Juicy, delectable pineapple is a favorite of many people but few know it can be grown right in your home. The next time you buy a pineapple at the grocery store, don't discard the top after cutting it off.
Remove any excess pineapple and skin from around the leaves, being careful not to cut into the tough area around the bottom of the leaves.
Take the top and immerse it in a combination of water, 1\2 teaspoon epsom salts and 1\2 teaspoon of powdered tea. Set it in a window that gets sun for two weeks, taking care to keep the fluid level at the bottom of the leave.
The first thing you will notice is that the original leaves of the pineapple will begin to turn brown and new leaves will begin to grow at the center.
Transplant the pineapple into slightly damp potting soil, combined with sand and vermiculite. Keep the soil damp for another two weeks.
Be careful not to over water or the new roots that are forming will rot. In the next few weeks all the outer leaves will die and can be removed, as the new leaves begin to grow. It is best to allow the plant to grow, removing the dead leaves for the next year. During this time the pineapple should be watered no more than once a week.
Pineapples like a dry, acid soil so occasionally add a little excess coffee to your water. During the spring sprinkle a teaspoon of epsom salt near the base of the plant and continue watering as usual. You can also set the plants outside in a semi-sunny area.
After approximately a year, you can force your pineapple to bloom by placing the mature plant in a plastic bag with an apple for three days.
The trick is the gas that is produced by the apple and after the plant is removed it should bloom in two to three months. How you water a pineapple is also important. The pineapple should be watered from the top so that the cups at the bottom of the plant are filled. It is also healthy for the pineapple plant to wet the leaves as you water.
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