Growing Pineapple
Wait! Instead of throwing out that pineapple top – recycle it.
A great way to continue to enjoy that delicious pineapple you just ate is to grow your own. It doesn’t take much- just time and patience. Pineapple plant is one of those “kitchen scrap plants” that can be started by simply rooting the crown (pineapple top) and planting it in soil. Not only will you have a decorative plant but you will also produce a sweet edible pineapple that will give you the satisfaction in knowing that you grew it yourself.
There are several ways to propagate a pineapple crowns.
Here is how to get started:
Use a pineapple top (crown) with healthy, unbruised leaves. If you haven’t already, cut off the spiky top of the pineapple. Peel off about a fourth of the lower leaves to expose the stem. You will see small brown bumps that will eventually become the roots (root primordia). Leave the pineapple top in a shaded area on the kitchen counter to dry for several days and then plant it in 6 inch pot with well-drained soil. You can brush rooting hormone on the bottom to speed up rooting (optinal). Firm the soil around the plant to secure it in place and water. If the environment is dry, enclose the potted plant inside a plastic bag to increase humidity and speed up rooting. If kept at 70F (21C) it should root within 2-4 weeks.
Another method is to let it root in water. It can take 2-4 weeks for roots to grow. After planting keep it moist but not wet and in a sunny, warm(75) and humid place with night temperatures above 65 degrees. It should start new growth in about 2 months. In dry conditions, mist and keep a bit of water in the center crown. Feed it with a half strength fertilizer twice a month during the summer months.
It can take several years for the plant to be ready to flower and bear fruit. The plant should have at least 25 normal sized leaves to be large enough to flower. If after 18 mos. you don’t see anything happening-place the plant in a plastic bag with two very ripe apples cut in half, this will release ethylene gas which will triggers their blooming stimuli. In 1-2 months you should see a red spiky bud followed by blue flowers in the center of the plant. This process can take 2-3 years but it’s worth a try just to have a novelty bromeliad to enjoy. When pineapple plants are forced to bloom too early the young plant will produce smaller fruit. For larger fruit it’s best to have a minimum of 40 mature leaves 18 inches long.
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I’ve neglected to fertilize during the spring this being my first time, do water about once a week. Does this have a bearing on the production of fruit?
don’t the pineapples need to be fertilized? it sounds like they just produce a fruit by themselves, if it is so do you know why?
Rooting pineapple plant
ive been growing a pineapple plant for two years in ohio comes inside for winter. if it doesnt fruit by itself this summer i will force it. its a neat looking plant and i disagree with letting the top of the pineapple after its removed to dry for two days. i have started a dozen plants and shipped them all over the country to my friends i removed the top and placed it in water immediately for 10 days changing water daily then placed them in a pot 90 % rooted with this method
I have a pineapple plant that has a pineapple on it. In the last few days it has turned red. Why would this happen?
What is the appropriate water schedule, through the soil or in the spines
PICKING THE FRUIT
How do I remove the fruit when it is ready and not harm the entire plant?
Michael
I started rooting a crown about a year ago, then potted it a month later. Mid-summer, it sprouted a fruit. Now, the fruit is still smaller than an orange, but has turned yellow-orange. Should I pick the fruit? The plant is less than 24inches in diameter.
Carol Martin ( xworkers@bellsouth.net / ) (IP: 74.225.102.105 )
I have a pineapple plant with a pineapple on it. I live in S. Florida. How do I know when it is time to pick the pineapple? The last one, I waited too long and the squirrels beat me to it.
Julie ( jdanam@yahoo.com / )
My little pineapple is ripe and ready to eat. Where do I remove it from the plant? Do I cut off the stock it grew on? The rest of the plant is really healthy…I don’t see any new shoots. Do I leave the plant, without the stock or with the stock? I plan on using the new crown for a new plant. Not bad for growing a plant inside, in Seattle area. I was really surprised I got a fruit…just planted the top for fun! Thank you for your help.
I would like to find out a little more info about growing a pineapple indoors, I live in Northern Idaho. I need to know what the best sized pot to put it in for the best results. I have never done this before & so I am a little lost, I have a small pineapple already & it is about the size of my pinky finger not including the top & it has 2 small plants growing next to the base of the plant. Any suggestions would be great! Thank You.
