Thanks Nev!

Every source and even members on here always say that rooting any plant in water isn't as effective as in soil for the reasons you mentioned. Though, I like water rooting as I can see whether or not roots are forming or its rotting. Instead of guess and checking by pulling the plant lightly.

I've never grown Broms before and got the pineapple plant 2 months ago. It was in pretty rough shape, and still is but it's now outside in the sun after weeks of acclimation. It does seem to have a pup growing from its base but I decided to try and root a top just in case I fail at caring in some way. I thought the top was beginning to rot as the base turned brown and some 'flesh' from the base turned mushy and you could rub it off. But eventually one root grew, then 2. And then they all exploded at once! It took about a month though.

I have an addiction to houseplants and I don't know why I have not at least tried at Broms yet. I almost bought one in really rough shape that was hidden and tipped over at a Walmart. But I didn't. I don't know why, and I regret it now. I guess my climate isn't ideal for Broms either.... A 3 month summer and 9 months of winter. Though, I do want to try to grow one.

I've seen your posts and your photos and your plants are just amazing! Hopefully if iI give them a go they'll turn out as nice as yours!

Thanks for your input and help!

Good Job! Enjoy

Have you ever tried a Tillandsia? If not, maybe that would be better than a Bromeliad for a start anyway.

Yes I've had 9 Tillandsias. I have 7 now as I managed to kill 2.....

If my actual pineapple plant is any reference, I don't think pineapples are for me!

Next time,twist the top off,peel a few lower leafs off,and you will see proto roots. Just plant straight into a pot of soil.

MrBulbs, did something happen to your pineapple? I had a Bromeliad last year.
It was given to me, but it was a mild summer then too and did not flower. I really
wanted it to put out an offshoot after flowering so I could pot that up as the plant
was too big and I had no room to bring it inside. Needless to say I left it out
to its doom. It was that or let one of my Sansevieira buy the farm, which was not happening!

Not this pineapple (yet)

But my actual pineapple plant. It's at

a severe lean and I've tried everything but it always manages to lean over. It's fallen over several times and the leaves are constantly Browning. I think I manged to kill the pup that was or wasn't coming up. Oh well. Maybe this one will fair better.

Funny story about your brom! But sorry you had to lose it. I've had to do that too with my little group of Parlor palms..... They had some type of worms in the soil and everyone freaked out and made me get rid of them. I tried to say it's just the soil but I guess the plants had to go too. So I opened the door and chucked them out into the white abyss.

And stanofh,

If there is a next time I think I will try that method.

Yikes, Your Parlor Palms out into the snow! I shudder to think! The pineapple plant you got as a present? The leaves are drying up? Is the fruit almost ripe?
The plant might be in decline because it has fruited, but it should send out off shots if that is the case. In Hawaii, at the Dole museum I was told that once
a Pineapple plant fruits it is ripped out and replaced with new stock beacuse the plant will not fruit again. When in Florida, I never pulled out a pineapple plant
unless it was dieing. Mine always fruited again, but I might be thinking of offshoot plants instead of the original plant, it has been 25 years since I lived there. I chopped of the top of my next pineapple today, so hopefully this one will stay alive long enough to put into water (or soil)!

Yeah the poor palms.

Yeah, my aunt gave it too me. The leave tips start drying up and then it spreads and spreads.. It looks awful. I don't think the fruit is almost ripe it's still pretty green but idk... Maybe it is?

There was a little pup nub coming from the base but it looks like it is drying out or something.

You had double fruiting pineapples? Whaaaaaaaaa?

Yeah good luck with it! Is your other one that you put in soil still going strong?

Here's my pineapple as of today and 3 days ago... A big storms coming so it's gonna get something extra to drink.

I only rooted the top just in case this one went bad (good assumption on my part) and to see if I could do it.

hope it stabilizes, good luck!

How's the plant doing now?

The top I've ignored for a while do to that fact I placed it right under a nest box that had tree swallows in it. Didn't want to go anywhere near them and make them premature fledge. Pretty crazy about my tree swallows! Though, they all fledged today which was really nice to see so I went over and it seems to be a bit over watered. Probably due to the rain and cloudiness lately. But seems like it could still kick through. I plan to repot it into its actual pot now that it has some good soil roots and then move it more towards full sun.

My big pineapple plant hhasn't done anything lately. I fixed the lean but some how it got bent over severly so it's at a 30 degree angle. The tips continue to dry up and I see no improvement on the pups growth. It's now in full sun.

So in short they both are doing 'meh'

Probably my worst looking plants

yeah the weather here has been damp and cool all summer (so far). maybe the sun will perk them both up. My winter top is doing OK, though it to is too wet. my latest attempt is not doing well and probably will not make it. The irony is I helped a friend do the pineapple top with her kids (who could care less). She bought her pineapple from the same place as mine but she put hers after drying into water where in this latest attempt by me went into dirt. Oh well, I still have 2 plants.

That's too bad.

Has it not created any roots?

I don't even know where I'm going to put the pineapples come winter...... All my windows are full.

I see the purchase of light fixtures and bulbs from your local hardware store in your future, perhaps. Lol

I use 40 watt squiggle bulbs in the ceramic clamp on lamps (what people use for brooding baby chick's in the feedstores).

Or perhaps some t5s with the daylight and plant light installed. Are you mystified?

I'm not giving up on it just yet, but it looks very bad all dried and brownish yellow with a hint of green at the stem, maybe it will rally in this warm humid weather were are getting now. As for roots, no clue.

Haha, probably!

Mystified? Surprisingly no I'm proud to say! I have a planted aquarium and T5s T8s and T5HO are all too familiar to me. Still gives me a headache though when I think about them.

I have 2 of those clamp on lamps but I'll have to see if it works where I want to keep things. Are the 40watt squiggle bulbs compact fluorescents?

Good luck with your pineapple Sans!

That is what they are and what I use for a hydroponically grown Philodendron hederaceum and freshwater plants.

Actually, I have two ten watt bulbs because they are underneath an aquarium and inside the aquarium stand, so it gets kinda hot in there.

Oh neat. I guess I'll have to try it!