Pineapples take a long time to get new growth, but they're simple to plant, says show host Kim Haworth. Follow these steps: - Remove the top from a whole pineapple with a knife, taking a plug of the fruit flesh with it (figure A).
- Let the cut top dry for a couple of days outdoors in the sun or in a sunny area of your house, so it's not so juicy.
- Treat the yellow flesh with some spray fungicide to prevent it from rotting.
- Plant the top, fruit side down, leaves above the soil, in a container of sandy, well-drained soil that you've watered ahead of time. Don't cover the top with too much soil---just settle it into the dirt.
- It takes a long time for the pineapple plant to grow more leaves, and still longer for a shoot with a baby pineapple to develop. But once the new leaves do get going, make sure to fertilize the plant. Use a complete fertilizer, one where all three numbers on the label are the same, such as 14-14-14.
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