After visiting the Pineapple Plantain several times I decided to grow my own pineapple! We live exactly 3 miles from the Plantation ( I know this because I have biked there and back a few times). Although it is one of the tourist attractions on the island, I still like going there and enjoying the pineapple ice cream (which is the only flavor they make:) and it is delicious!)
After riding the train, walking through the garden, or finding your way through the worlds largest maze, there is lots of shopping to do inside the plantation. Its not what you would think of a typical plantation, but it's very nice for a "day date" or lunch.
So first things first, to grow a pineapple you must buy one.
Make sure the pineapple is a good shape, and that the eyes are all even around the fruit. Color does not matter when it comes to a pineapple. No matter if it's green or yellow, once it is picked it is at its ripest so the sooner you eat it the better it will taste. Unlike bananas that ripen as they sit on your counter, a pineapple is picked at its ripest and will get no riper, only start to ferment, so eat up!
Instead of cutting off the top like you make have done in the past, simply TWIST off the top, do not cut it off that is where the roots will start to grow for planting.
Then tare off a few layers to expose more of the bottom of the pineapple top.
Then put it in a warm sunny place in water. ( you can add water, but don't change the water)
Three weeks later you will have roots like these!! WOW!
Then all you have to do is plant and water every other day.
Pineapples like it really hot and sunny, so if you are trying to gown one on the mainland, start in the summertime and bring your potted pineapple inside when it starts to get cold. My dad is trying to do that in Nashville, so ill update on how both of ours are doing. The only bummer about this process is it takes 18 months to grow a pineapple, but each plant produces three pineapples. Here is a picture of a baby one!
So eat up!!!!!!!
Love, BROWN