This comprehensive guide will explain how to grow pineapples from either pineapple tops or plants, all the way to harvest and everything you need to know in between. I think pineapples are one of the easiest fruits you can grow as a backyard home gardener. They are part of the bromeliad family, so I treat them more like a houseplant instead of a finicky fruit tree that requires lots of care. I don't prune or fertilize them, they are growing in my native sandy soil without any compost or added nutrients. They don't have any real pest or disease issues - except that critters will try to eat them.
Pineapples take 18-24 months to produce a pineapple, but its totally worth it in my opinion because the flavor of a home grown, ripened on the plant pineapple far surpasses anything you can buy at the grocery store. The sugar content is more developed which gives a more intense and sweeter flavor. Unlike the grocery store pineapples which are harvested early before they reach their full maturity.
If your limited in growing space, its not the best idea to dedicate space to a crop that gets kind of big and only produces once a year. But if you have room, or you can even grow them in containers indoors like a house plant - then why not? I have a very small garden and started growing my pineapple patch under palm trees in my front yard. This area is not suitable for growing any other edible crops but the pineapples thrive. Also, I live in a HOA community and cant garden in the front of my house so I get away with planting some pineapples since they look very ornamental.
Check out the video version of this guide here:
Pineapple Cultivar Selection
There are quite a few interesting varieties of pineapples beyond the standard yellow grocery store variety. When your shopping for pineapple plants (which by the way I sell some of the more unique varieties on my website), or thinking about growing your own from a pineapple top, there are some differences that you should consider.
- Differences in color - standard pineapples have a yellow flesh. But there are also pink and white varieties too.
- Differences in size - The pineapples sold the grocery store tend to be really big jumbo sizes while others are a little bit smaller. Examples of the most common commercial varieties include "Smooth Cayenne" and "Elite Gold"
- Thornless - Pineapple leaves look like bromeliad leaves but with tiny serrated spines all along the edges. This is very annoying when it comes to harvest time or tending the garden area around them. There are some cultivars that are thornless. An example is the "Florida Special" pineapple.
- Coreless - standard pineapples have a tough core that is inedible - although some people eat it anyways. Personally I don't like to eat the core so I cut mine out. There are some cultivars that are coreless and you can eat the whole thing. Examples include 'White Jade" and "Sugar Loaf".
- Sweetness - Some cultivars have less acid and therefore a sweeter flavor. An example is 'White Jade" which is also coreless and spineless. Its a highly sought out variety for these reasons.
- Cold hardiness - In general, pineapple plants stop growing once temperatures fall below 50F. They get serious cold damage once temperatures drop below freezing 32F. Some pineapple cultivars were bred to withstand a little more cold than others. For example - the "Florida Special" pineapple was developed by Libby Company to withstand temperatures down to 30F without fruit damage. With that said, pineapples should grow just fine without any cover during the winter in South USA garden zones 9-11. Any zones below 9 will either have to cover your plants or bring them in doors during the winter.
If you have a favorite pineapple variety please comment below and let me know why.
How Many Pineapples Will Each Plant Produce?
Some pineapple plants, depending on variety and how old the "mother plant" is, can produce up to three pineapples. Then the plant is done and will die back. This is similar to bananas - once the stalk produces a bunch of bananas it wont produce anymore so its best to cut the stalk down after harvest. However, pineapple plants produce a lot of suckers that can be used to propagate more plants or allowed to continue growing on the "mother plant" to produce another pineapple. Suckers grow in between leaves, under the ground, or even right under any pineapples forming on the plant.
How To Propagate Grocery Store Pineapples
- Get a pineapple from the grocery store. Cut off the pineapple and remove 2-3 inches of the bottom most leaves from the pineapple top.
- 2. Take the pineapple top and root in water. In just a few weeks they grow a whole root system and are ready for transplanting. I also have planted the pineapple top straight into the ground and they still root and grow just fine.
- It will take 18-24 months to start producing depending on the variety and growth conditions. Or purchase some plants if you want to start harvesting sooner.
Ideal Growing Conditions For Pineapples
- Sun Requirements - In high heat zones 8 and up, I find that pineapples do much better in a spot that gets bright morning sun with some afternoon shade. Another gardener told me that in Hawaii they grow pineapples on the side of mountains so they do get some shade. If you notice the leaves are very yellow, instead of green, its probably because its getting too much sunlight. If your in more temperate zones (and probably growing it in containers because you have cold winters), then it can handle full sun.
- Soil Requirements - Everything grows best in soil with lots of composted organic matter, but you can still grow pineapples in poor soils like my native sandy soil here in FL. Just toss some fertilizer every now and then. Pineapple plants have shallow root systems and grow great in containers.
- Water - Only water once the soil has dried out completely. To be honest, I don't water my pineapple plants at all. Florida has a dry period which is usually December thru March, followed by a rainy season. So the pineapples do fine. But if you live in an area that is very dry or gets little rain, like California you will have to monitor the soil for moisture and make sure it doesn't dry out for long periods of time.
- Fertilizer - I barely fertilize my pineapple plants and they still produce decent sized pineapples. If you want larger pineapples, then fertilize in small doses with an all purpose fertilizer (like Espoma or Jobe's organic granular fertilizers) about once a month.
Pineapple Plant Care Tips, Pests, & Diseases
- Pruning - Pruning is not really necessary. If your growing it indoors or brining it inside for the winter, its ok to cut down some of its long leaves.
- Pests - Pineapples are subject to common pests that affect houseplants like aphids, mealy bugs, scale, and beetles. Spray with insecticidal soap to control these pests.
- Diseases - The most common disease is root or stem/top rot caused by over watering. They don't like too much water. There really is no cure for these issues so the best treatment is prevention. Plant pineapples in a spot that has great drainage or in containers. Allow the soil to dry out in between watering.
- Critters - Pineapples that are ripening up on the plant smell deliciously sweet and will attract all kinds of animals, rodents, and birds. The only way to stop them is by protecting the pineapple by creating some kind of barrier. Use netting or flip mesh trash cans over the top of the pineapples as they are growing on the plant. Please comment below if you have any great ideas for protecting pineapples.
How And When To Harvest Pineapples
Ideally, you would want to allow the pineapple to turn completely golden yellow before cutting off the plant. However, this can be challenging if there are lots of critters trying to eat the pineapple. In those instances, it is ok to harvest them just as they start to turn yellow.