My plant is about a year old, and some of the leaves are very long. I’ve heard that trimming the leaves promotes growth. is this true and how short can the leaves be safly trimmed?
Thanks MC
Fertilizing pineapple plant
What fertilizer are you talking about when used on the pineapple plant?
subtroppo ( millima2001@yahoo.com.au / ) (IP: 203.213.7.131 )
I too have just picked my first 2 fruit– small but good, but took 3 years. Want to know what fertiliser is best,as i wish to produce more and better; do they need phosphorus..thks for the good advice i’ve read re using the pups.
I live in S. Florida – very hot and humid. For fun, stuck a couple of tops into 5 gallon black plastic pots no more than 2 1/2 years ago. Good dirt, 1/3 home-made compost. Have 13 PINEAPPLES NOW of various ages. Some huge! Basically I have just let them alone. Very rare watering or fertilizing. They get water from heavy humidity dew. I’m strictly an amateur, but from one plant (pot) alone 2 very large and 2 developing fruits. Suspect it’s the compost. Try it! My “rookie” opinion: let ‘em alone! Don’t kill them with kindness.
Live in central Indiana. Bought a plant from Meijer’s. The plant is about 13 inches tall, and had a small fruit. Noticed after putting it outside the fruit was hanging over. Put a support for it. One week later the fruit was laying over. Picked the fruit and am rooting it in water. The whole center was rotten. The leaves just fell out. What happened? Never watered it from above. Will the plant put up another plant? Please give me some advice on taking care of these plants. Thanks.
I’m a novice grower in Massachusetts who has never had much luck with plants. I have a cursed brown thumb, or perhaps I’m just suffering from “curiosity killed the cat” syndrome. I bought a pineapple today and popped the top into a glass of water. After searching for info, I came across this site and tore some of the leaves off to expose the stem. I’m still concerned though, as my experience is telling me to put the poor thing out of the eventual misery I’m apt to put it in. Any advice for a novice who just wants the darn thing to stay alive? Thanks!
Here in Indiana it has been 50 degrees at night. What is the lowest temp the plants can take?
Brown & yellow leaves
I have a pineapple plant that is nearly 3 yrs. old it hasn’t beared any fruit yet. The bottom leaves are turning brown and yellow as if it is dying. What can I do to keep the other leaves from turning colors. The plant is being keep inside since the temps. have gotten colder. The top of the plant looks healthy right now.
I live in the UK and have managed to buy a young pineapple plant by the name of Ananas nanus, Its comeing from malaysia and the leaves look spikey and quite leathery! would you be so kind as to tell me a little about what you know of the plant
Brown leaf tips
Hi. I’ve had my pineapple planted for about 16 months and it’s really small (about 1.5 feet tall and 1.5 feet wide). Also the leaves have been turning more and more brown over the past few months and even completely dying from the tips and moving down- there’s dead brown area on as much as 6 inches on the bigger leaves. Any advice?
Grow pineapple in Atlanta
Hi from just South of Atlanta. New to pineapple plants. I would like to permanently plant mine outside, next to my brick house. They would have a Southern exposure and would benefit from the passive solar heat from the sun on the brick in the winter. Has anyone done that? What is the coldest temp. that pineapples can tolerate and survive? Also, I live on an old poultry farm that has chicken litter in old barns that is very aged – about 10 years. Can I use that in the form of a “tea” to fertilize my plants? I’m excited to get going at this!
I live in Hawaii and growing pineapples is no problem. They’re big and sweet. In fact, too sweet and mild. Is there something I could add to the soil to give them a little more bite?
I too live in Hawai’i, and it sounds like the pineapple that you have if you have not found out already is of the sweet variety also known as “Gold.” Tropical Gold, Sweet Gold, and Maui Gold are the common pineapples out here. If you want a more bitter pineapple, find a mainland grown pineapple for those do tend to have more acid.
The Maui Gold Pineapple as I’ve learned and experienced are sweet like candy, and very delicious.
