🍍 Pineapple / Piña / Ananas
Ananas comosus
🆔 ID Confidence
99 % (App: PlantNet)
🌱 Variety
unknown
Notes on variety: unknown
📝 General Description
Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical bromeliad cultivated for its sweet and aromatic fruit.
It grows best in well-drained soil with good sun exposure and thrives in warm, humid climates.
On our finca, it is planted both in open sun and semi-shaded areas.
Pineapples are slow-growing and typically take 15–24 months to produce fruit.
Once the fruit is harvested, the plant will not fruit again, but can produce suckers for propagation.
🌾 Soil and Climate Preferences
Pineapples grow best in well-drained, slightly acidic soils (pH 4.5–6.5), such as sandy loam or light clay.
They are highly sensitive to waterlogging, which can cause root rot and heart rot.
Raised beds or gentle slopes are ideal.
They prefer full sun, but can tolerate partial shade, especially in hot lowland tropics.
Consistent warmth (20–30 °C) and moderate humidity support healthy growth.
In very wet zones, mulch helps regulate moisture and prevent erosion.
Pineapples are drought-tolerant once established but benefit from regular rainfall or light watering during fruit formation.
🌱 Propagation and Replanting
We propagate pineapples mainly in two ways:
🔁 Top replanting
If the fruit is excellent and we want to preserve its genetics, we cut off the crown just below the base.
– The crown is cleaned, and if not fully dried, placed in water for a few days until root bumps appear.
– It is then planted in a hole approx. 8–12 cm deep, with good soil and a bit of sand, and finally mulched.
🌿 Sucker selection
When side shoots (suckers) appear, we select the strongest ones.
– They are removed carefully and replanted using the same method as above.
We prioritize vigorous plants with good fruit quality for propagation.
✂️ Harvest Notes
Pineapples do not ripen significantly after harvest – they do not produce ethylene and will not become sweeter once cut.
However, they can become softer and more aromatic over a few days.
On our finca, we harvest pineapples when the lower fruit eyes start turning yellow and the fruit emits a sweet smell.
Some growers wait until the entire fruit turns golden, but this increases the risk of animal damage.
Always cut the fruit with a clean, sharp knife close to the base.
Do not pull or twist, as this may damage the plant and future suckers.
🐛 Pests / Diseases / Care Methods
- Watch for mealybugs
- Remove dried leaves regularly
- Disinfect tools with alcohol to prevent fungal infections
🍽️ Use (Culinary / Medicinal / Other)
The sweet and tangy fruit is eaten fresh, used in juices, smoothies, jams, or fermented into vinegar or chicha.
It also works well in cooked dishes such as pineapple curry, stir-fry, or grilled slices.
The core is fibrous but edible and can be used in vinegar or boiled down.
The skin and trimmings can be fermented or composted.
In traditional medicine, pineapple is sometimes used to aid digestion due to its bromelain content, an enzyme that breaks down protein.
🧭 Remarks / Observations
Pineapples require patience: they typically take 15–24 months from planting to harvest.
Fruit development speeds up slightly in sunny, well-drained locations.
After fruiting, the mother plant does not bear again but produces suckers that can be replanted.
In some cases, multiple suckers appear before or after harvest.
🧭 Linked Individual Plants / Field Locations
There are currently several pineapple plants on the finca.
You can find individual records with observations and updates here:
More entries will be added as new plants are propagated or discovered during field walks.