Growing Pineapple in a Pots : Pineapple Plant Care Indoors and Outdoors

This article focuses on how to grow a pineapple plant in pots at home. With the right care, you can successfully grow your own pineapple plant from the top of a store-bought fruit or a nursery-grown starter, that will grow fruit in 2-3 years after planting. My pineapple plant started from a top produced flower in 2 years in Sydney, Australia. Here is a detailed guide on growing pineapples in pots indoors or outdoors.

Potted Pineapple Plant

Selecting the Pineapple Plant

You can buy a pineapple starter plant from a nursery or you can use the top of a store-bought pineapple. How to grow pineapple from top

You can cut the top of the plant and root it in water.

Pot Size

Pineapples have shallow root systems, so they do not need deep pots. Start with a pot that is about 8-10 inches deep and at least 12 inches wide. When the plant outgrows its pot, repot it into a larger pot.

The pot should have drainage holes at its bottom, as roots of a waterlogged pineapple plant can rot and the plant may die.

Soil

The best potting soil for growing pineapples is a well-drainined slightly acidic soil with a pH between 4.5 to 6.5. A good potting mix should include a combination of sand, peat moss or organic compost or animal manure. This potting soil mixture ensures proper drainage.

Planting the Pineapple Plant

Place the dried or rooted pineapple top into the center of the pot and bury it about 1–2 inches into the soil. Firmly press the soil around the base to provide support.

If you have bought a pineapple plant from nursery, gently remove it from its pot and place it in the center of the new pot. Put soil around roots.

Water the soil lightly. Do not overwater as pineapples prefer slightly dry soil.

Pineapple Growing Time Span

Under optimal growing conditions, the pineapple plant has the following stages

Plant Maturity: 15 to 18 months after planting.
Flower and Fruit: 18 to 22 months after planting.
Harvesting: 28 to 32 months after planting.

Pineapple Plant Care

Sunlight and Temperature

Pineapples thrive in warm and sunny conditions as they are tropical plants. Place your potted pineapple plant where it can receive at least 6-8 hours of sunlight daily.

A sunny balcony or patio or windowsill is ideal location for pineapple plants growing indoors.

The ideal temperature for pineapple plants to thrive is between 18°C to 29°C (65°F to 85°F). They do not tolerant frost, so move the pot indoors during winter, if you live in a colder climate.

Watering

1. Pineapples are drought-tolerant and prefer slightly dry conditions. Water only when the top 2-3 inches of soil dries out. Water thoroughly until it drains out the bottom holes of the container, empty the water in saucer under the pot. Avoid waterlogging the soil.
2. Excessive watering can cause a plant to rot and die.
3. Do not water directly from the top at the center to prevent accumulating water at the growing tip of the plant, otherwise the plant may die.
4. It is better to water through the soil surface, bring the watering can or hose low so that the water.

Fertilizer

The pineapple plant needs essential nutrients for its proper growth and development, as any other plant. As you have mixed compost or chicken manure into the potting mix at the time of planting the top in the soil, the plant will not need fertilizer for a few months of growth.

Feed your pineapple plant with a fertilizer with a NPK 10:10:10 once a month. Sprinkle fertilizer along the rim of the pot and mix in soil. If growing in ground, fertilize 10 inch away from the central part of the plant.

Apply a nitrogen rich fertilizer for early growth. Then apply a potassium rich fertilizer right before flowering and food development to ensure bigger and juicy fruits. You can also feed a liquid fertilizer like Power Feed or Miracle Grow every 2 weeks during spring to summer when the plant is actively growing season.

Weed Control

Apply a layer of mulch on the soil to prevent weeds. You can apply sugarcane or coir dust mulch to discourage weeds but it may delay or prevent flowering. The use plastic mulch is better.

Pests and Diseases

Top rot and root rot may be the problem in prolonged wet weather in autumn and winter due to excessive water in soil that promotes soil fungi Phytophthora cinnamomi and P. nicotianae var. parasitica. The leaves turn orange-brown and will lose vitality due to root rot. Use good free-draining soil to improve drainage and spray a fungicide parodically. Use of plastic mulch can also prevent this disease.

Much of the root rot and fungal problem can be avoided if you put some turmeric powder or cinnamon powder in the hole at the time of planting the top in soil.

Mealybugs and red spider mites may attack leaf bases and cause wilt. Neem oil spray can get rid of them.

Pruning

Remove any dead or damaged leaves to maintain a tidy plant. Do not prune the top portion of the plant.

Pineapple Flowering

Pineapple Flowering

Forcing Pineapple to Flowers

The question is how to induce flowers on pineapple plant. If your pineapple plant fails to fruit even if it has reached its mature size, you can force it to flower. This can be done by the following methods:

1. When the plant is 18 months or older, cut down the light level and water to the plant for a couple of weeks. This may induce flowering, but some pineapples will dry out instead of flowering.
2. Exposing the plant to temperatures below 15°C (60°F) will trigger flowering.
3. You can put a pea-sized piece of calcium carbide into the center of the plant's rosette of leaves. The calcium carbide will react with water to release acetylene that will force pineapple to flowering and fruit.
4. 3 months before natural flowering time, farmers put a hormone, a-naphthaleneacetic acid (ANA) or B naphthalic acid (BNA) at the center of the plant's rosette of leaves, which will induce formation of ethylene, inducing flower.
5. You can place a small piece of rotten apple into the center of the plant's rosette of leaves. The apple releases ethylene forcing plant to flower. Alternatively, you can try banana peel water.

Fruit Size

The size of the pineapple fruit depends on the size of the plant, a larger plant will produce a larger fruit. If a plant flowers too early on a small plant, it will produce small fruit. To prevent flowering on a premature pineapple plant, cover the plant or move indoors, if temperatures falls below 15°C (60°F).

Harvesting the Pineapple

After the fruit develops, it can take 5–6 months to ripen fully. After the first fruit, the plant can fruit one or two times more at roughly two year intervals before the plant dies.

When the pineapple turns golden yellow and gives off a sweet fragrance, it’s ready to be harvested. Twist the fruit gently to remove it from the plant.

After harvesting, the plant may produce pups or side shoots, which can be replanted to start new pineapple plants.

Storing Pineapples

The pineapples may be stored for about 4-6 weeks. The storage life might be prolonged by dipping the fruits in a wax emulsion containing a suitable fungicide.

With the right pot, soil and care, you can enjoy a healthy plant and that will grow fruit in 2-3 years after planting.