Leaf tips turning brown
I planted 50 pineapples a year ago. A little crazy yes. I’m down to 7 plants. They are difficult to keep alive. Some die for no apparent reason. My question. They have been grown under lights all winter, and a few weeks ago, put them outside. The leaves are turning brown from the outside in. I live in zone 5, and the temps have been in the low 40s and 50s for the past month of may. Finally, the past few days the temps have returned to normal. Do you have a place I can send a picture, so you can determine what is wrong? Thanks.
I’m in S. Florida, zone 10A. My plant has produce a huge pineaple (just picked yesterday) that is as large as the largest pineapple I have ever seen in the grocery store. It flowered in January after being planted from the crown of a “Dole Extra Sweet” (grocery store bought) 14 months earlier. Fruit took 5 1/2 months from flower to ripe. Plant is almost 6′ in diameter and 2 suckers developed while the fruit grew. It was in semi shade (40% direct sun) under a Papaya Tree and near a Mango tree. It was fertilized mostly with wood ash, but may have also benefitted from the runoff from a nearby home made composter (during heavy rains). The soil was never dry as it was mulched and even in the winter, watered weekly. I am no expert, I had no expectations whatsoever when planting crown, but this certainly worked well for me. Plant is still vigorous and healthy. Will replant one sucker and let the other produce a second fruit. Have not eaten the pineapple yet, but will post as to it’s taste/quality when I do.
Are my results unusually good considerring the 40% shade, relatively moist soil and short time from crown to fruit?
My fruit bearing pineapple plant received too much water. All of the leaves wilted and so far have not perked back up. What should I do?
How do I know whether I have an ornamental pineapple growing or one I can eat? I have two plants that both produced a pineapple- one the fruit has a very large crown relative to the size of the fruit. The other has a little larger fruit, that I need to pick. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a ornamental pineapple!
Grow in water
I started a pineapple plant last August in water. I still haven’t put it into soil yet, it has many roots and looks to be healthy still. Will it affect the plant and its fruit(if it ever produces any) in a negative way by not having put it in soil yet?
I have a Bromeliad in a pot, which I bought over a year ago. It has grown a “sucker” which is now the same size as the mother plant. Should I leave it as is with the mother? Or should it be separated into another pot? What steps can I take for it to bloom like the orig? Any special instrns to grow these plants, would be helpful. Your site is a godsend for someone like I who knew nothing about plants, & turn to your site for info- great advice, very simple & concise instrns, have made me enjoy my houseplants!
Thanks!
I am just going out to try the rum on one of my pineapple plants, hope that it works.
great site. I have 3 pineapple plants growing, one is 2 years old and is bearing fruit, the other 2 are younger but they are all turning yellow what could be causing that. they are all outside and I live in north west Florida
I love your web site. I am growing my 2nd pineapple plant. It is about 3 1/2 ft tall and about the same wide. It also has a pup about 1ft tall. The leaves started to turn yellow, after reading thru your site I have decided that the nights have been to cold and maybe that’s why the leaves are turning. I have brought it inside to a south window. As big as it is do you think it will bloom this year?
I have a pineapple growing since about June and is growing good, but is still green, do I need to give it exta light ( a grow light). I live in Minnesota. The pineapple has tipped over, and I have staked it up. Your response would be appreciated.
Watering schedule
Growing Pineapple
everyone keeps telling to water weekly. summers in hawaii are stronger. water how much weekly. my plant i think has been watered too much because it’s turned yellow but show some light green.
so, water a cupful? what? how much water ?
I started growing a pineapple plants about 2 years ago in a hanging basket pot. I got my first fruit this year, which was normal size and quite tasty. I have about 12 plants, all in large pots now, my questions is will it take the pups 2 to 3 years to produce fruit also. Last year I put about 4 tops in soil and they just reproduced a lot of pups this is how I got so many plants.
Separate pups from mother plant
My first pineapple plant i have gotten 8 pineapples, not bad for someone who kills artiffictial flowers. It is nothing for me to have 4 and 5 pups on a plant with a fruit. I have read to cut off pups and replant, but where do i cut, how far up or down close to the mother, do i cut straight or a an angle? any an all info whould be loved. Also they are in pots, never in the ground because where i live is rented and what goes in the ground stays.fruit really sweet, some large some small,{eat your heart out Dole} thanks again. oh 1 more thing, watered once a week ,sat on edge of carport and turned 1/4 every week to make sure os even sun. yes going to extreme.
