually propagate pineapple from different kind of growths from the “mother” plant. Seems everyone mixes up the names so they usually just call them pups. The type of “pup” matters as each grows differently.

1. So growing the “crown” or top of a pineapple fruit is easy way to start. I “pop” off the top (rather than cut the top), peel back a few layer of the bottom leaves, let it dry for a day or two, and stick it with well draining soil in a pot. I live in Florida so I just transplant in a month or two into the garden. You can start in a glass of water but I find it takes longer to get the plant into growth mode and it rots half the time. For me, a crown it the slowest way to grow (2+ years)

2. Slips (or hapas) grow from the stalk just below the fruit. I usually get a few per fruit. Jut pop them off when they get big enough (look like tiny plants). You can leave them on the stalk after you pick the fruit as the bigger they get the faster they will produce. Supposedly removing them early will help the fruit grow bigger, but I can’t tell. For me, next slowest way to grow. (1-2 yrs.)

3. Suckers grow out from between the leaves. You can pop them off or just leave them on. Leaving them on the mother plant is best way for me. This is usually how people say they get second or third fruiting as the new sucker will produce another fruit. Don’t know technically if still “mother” plant or now a “daughter” plant but whatever… I focus on one sucker and pop off any extras. It grows faster as it already has an established root system. (1+ year). Best way to grow.

4. Ratoons come from underground off the mother plant stem. Also a fast way to grow… but I pop them off and stick in pot too.

From my experience, just don’t overwater. Pineapples are in the bromeliad family so rain / sprinkler will usually is all I do. I give a little minor nutrients but find they do need chelated iron. What is really doesn’t like is wet feet; it’ll rot pretty quick in standing water / continuous wet soil. I plant mine in a small mound but if in pot make sure its well-draining.
They are pretty easy to grow and the flowers are fascinating to watch grow into fruit.