Thanks Jonna!

It finally turned mostly golden about 2 days ago so I took it off it's stem and let it sit to see if the green bits would turn golden and they did. I cut it tonight and it didn't taste too bad! Not as sweet as I was expecting but it was still good.

It took it about four and a half months to go from flower to ripe fruit. I'm sure it would have gotten a lot bigger if it had been in a larger container.

Aww cutie!

very cute, glad it ripened and you got to eat it, something satisfying about that.

There is indeed!

Way to go, Anne. The last one I got from our garden was about that size. Just about a nice serving for my dh and me.

I think they must water them like crazy to get them to the size we see in the grocery store. I did have a bigger one at our other house a few years ago, but the raccoons got to it the day before I was going to cut it. What a lesson after waiting 2yr. for a plant to produce fruit! I've been battling raccoons ever since.

Ah yes, I think in actual plantation farms, they do get lots of water on warmer climates..like in the Philippines, where we have there lots of pineapple plantations. When it rains there, it is a real torrential downpour, where rainy season is 6 months long or more.

Well the first was a learning experience for sure.

Just popping in here to say congratulations on your pineapple. I have one started that I am going to transport to FL when we leave in January. Hope I can keep the critters away from it if it sets fruit.

All I can say is build a nice sturdy little cage for the plant if it sets a pineapple, Jean. Otherwise, take it indoors when it's time for it to ripen. The raccoons can smell ripe fruit from a mile away.

Elaine is Fall the normal time for it to set fruit?

I honestly can't recall, Anne. All I remember is that it takes 21 to 24 months for a plant to get to fruiting size, starting from a rooted top.

I had no idea you could grow a pineapple from one in the store. That's fabulous!

Mine is an offset - I tried to take the top of my baby but it literally fell apart when I cut it - I'm hoping the mama plant will make me a few babies soon. Wanted to add that the offset took about 2 years to flower as well.

dyzzypyxxy said:All I can say is build a nice sturdy little cage for the plant if it sets a pineapple, Jean. Otherwise, take it indoors when it's time for it to ripen. The raccoons can smell ripe fruit from a mile away.

Thanks, Elaine. We are "blessed" with lots of raccoons where we are so I'm sure if mine ever fruited, they would have a feast! The one I rooted here was put outside while we were on a trip last summer and the deer ate the top out of it despite the sharp spines on the leaves! It is recovering so I thought it might have a better life in FL.

Many years ago when we went to Hawaii, we had a lesson on how to take the top off a pineapple for rooting. Grab the bottom with one hand and the top with the other and twist in opposite directions. Take off the bottom leaves, let it sit for several weeks, then plant directly in soil. I was able to root one, and it got very large, however, no fruit.

I didn't know you could start them without trying to root in water first. I might have to try that.

When I start them from 'tops' I just pull off about an inch worth of leaves at the bottom and stick it in some dirt. Works every time and haven't lost one.

Same here. I put them right in the ground, under my citrus trees. Warmth and humidity will help, of course, but Anna has a greenhouse.

I get tops from Publix if the fruit cutting ladies have any. Once they gave me a whole garbage bag full. Hm, y'know pineapples would make a great 'dog barrier' along my front flower border!

Greenhouse or not, I'd prolly be dead before I had pineapples..............LOL Just sayin'..............

Well, it does take a couple of years, and you'd likely have to 'diddle' the flowers with a paintbrush to pollinate it if it bloomed inside the greenhouse. But you aren't dying quite that soon, are ya??

If you started a bunch of tops now, you could be selling pineapples at the farmer's market - in Wisconsin ! ! - in the summer of 2017. I can just see the sign now "Locally grown pineapples".