I wrote you back in November 0f 08′. This is January and I am just so excited. My Pineapple plant has a flower down in the cup. It isn’t very big yet but you can tell it’s the start of a flower. How long will it take before it will appear ?
I have 4 pineapple plants. I live in Illinois and I have found it quite easy to grow them. I leave them out in the summer and bring them in and keep them under grow lights in the winter. My oldest plant is 6 years and has yet to produce a pineapple plant. I have tried the apple in a bag trick and it didn’t work I was going to try the calcium carbide trick next unless anyone has a better suggestion.
To grow my plants I just cut off the top of the pineapple leaving a little bit of fruit attatched. Then I just lay the top on a paper plate and let them sit for a few to several days depending on when I get them planted in dirt.
I have 4 potted plants that froze about 1 1/2 months ago. All the leaves have turned yellow and the tips are brown and willting. I am considering planting them in the flower bed with the mother plant. It is currently looking very healthy and has 4 runners growing out of it. The 4 potted plants were also runners that I cut off this past summer. Should I trim the leaves off and try to transplant them or am I wasting my time? Thanks! BTW I live 30 miles north of Tampa, Florida.
A friend of mine who lives in flordia gave me a very sweet pineapple about 2 yrs ago.I planted the top, and to my surprise its doing very well. As a matter of fact its still growing new leaves although its winter time here (NY). I think its because my apartment is so warm. My problem is I have no where to plant outdoors. Can it still produce a pineapple indoors? Please help
I started planting pineapple from fruits bought at the grocery store a few years ago. I live in South Florida. I just cut off the top of a pineapple and put it in a big pot with organic soil. I leave the plant grow without doing anything to it besides watering once in a while. (I even forgot to protect my plants from the cold nights we’ve recently had). Two of them are showing sign of a flower.I have two planted directly in the garden. They are not growing as much as the three I have in pots.
The fruits are smaller than the original fruits. However, they taste better.
Cold damage
pineapple plants were not covered the first night of low 30 temps but covered since here in central florida.the leaves look damaged. do i watch and wait? what will indicate they are going to survive and what care should i do now.
Drought
My pineapple were doing very well with deep green leaves but all of a sudden the leaves have turned yellowish it’s been exposed to high sunshine for some few month now, and since i rely on rain fall for watering. The dry season has made it imposible for any waterin for 3 month now. could it be the too much sun light or the abscence of watering which is causing the yellowing?
White spots on leaves
My two pineapples were growing well until this winter. They now have white blotchy spots on the leaves and the leaves are starting to rot and die back, I have had to cut the leaves back severely, I am losing more leaves daily. Can you please tell me what is causing this and how can I fix the probem. Thank you.
Are the pineapple plant indoors or outside? Have they been exposed to cold temps?
Pick pineapple early
You can pick up the pineapples before they a fully ripe and they will keep on ripening, I have done this many times, I need to get to the pineapples before the possums do. I live in south Florida and I have been growing pineapples for a few years, last year I got almost 50 pineapples, and they are all delicious.
Hi,
I have about 10 pineapple plants between 2-3 years old that were doing fine until the frost hit us in FL. Now the leaves are mainly dead but there is growth in the center. What is the best way to salvage the plants or have I lost them? One plant I cut the leaves off – but it is now a huge stalk with green in the center but if you touch it – the center part immediately pulls out and base looks a bit rotten.
Cold injury
This is great!
I have many Pineapple Plants, but, I currently have a few that have developed red and yellow leaves. The centers are still green. I tried adding Iron last week. Has not seemed to make a difference.
We had a cold winter would that make a difference. I live in Florida. They are always outside.
Thanks
I potted a ” from a bromeliad I had grown into a beautiful plant the same size as it’s original mother plant. Wanting it to bloom, I placed it in a plastic bag in the dark for a week- but I used cut slices of an apple, instead of a whole apple. 3wks later, the leaves are bleached brown from the inside out & it almost looks as if the plant is dying on me! Did I kill it with the cut slices?? I had also placed the plant near a brightly lit window, but have now moved it further into the room where it originally was. Is there any way to save this one? It looks decidedly unhealthy, but I’m hoping I can still salvage it! Pls help!!
