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mattyg515

Pineapple newbie

MattyG515
12 years ago

Hey all!

I saw a pineapple plant/tree at a local store that had a 6-8 inch pineapple growing on it and thought it would be incredibly fun to grow. Only problem is, I know NOTHING about growing pineapple. So, would any of you be willing to school me up on it? I live one SE Washington z5b. Don't be afraid to break it down Barney style for me. What kind of potting mix should I use? Watering habits? I promise my ego won't be hurt if you treat me like a 4 year old lol I just want to be successful in it if I give it a go so any and all help is greatly appreciated.

-Matty

Comments (3)

  • dellis326 (Danny)
    12 years ago

    It would be fun but keep in mind that pineapples are one trick ponies, after fruiting they die.

    Anyways, you'll want to keep it well watered but if the soil it comes home with you in is a heavy peaty type of soil there can be issues with rot. You can un-pot the plant and take all the soil off and either mix it with orchid bark, perlite, diatomaceous earth floor drying products or gravel and repot it or better yet repot it in a better mix without any peat at all.

    I keep mine in a mix of compost(very small amount) shredded wood chips and floor dry and perlite and water it enough to keep it sitting in an inch or so of water for days at a time however I grow mine in what could be called semi-hydroponics so there is lots of air in the root zone at all times. if you do this with soil you will be asking for trouble. You can see a photo of mine on the pineapple thread from a few days ago.

    Lots of sun, Grown in a field on the farm, they get 12 hours of sun and not a lot of temperture variation (In the tropics) They take 12 to 18 months to mature. so give it as much sun as you can. Keep it warm, they'll stop growing if you let it cool down but I don't think a slight chill will hurt them any. I've had them outside here in Chicago down into the 40s and they've recovered with only a few dead leaves. Cold and wet will probably kill them.

    Feed it once a month with a good quality fertilizer to the roots. You'll hear different opinions about pouring water down the center of the pineapple into the little cup that the leaves form, I used to do that but I stopped due to the size of mine, It's now too hard to reach it and I risk loosing an eye trying to get close enough to do it. I believe that because I can't give it enough sun it doesn't flower and fruit so it just keeps getting bigger.

    Ask if you have any other questions

    Danny

    Here is a link that might be useful: The other pineapple thread

  • tondajoe
    12 years ago

    "It would be fun but keep in mind that pineapples are one trick ponies, after fruiting they die."

    Is this true for the smaller versions? (non ediable)

  • dellis326 (Danny)
    12 years ago

    I believe all Bromeliads will die after blooming.

    Often they will produce pups which you can keep growing after the mother plant dies off.

    Either way, Pineapples are so easy to start from a grocery store fruit just enjoy the plant and when it goes, grow a new one.