I have one that's about 1.2m and about as old as yours. In the field they have full sun for 12 hours a day and no cold weather so they grow and fruit in about a year and a half.

All I can say is that mine is constantly growing once the weather turns warm, I do grow it indoors but it gets cool during the winter, unfortunately I can only give in 4 or 5 hours of sun a day and since it is growing well all I can guess is that it need more sun to bloom and fruit.

do they have any problems with 2 much water? Its very hot here but in the morning the temp drops a little and we get a heavy dew that settles. do you think it would be ok outdoors in the summer?

It loves the heat outdoors in the summer! They dont mind water as long as it has a good draining soil. I lose mine as soon as it starts getting chilly outside (like 40s). Dont put it in full sun right away or it will die (since it is not used to full sun after being indoors for so long). Once ready to handle sun, it can take quite a bit of it! They are bromelaids so they love heat, and mositure and will die if completely dried out.

I keep mine wet all the time but I have in a very fast draining media and grown using semi-hydroponics so it always sits in water.

Do not do that if yours is growing in regular soil!

Once the flower starts to grow it'll take 3 to 6 months to get a fruit out of it so you might want to wait until next year.

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beautiful. whats the vine to the right of it. the one that has the veins. its very nice looking

The plant just to the right and sorta behind the pineapple is a begonia but I don't know what species it is. It has thick stems and stands up on its own, not a vineing type. It grows like a weed and I have to chop it down once or twice a year.

I grew one from a top, the leaves will be longer and thinner than the ones on the islands as they are searching for light in northern zones. About 7 years later it bloomed and fruited very nicely. Not as big as a store-bought fruit, but about the size of a softball and was the best pineapple I ever tasted! The plant died soon after we picked the fruit. The blooms are really cool, tiny purple flowers in-between ridges of the small leaves on the bud. We were in shock that it actually bloomed. To be honest, not sad that it's gone because the leaves were quite sharp and it often poked guests!

They love heat, humidity, moderate water, air circulation.
A little luck helps. I grow mine in plastic tubs.

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I grow the whites as I like them the best. Give them full sun, 2" of rain a month, Triple 16 twice a year (make sure NOT to get any in the leaf axils). After the fruit is mostly yellow, pick it, let it ripen for a day or so. Continue growing the plant as it will put up keikis (offsets) to continue the line. The older the keikis are (and larger), the early they will fruit. Good Luck!

We had a presentation at the Tropical fruit club from a D*** grower. In simple terms it is appx an 18mo cycle. To get fruit the 2nd year you need to start your tops or offsets in feb or march. Use slightly acid sandy or well draining soil no sphagnum moss. Use 12'' pots if you have nematodes he recommended pots only in Fl. Fertilize monthly with 20-0-0 for the first 6 months 20-0-20 second six months a foliar is best. If the plant is waist high by the time we get cold weather you should have a fruit by spring. If the plant is too large when you get cold weather it will never fruit. Keep water off the fruit when it is in flower and stop fertilizer. The lower temp. is the key to when it fruits.
The fruit is ripe when you can easily snap the fruit off.
Is is at its peak the moment you harvest, It begins to lose sugar content right then.

mine is from a top 3 years old plant this winter i forgot the plant in my green house all winter with no water and now i got this surprise

mine is from a top 3 years old plant this winter i forgot the plant in my green house all winter with no water and now i got this surprise