I have a pineapple plant that is at least 10 years old, and I have had 4-5 actual pineapples. Last year the pineapple wasnt very sweet. Is it because I picked it to soon? Is there a fertilizer that will help make it sweeter?
I live in Phoenix valley Arizona and I was informed by numerous sources that pineapples would not grow well outdoors due to the cold nights in winter and extreme heat in the summer. However I ignored them and planted anyway. I now have four plants started two of them are two feet tall and three feet across. They seem to like the hot dry weather in the summer and I have seen frost form on the leaves in the winter with no visible effects. I water with soaker hose from my current watering system along with the rest of the plants and use miracle grow fertilizer three times during the summer. As reading this page I realized that I may be doing everything wrong but my plants are doing great. Am I a pioneer in growing these things in the valley or just lucky?
Did you buy yours as plants or grow them from a pineapple you bought? I am in Phx and thinking about growing one. Do you get fruit from yours?
I live in the Netherlands (EU) and will have my 4th pineapple this summer! 1 plant i have for over 3 years is over 3 feet high! After having one pineapple i got enthousiastic…(Pineapple was very sweet) I have about 20 plants at the moment.I heard these plants need extra iron, now i am experimenting with some old nails in the pineapple-wateringcan!
I have a very sunny livingroom were the plants are in wintertime and in the summer the all stand in a sunny garden.Nice website!! keep up the good work.
About a week ago I started a pineapple top in water and I am impatiently wait for roots to form! My question is when it is time to pot the thing is it better to put it in a larger or smaller planter? Also I have “cactus mix” potting soil that I use for my aloe plant (which is on its last leg, I might add.) is this mix appropriate for a pineapple? And one last thing I’d like to throw out there for people wondering about back yard pests…I live at the base of the Appalachian Mountains, we get all sorts of creatures looking for a yummy treat. Several “home” remedies for this problem are passed down and to be honest a little strange, but there is one that is pretty consistant…human hair. If you sprinkle a little human hair in your plants or around your garden, the animals will leave it alone. I think it is the human scent, but the old folks will tell you it’s a little bit of mountain voodoo.
Whatever, it seems to work. Some of you may be wondering how to obtain this treasure…I just take a baggie to the hairdresser with me and swallow my pride and ask for it. Generally he rolls his eyes but does it anyway and no furry critters eat my stuff. I know…it’s odd.
A little over three years ago, I rooted and planted my pineapple top from a pineapple that I bought and ate from the grocery store. Since then, it seemed to have split and produced two small (twin) plants and two small baby pineapples. I have not divided the ball or re-potted the plants due to the fear that if I did, I might lose both plants and the pups. Recently, I placed the plant outside to take advantage of the warm weather we’ve been having, and the leaves started to turn yellow-green. The pups didn’t seem to be affected. I immediately brought the plant back inside. The leaves, although yellow-green, are not drooping yet . The weather outside was 80 degrees or above. What did I do wrong? Is it too late? What can I do to help my plant thrive and get better?
Please help. I have three plants growing. One is about a year old. the other two are about 8 months. Two of them developed little white spots on the leaves over the last three weeks. Is this normal or an infection? If an infection any advice?
My question is.. my pineapple tree took 3 years to start growing a pineapple… and now its been like a month and it is already the size of my hand. (sooo happy
)… But how long does it take for it to be ripe?
I just started my Pineapple, a couple weeks after finding out how to grow them from the crown. Me and my wife bought a Maui Gold, and just cut it yesterday so I kept the crown and prepared the stem by removing the flesh and gently pulling off the bottom leaves up to an inch and half of the stem. I did not let it dry out, but placed it strait in the water, and now less then twenty-four hours later, it already has tiny hairs of roots showing that were not there yesterday. I’m so happy.
By the way, I live on the island of o’Ahu so I don’t have to worry about keeping my pineapple inside. Going to plant it directly outside into some soil I’m already readying for my pineapple, with a lot of mulch directly mixed into it.
