Pineapple

Overview

Pineapple forms a rosette of stiff, spiny leaves and produces one fruit on a central stalk, followed by more fruit from side shoots. It needs little water and grows well in patches along sunny edges.

History

Native to South America and now grown throughout the tropics.

Growing on Kauaʻi

• Needs well-drained soil; rots in wet ground.
• Tolerates drought once established.

Planting and propagation

• Twist the leafy top off a ripe fruit, pull off the lower leaves, let it dry for a few days, and plant it 2–3 inches deep.
• Side shoots (suckers and slips) fruit sooner than tops.
• Space plants about 1–2 ft apart.

Care and maintenance

• Mulch between plants.
• After fruiting, keep one or two side shoots per plant for the next crop.

Role in the guild

Plant patches along sunny, dry edges of a guild, under a high, open canopy.

Harvest

Pick when the fruit smells sweet at the base and the skin begins to turn golden. Pineapples don’t get sweeter after picking.

Uses

• Food: fresh, juiced, grilled, or dried.
• Soil: old plants chopped as mulch.

Problems to watch

• Mealybug wilt; use clean planting material.
• Root rot in soggy soil.
• Rats on ripening fruit.

General guidance for Kauaʻi; conditions vary by site. Check any new plant at plantpono.org before planting.