So this guy is a lovely deep color and smells like a perfect ripe pineapple, better than what I typically smell when choosing a pineapple in the grocery. Are you saying the core may be large and if I wait longer the core will shrink?

Yeah, I will. The plant has the 2 pups growing off the stalk. I was thinking I could take one off and plant it, and leave the other one on to see what it does.

That makes sense. Also a smaller fruit would theoretically be getting more energy from the plant and maybe develop more sugars?

That’s what I’ve read before, that they’re one-and-done. But my cousin just told me he grew a second one from a plant he had, and that an uncle of ours in Hawaii said the 3rd generation is the sweetest – so I’m not so sure. Maybe Hawaii’s climate is more conducive?

In terms of starting them, it’s been hit and miss. This is the 3rd time I’ve tried and the first time I’ve succeeded at getting a top to root. I recall I trimmed away more flesh and peeled more leaves off the bottom than I had done before, and I think I was much more patient when it was in water to wait for roots to emerge.

My understanding is they like well draining soil and don’t like it too wet. I watered it about once a week with about 6 oz water – watering the plant itself so the water is primarily trapped in the bottom of the leaves and maybe the soil gets an incidental light sprinkle – and a bromeliad fertilizer every other week. It was outdoors during the summer but once it dropped into the mid 50s at night I brought it indoors. (ETA I’m in zone 10a or b).

Since this is a giant sample size of 1 I’m definitely not going to claim any definitive must-dos. Just reporting on what I did.

Lobster mushroom definitely does taste seafoody. Hard to find though.

Great information, thanks! I had planted a few tops a couple years ago – got lots of flowers, got seeds, and did indeed get some carrots from those seeds, but the failure rate was insanely high.

And then there were two…

Thanks! I’m really enjoying watching this thing go.

Very useful, thanks! So I guess this would be a slip? or maybe aerial sucker

See the leaf that’s at the top right and is all blurry? Trace that down to where it meets the stalk. There the leaf splits in the middle and there’s a bump growing. That’s the thing I’m wondering about.

Are you saying the growth on the side is a pup? Should I wait to cut it until after the fruit is ripe? Thanks

See, that’s why I’m confused, I thought pups grew from the base and this thing is near the top.

I don’t refrigerate them and they’ve been fine. IIRC there is not a refrigerate after opening notice on either LaoGanMa or Fly By Jing.

You won’t believe it but it’s gonna be a mom!! We have the beginnings of a flower - so excited!! https://imgur.com/a/Gb5fWmq

Nice job! I started a top earlier this year and have managed not to kill it (this is my 3rd try). Hoping for a pineapple in a couple years. How long did yours take?

Wind speed, humidity, hourly precipitation etc are below the 10 day forecast. Just have to scroll up. It would be nice to be able to rearrange the panels according to what you look at the most but they don’t.

Looking closer, technically the frog is there but the picture used to be a full screen size and now he’s very small. ETA just for the record I have a Pixel 4a so I’m on 13 and supposedly no longer get system updates.