I have been growing pinapple plants and getting fruit from them for years. A few years ago a friend of my husbands brought over a differnt looking plant white with little green in it very prickely and said it was from Austrelia. He stated it may or may not get fruit as there has to ba a male and female plant? It is a very beautiful plant. Oddly this year it bloomed fruit. It is red and has many different sprouts from that bloom. I am not sure if this is one that can be eaten or is more decorative. I am not sure when to pick it if it is eatable. It has layers and layers of leaves almost like a bush, unlike a regular pineaple plant. Any help you can give would be appreciated. CG from Florida.
Propagating slips
Hello to all ! I`m pretty sure I`ve read all of the questions and comments on this wonderful site , but I didn`t see the answer to my question ,unless it was an oversite . I`ve planted several tops from pineapples we`ve eaten (all over the past year) and the first ever planted has produced a fruit on the stalk ….. I am so-o-o excited ! It showed a round ball down in center of plant and didn`t take long for it to sprout up on a stalk and flower!Yaye! then “Voila”! a pineapple! but as I have been involved with other “Bromeliads” over the years the new babies have always come from around the bottom,base,outer edge of the mother plant. This pineapple has babies growing straight out of the stalk,high-up,just under the pineapple fruit. Looks like ears sticking straight out and are exactly the layered look of “just the top” foliage of the fruit, like the part you plant to make a new plant. I feel silly asking but considering this is normal and I`m just not aware of this …. how do I propagate these to make new plants? I don`t see any roots…. yet …. or maybe it`s just too soon ? Thank You , annieQ
Two topics:
1. My pineapple is about a year old. It is about a foot to a foot and a half tall and healthy, but doesn’t seem to have grown much in the past month. I’m guessing it needs a bigger pot. I have a 12 inch diameter pot I am planning on moving it into, does that sound like a good size? Will it need a bigger pot after this, or is that sufficient? What’s the best way to dig it out of its current pot? I don’t want to hurt the roots, and it is in a clay pot.
2. When it fruits and grows a pup, does the pup need to be rooted in water like with a top?
From what I have seen from Bromeliads and Pineapples out here, that is normal. I think you treat them as another sprout and cut them when they are about half the hight of the mother plant. Kris can most likely give you better information on this one. Good luck.
Thanks Valex!
Propagating slips
Hi again . I`m sorry to have to write again so soon, but I actually meant to include this question in my first email. Another question that crossed my mind about my particular situation is, since the “new shoots” or “suckers” are directly under the calex of the plant very close to the fruit,could they (the suckers) possibly be draining the life away from the fruit before it gets to the fruit? or would it be possitive or detrimental to remove the suckers now so the strength goes into the fruit ? I also think there is another sucker forming one notch (segment)lower than the ones already there . Thank you again ! annieQ
I recently moved my 1-year-old pineapple plant back outside for the summer (we have had some cold nights so I kept it inside for a while), and it has been very sunny and hot. After one especially hot day, i noticed some pale parts on the younger leaves. They aren’t necessarily spots, they are bigger than that, but they are pale splotches in the middle of the leaves. The outsides have a few spots that look like they were burned. I’m guessing it is sunburn. I’m worried about my plant, will these burns kill the young leaves? Why, if it is such a sun-loving plant, is my Ohio sun damaging it’s leaves? I’ve moved it into the shade and am hoping that will help nurse it back to health. What have I done wrong and what can I do differently? It was only getting direct light in the afternoon.
Moving it to the shade is the right thing to do for it was getting sunburned. Even though the pineapple is a sun loving plant, moving it from a place where it was darker for awhile and then moving it outside into direct sunlight put the plant into a slight shock and gave it sunburn. When moving any plant from inside to outside, you need to first have it within some shade so it can adjust to the new light. Just like us, it needs to adjust to a new enviroment. I hope this helps. Your plant will survive and heal, just let it rest in the shade for a few days outside before you move it directly into the yard under the sun.
Well said..Thanks
Hey! I bought a pineapple plant a couple years ago and planted it and I also started one by cutting the top of a pineapple off from the grocery store. Now I have 3 pineapple plants, one bearing fruit, and 2 new little shoots coming up. I’m having problems with some pesky flies tho. They are tiny tiny flies and they make white flaky webs on the undersides of my pineapple leaves and they are drying the leaves out and killing them. They havent killed any of my plants, just some of the leaves are drying out and dying. They are grown in pots on my porch. I’ve tried spraying bleach water under the leaves and flaking off their webs but I cant seem to get all of them….they like to attack my tomato and plumeria plants too, but they havent messed with my oregano or a couple others I got out there. Any idea what this pest might be and what I can do to get rid of them?
