Coaxing your pineapple to bloom
My mum has been growing a pineapple plant for about 2 yrs now and it gets more and more leaves, but as yet it has not sent up a flower, she is worried that she’ll never get a fruit. Is there anything we can do to aid it?
Sometimes pineapple plants are stubborn and need to be coaxed into bloom.
Here’s how to get your pineapple to flower.
1. Place the pineapple plant in a large clear plastic bag with a few ripe apples for a week. Loosely, seal the bag allowing for some air circulation and keep it in light shade (avoid direct sun). The apples will release ethylene gas which will stimulate the plant into fruiting.
2. Another option is placing a small lump of calcium carbide (size of your little fingernail) into the center of your pineapple plant and pour a quarter cup of water over it. This will release acetylene gas which will force it to flower. Do this in the evening when temperatures are cooler. Calcium carbide can be bought in garden center, pharmacy or toy store.
After “coaxing the pineapple to bloom”, you should see the start of a flower bud in the center of the plant within 6 weeks. If not try again.
more info: http://hortchat.com/info/growing-pineapple
I have pineapple in large quantity almost two years now and it is not flowering can l mix the carbide into a spraying machine and spray the plant?
My 3 year old pineapple has started to flower…I live in central ontario (climate zone 3-4) well outside a natural environment for this plant…I have been using strictly organic fertilizer that has to be mixed with water and fermented…I an wondering if I should increase the intervals for fertilizing from every three months to once a month now that it is flowering… it is in a pot with another pineapple plant that is only 2 years old. The pot is 24″ diameter x 24″ tall… no drain holes though as it sits directly on my hardwood floors… however the bottom 4″ of the pot is filled with clear gravel.
I live in Indiana. We purchased a pineapple plant with small fruit growing at Walmart last spring. The pineapple never got huge but when ripe it was very sweet. I planted the top last fall. The original plant had a sucker ( I think that’s correct term). This plant is in original pot. Will it take 2 years for sucker to produce a fruit? Also I have had them inside all winter and of course it never got cold. I placed it outside now that we are highs in 60-70s lows 40-50s. Will cold help it fruit? Or should I bring them back in for now? Thanks!!
Is there any danger in using the calcium carbide?
I have been growing a pineapple plant for 15 months it is huge no sign of bloom but now I have a shoot coming from bottom of plant what should I do? Does this mean my original plant will not produce a pineapple? Do I hope for one from the new shoot?
My pineapple plant is 4.5 yrs old and pretty big but not fruit. I’ve tried the apple trick and it did not work
Any suggestions?
Where does one get calcium carbide?
HI Dan
Not sure For calcium carbide check online, pharmancy, garden center, or toy store.It takes some months before you see any results, so be patient.
It may be your plants light cycle. The plant will need at least a full 13 hours of sunlight in the summer months with a once a week full watering every 5-6 days, and phosphorus nutrients, or ethylene gas to stimulate flowering. It could also be your soil medium as to why your plant is not flowering properly. Pineapple plants love an airy, mulch type of garden bed mixed with lime rocks, vermiculite, peat moss including the essential NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) nutrients, secondary nutrient soil value. Secondary nutrients are nutrients such as zinc, iron, copper, calcium, magnesium, manganese, sulfur. These nutrients can be used at different intervals in the growth stage to maximize, or lower certain growth results in the vegetative, or flowing stage of the plant.
calcium carbide will work
I have been given the task at my work to take the pineapple heads from our parties and make new ones. So far my plants look good but the first pineapple I got wasn’t sweet. they are Dole and some are Aman I believe. I only have 3 as of now. can you make mine sweet
My pineapplelant has a pineapple about 2″ tall n I discovered another one shooting out yesterday , this is the second one I have grown and have decided it is because I have it planted in a container only one size large …..,, the last Pineapple I grew was in a container 3 time it’s size and took longer to produce a bloom…. I do not water often, live in Alabama and keep it in direct sunlight. I grow mine simply by cutting of the top of a fresh pineapple, and placing it on top of soil bearing covering and water spareling.
Pineapple plant tip
I just tried forcing my 3 year old pineapple plant to bloom and found the same issue finding a plastic bag that is big enough to put my plant in then I thought of using the clear clothing bag from the dry cleaners and tried it. Tie a knot on the top part of the hanger hook opening. Perfect size for my pot and plant.
repotting and watering
How do I know if my pineapple plant needs to be repotted and how much water does it need? When winter comes can I continue to grow it in the basement with a grow light?
Thanks
Initiate blooming
When you say to place the calcium carbide in the center of the plant you’re talking about the direct center, right? Where the new leaves are coming up from? I’m not exactly sure what calcium carbide is but it would seem that with a reaction in the very center of the plant it would hurt it.
Stimulate blooming
I have a pineapple that was growing before a frost got it about 2 years ago. It was 2 and one half years old at the time. ( no flowers then) We continued to water it and it is about 18 momnths since frost and getting very big. If we try one of these options do you think that it will flower and grow a pineapple or do you think the frost may have done something to it?
I have a common pineapple plant that has lived basically outside for about 15 to 20 years in a large metal pot. I have not watered it nor fertilized it at any time. It does bloom, and the current one is about 15 inches long and 2-3 inches wide, sort of orange with purple tips.
Is this normal?
I also have a top that I planted last year. It’s getting pretty big but no fruit. When would be the best time of year to make it fruit? I live in the Tampa area.
I saw that you should fertilize every other week with 1/2 strength fertilizer. What kind of fertilizer. Should it be just for fruits or what?
I live in South Florida and have had an inheritd pineapple plant for 1 year and a pineapple growing for 4 months. How will I know when it’s ready to pick?
I have good luck with dr earths exotic bled or citrius -tone.
After the mother plant produces a pineapple is it done, or can it produce another?
It can produce another pineapple from any suckers that it produces, otherwise it’s done.
how long does it take to grow a pineapple?
bob
Coaxing your pineapple to bloom
Joni Raye ( Barbiefishing@aol.com / )
From Florida, I have a Pineapple Plant that is 4 yrs old, without fruit. I was told by many people how to expedite fruiting of the plant. I finally did what I kept hearing and now 2 week later my plant has a pineapple. 1 Miniature of rum directly into the center of the plant provides whatever it needed to bloom. Now like other I am afraid to leave it outside for the birds,bats or vermin. worked for me, thus far.
Mike H. ( mike3116b@yahoo.com / )
I have been growing a pineapple for 3 years now and haven’t gotten any fruit off of it. I have 2 questions. 1) the stalk has gotten so big and weak that now it can’t support the rest of the plant. Should I start over?
2) I think it is too big to put into a bag with apples. What other options do I have? One guy said something about rum?
Katrina ( jeff_crom@hotmail.com / )
I have had a pineapple plant potted for at least two years and it has yet to flower or produce a pineapple. It is too large to either lay on its side or put in a bag w/apples. Any advice? Thanks
Katrina