Pineapple

Pineapple: plant 50 cm (20 in) apart in the row and 70 cm (28 in) between rows, 1 plant per 3 squares. Good neighbours: Marigold, Basil, Lemongrass.

Key facts

Spacing in the row	50 cm (20 in)
Between rows	70 cm (28 in)
In a 30 cm (1 ft) square	1 plant per 3 squares
Sun	Full sun, 6–8 hours a day
Root depth	25 cm (10 in)
Height when grown	90 cm (35 in)
Crop rotation group	Herbs, flowers and perennials
Support	None needed

How it is started	From cuttings, from a bought plant
Cuttings per planting hole	1
When to plant	Outdoors after the last frost; soil at least 18 °C

Takes transplanting	Only with care, keep the root ball
Hardening off	10–14 days
Life cycle	Tender perennial, grown as an annual where it freezes
Cold tolerance	Tender, hurt by frost
Soil	Light, sandy, free draining, pH 4.5–6
In a pot	15 L, 30 cm (11.8 in)
Watering	Water when the soil is dry two fingers down; while growing
Feeding	Moderate; in spring, while growing
Support and training	None needed

Days to first harvest	1.5–2 years, from planting
Ready when	It smells sweet at the stem
Harvest window	All at once, 1–2 weeks
Typical yield	1–2 kg per plant
Botanical family	Bromeliaceae
Watch out for	Scale insects, root rot in wet soil
First crop after	2 years
Pollination	Fruits on its own

◐ good with a condition · Why, with the sources →

Open the free planner, drop Pineapple onto a bed and see how many plants fit.

Plant out	May
Harvest	Jul–Sep

My country Last spring frost where I live

Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.

Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.

Crops that need about the same room and care, from another family.