It sounds like possibly White Flies. I’m not sure for I don’t know the regions these little pests thrive in. Out here soap water is a good killer of these pests. You can also go to your local Wal-Mart or grocery store and find a natural insecticide. I have one called Insect Killing Soap by Safer Brand. It works pretty good on all our pests and it has a seaweed extract. You can try that. I hope this helps.
My dog jumped on my outdoor pineapple plant and knocked the fruit off. It wasn’t ripe yet. Will it ripen if I just let it site outside or does anyone know a good way to ripen pineapple?
*Flower to fruit
I HAVE A 3 1/2 YEAR OLD PINEAPPLE PLANT THAT HAS JUST FLOWEREED TO FRUIT THIS SPRING. THE FRUIT SEEMS TO HAVE STOPPED GROWING AND THE LITTLE DIAMONDS ON THE SIDES ARE NOW BLACKENING, ALTHOUGH NO SIGN OF ROT. JUST VERY DARK. HOW DO I KNOW WHEN IT IS RIPE. IT IS NOT FRAGRANT AND NOT ORANGE AT ALL.
I wrote after the severe frosts we had in Florida – that it looked like my plants had died. I made the mistake of digging up one of the best plants as the center part had rotted and fallen out. On a whim, I left a few other plants which had also lost their center and today these plants each have a strong and healthy (about 6 inches high) plant that has grown out of side of the one that died. I was very encouraged for this shows the roots were not damaged – just because a plant appears to be dead – doesn’t mean it actually is. Two of the other plants have nice little pineapples growing on them!
So hang in there when you have problems – the pineapples seem to be quite resilient plants.
Hello,
I live in Chicago and started growing a pineapple I purchased while on my honeymoon in Hawaii about 2 years ago. It has never produced a fruit and has gone through a couple of winters with no problems. The transition from winter to spring this year did not appear to be as kind. Ever since spring my pineapple’s lower leaves have become yellowish (loosing the dark green color) toward the base and have become very droopy. Also, the leaves underneath have started to become brown (not all over but spotty). I thought maybe it had out grown its pot (as it has done twice in the past), so I repotted it. This has not fixed the problem, and I am now fearing the worse.
Can my pineapple be saved? Please help I am quite desperate to save it!
Hi Scott
Some brown lower leaves are common. I get those on my pineapple plant and eventually pull them off. What kind of soil did you repot your pineapple in. It should be loose, well-drained. A good potting soil is important as well as good drainage as pineapples do not like “wet feet”. One site recommends adding a 1/2 inch of coarse gravel into the bottom of the pot before adding soil. When your plant improves, try forcing it to bloom in the winter.
I know this may be late in responding, but give your pineapple more time. They are resilient plants. What possibly could have happened was a little over-watering on accident. I’m not sure on this one and Kris would most likely be able to give an idea as to what is happening to your plant.
Do you know when Kris will be available? I stopped watering as much I had been (about once a week now), and now the tips of the leaves are beginning to turn brown and limp! My poor pineapple needs some massive TLC, I just don’t how to give it?
Please Help!
Thanks I will try that. I ended up using a cactus soil while also adding gravel to the bottom (this is the same soil that was used in the last two pottings).
The strange thing now is that is was regained some of the color but the leaves are now beginning to dye from the end in (like something is slowly eating its way down the leaves). Should I try to “clip” the ends off? Or should i just continue to make sure it has adequate water and light?
I just want my pineapple to be happy!
Any additional advice would be greatly appreciated.
Scott
Hi! I am an avid pineapple grower on the East coast of Fl. Mine grow on a sand ridge near the Indian River. I can’t even count how many I have and I am everyone’s best friend when the fruit ripens. I have one question though…At what age do the plants stop producing, or do they just skip a year sometimes? (hmmm reads like 2 questions!) I particularly like my pineapples with the mangoes we grow with a drizzle of honey. mm mmm!
Hi there,
I’ve just into pineapple planting stuff. I planted a crown a couple of years ago. And it grows to almost 4ft in diameter and more that 2ft in height. But it does not fruit or flower yet.
It was stuck in water for almost a month due to flood but it stills remain healthy. Some leaves turns reddish or brown.
This lately I decided to put it in the higher place. And it is now ok. With this big pineapple plants, how can I make it fruit faster? The plant is almost 2 yrs old now and it is really huge.
Thank you guys and I love this site and it really are helpful. By the way I am from Philippines.
Thanks in advance.
Just must share this with all ……. I have just picked and eaten my first ever pineapple and it was great ! What a thrill !
Thanks for all the help and comments over the last few months .
It took a year from planting to bear fruit and another 8 months untill it was ready to pick . I have several more plants growing and can`t wait to see what they bring ! They are all individuals .
Thank you again …….. AnnieQ
Hiya i have a pineapple plant which i just purchased (I live in the UK), i bought it cheap because nobody seems too know what the problem with it is, its currently got a pineapple growing on it, but all the leaves have got brown tips and some leaves are brown half way from tip to base, can you help me, is this normal do i need to cut the brown bits off. hope to hear from you soon. many thanks dan p.s i can send ou a picture if you want to see.
Hey I was wondering what fruit is the one in the picture under the heading. Please let me know. Thanks.
I took a dried up top of a pineapple with about an inch of flesh still on it, stuck it in the ground, watered it every day and it was growing fine within a week. This top had been sitting around for at least 2 weeks because I had forgotten about it. Just makes me wonder where all this soaking requirement before planting comes from. I didn’t use any rooting hormone or any fertilizer. It’s pretty big now and looks fine but its only been about 8 months so I don’t expect anything from it for a while. Is this just luck that it rooted?
Is there a best time that you should plant the crown of a pineapple. I planted one in july, which is one of the hottest times of the year here in seattle. Also how long after planting in soil does it take to grow the fruit?
I have around 10 plants growing outside in the ground surrounding the house. I live in West Central Florida and all I ever do is cut the top off and plant it in the ground, and they grow fine for me. i put a little fertilizer on them when I remember. I had one large fruit last year that someone decided they needed worse than me. Beautiful thing, Honesty in America. This year I have two smaller fruit and I guess I should get them before the squirells, rats, or people do. They are yellow, from reading above I suppose they are ready to eat.
I have just planted my pineapple plants outside in Florida. There are a vast number of snails clinging to the leaves,will this hinder the growth? How do I keep them off?
Hi Randy
See http://hortchat.com/info/category/insectspests/slugs for ideas as to how to get rid of them.
Do the pineapple plants produce more than one pineapple? We grow and sell them with the fruit on them and have eaten some, but am not sure if they keep producing or not.
I have been trying to grow a pineapple for about 3 years and nothing. First it was looking great with the roots very long inside water. Then decided to transfer to a pot. We left it in the front garden under the sun. Then I noticed that the fert. in the pot looked like mud. Checked it and it seemed it got too much water and the dirt got harder with the excess water. Checked it even closer and the plant lost all of its’ roots. I started panicking and went running to the local home gardening store and com some new fert. and bigger pot, then transferred. It slowed down the withering but slowly but surely some leaves are dying.
I live here in Lancaster,ca where it is either hot or cold, windy or dry, not optimal conditions to leave a pineapple outside. So now I have it indoors again next to the window with all day sunlight.
I freaking out here because somehow I have become attach to this plant and don’t want it to die. It needs more humidity. How do I do that? but a clear plastic bag over it?
What should I do?
my pineapple is starting to have yellowish whitish parts on the leaves I live in south florida what can I do to resolve this problem
Pebble tray
A clear plastic bag can work but if the sunlight is hot then it will cook the plant. In order to get more humidity you can temporarily mist aroung the plant or mist the leaves in the morning to raise humidity.
The way that I’d recommend to raise the humidity around your plant is to put it on a tray filled with rocks with water filled up to just under the top of the rocks. The water evaporates raising the humidity level. You can also place the tray next to the plant if you don’t want it under the plant.
Check that the soil is well draining. If the roots are dying then they probably aren’t getting enough air. Does the soil drain well staying only slightly moist for a day or two. Regular potting soil with perlite will drain well. I hope this helps.