The critters go for the smell. When you start noticing a sweet pineapple aroma arrond that's the time to keep an eye on the fruit. I've heard you can cut off the fruit when it's 30% yellow but I always wait till it's completely yellow/ripe. Lost two pineapples last year to possum more likely.

The amount of sun they get must have a lot to do with it.

i had planted a top from a store bought fruit 3 yrs ago, and it has yet to produce any fruit. Its been growing nicely, just no fruit.

greenman62, I put mine in the garage for a few months (winter time) and most of them set flowers. Last year I left some outside and some went to the garage and guess what... they started to send flowers. The outside ones did not. So, I moved them in and in a couple of weeks, they were flowering too. Go figure. My pineapples get a lot of sun.

I have small pineapples (about 8 plants) growing on my year old cut-off tops too -- I also live in Orlando and was surprised myself. The possums always grab them before I do though. I'm going to devise some kind of cage.

I'm curious, have any of you who had such fast fruiting cut tops actually recorded the time from cutting the top to fruiting? Are you rooting in water or in a pot? I'm not doubting you but two folks with such extraordinary results is so far from typical I have to ask.

I have had over 30 plants and currently have four varieties, 10 are from cut store tops, the rest from suckers or bought tissue culture and not one has fruited in less than two+ years, but I record when I cut them, again when I put them in the ground and again when they flower. Here in so. Fla. it takes a minimum of a month or two to get a decent root system in a coffee mug and longer if rooted in ground. Initially it is also typical to get leaf die back until the new roots take over from transplant shock.

Pineapple plants are pretty slow growers and the ones I have that fruit are rather LARGE by the time they fruit. In one year (or less) my plants are still dinky.

Anyway, here's a snippet from another site regarding store bought cut tops:

"Since pineapples are slow-growing plants, do not expect to see blooms
for at least two to three years, if at all."

From purdue.edu:

"The seedlings are planted when 15-18 months old and will
bear fruit 16-30 months later. Vegetatively propagated plants fruit in
15-22 months.

The Pineapple Research Institute in Hawaii has also
employed axillary buds at the base of crowns. Each crown segment may
develop 20 plantlets. This method has been adopted in Sri Lanka for
perpetuating superior strains but not for commercial cultivation because
the resulting plants require 24 months or more to fruit."

At any rate, it definitely is not typical for pineapple to fruit in less than two years, so anyone who grows the store tops should not expect any faster fruiting time.

Since pineapples are
slow-growing plants, do not expect to see blooms for at least two to
three years, if at all. It is possible, however, to encourage the
flowering of mature pineapple plants.

Anyone have pics of the 1 year old plants that fruited?

Hi Gnappi, I agree with you. It should take two years. It doesn't though. I don't root either. I cut off the top of an ordinary Costa Rican variety (forgot the name that they use, but it's all essentially the same variety I think in the Costa Rican market.) I then stick it straight in the dirt with no soil amendments and no roots at all. I water. That's it. No fertilizer either. I do have it on a slow drip irrigation that gets water twice a day at 2gph for five minute intervals. The result: fruiting pineapples in one year. I'll take some snaps and send them. Oh, the fruiting ones are in partial shade too to really make the story more unbelievable. Weird, but I'm not complaining.... :)

Makes no sense to me, but maybe the variety you found is more vigorous than those we get down here (Del Monte?) from Publix. Do you replant the tops off of the fruit that you get from your plants?

Yep, I just keep recycling. The ones I buy are the Costa Rican ones from Walmart; not Delmonte. It just has a tag that says Costa Rican Pineapples.

I plant mine from tops of my pineapples but the tops are way bigger than the store bought ones. Couldn't find the pics to prove that the plant was a year old (too many pics and no time, sorry), so you will have to believe me. )

My wife Suzanne and I live in Naples, Florida (Zone 10b), with a climate similar to Hawaii, a paradise for pineapples. To grow them in our garden, I created a 60-foot-long raised bed with old wooden railroad ties. I filled it with southern Florida's nutrient-poor sandy soil, which I acquired by digging holes in our garden when I made large water lily ponds for our goldfish. The soil in the raised bed is very porous and lets the summer's excessive rain pass through quickly, because pineapples can't survive in constantly moist soil.

We recently picked 38 large pineapples from this little "plantation," and are waiting for others to get big and ripe. We currently have 83 pineapple plants in the raised bed, after beginning with just five. We started those five by cutting the top inch or two off store-bought pineapples, including the crown of leaves, simply planting the tops directly in the sunny raised bed. Two years later each grew enough to produce a large fruit atop a short stem coming out of the center of the crown. Each plant will die after it fruits, but by then it would have already created a few baby plants next to it. By planting those babies we were eventually able to start our own pineapple plantation.Raising pineapples is just one of the topics taught in the free gardening classes in our Gardeners of Southwest Florida group. Other classes, often taught by professional horticulturists, cover a different gardening subject each time. The classes are given in the garden of a different group member every time, so that those who attend can learn about the class host's favorite plants and gardening techniques. Everything in the group is totally free: instant membership, informative classes, plant exchanges, light snacks, soft drinks, etc. We pay all the expenses ourselves to help Floridians become better gardeners.Over 1,300 families with gardens around Naples and Fort Myers are currents members of the group, and more are always welcome. Hundreds of photos and full details of the 123 past classes and upcoming classes are on the group's extensive website at www.meetup.com/FloridaGardeners. The two-hour classes are scheduled on weekends two or three times a month throughout the year. People who attend will benefit by meeting many of the friendly gardeners like the ones below, posing for a group photograph after attending a recent class in our garden's screened enclosure.At right: Peter Kacalanos and Suzanne Cherney, Gardeners of Southwest Florida group leaders

I have grown two pineapple plants that have fruited in less then a year. They were tops to a store purchased pair of pineapples. Not sure what type of pineapples they are, but if anyone knows please let me know. I get from reading this thread that this is not possible. Trust me I researched this and I was certain that it takes more then 2 years. A friend asked me after started this project "How long will it take till it produces a pineapple?" Like a know-it-all I said more then two years, because that's what I have read. Few months later I got my first blossom then a pineapple started to form.

This one is further along than the one below it, but they were planted at the same time.

This one started to bloom about a month and a half ago. I believe I started this in October of 2016, at best I am a month off.

My pineapple is 8 years old and it never grew a fruit. We decided to keep it with hopes that one day it will decide to have some fruit. Can someone tell me what’s wrong with it?

Elena, nothing is "wrong" with it per se, although pineapples that don't get enough light tend to take forever to fruit. You can force it to fruit by placing apple peels around the plant and placing a bag over it for a while, the rotting peels release gas that encourage fruiting in pineapples.

We place an entire apple beside the base of the pineapple plant, Elena. Because your plant is growing in a pot, you should enclose the entire potted plant in a large clear plastic bag, and close the bag (underneath the pot for a more esthetic appearance). Then position it where the plant will get plenty of light but not in direct full sun, to avoid creating too much heat from the greenhouse effect.

As the apple ages, it produced ethylene gas which induces the plant to create a fruit, which will grow to become as large as the pineapples you buy in stores. Note that after you pick the fruit for eating, the plant will eventually die -- but not before it has produced one or more baby plants, each of which in two years will provide your next crop of pineapples.

You can get more details about growing pineapples and many other plants on our Gardeners of Southwest Florida group's extensive website at https://meetup.com/FloridaGardeners. Group membership, gardening classes, light refreshments and everything else in this large and helpful group is free, so welcome aboard.

I would suggest if you are hoping for fruit,, plenty of light and heat.

Check this out

https://www.medicinalplantsarchive.us/pineapple-fruit/chemically-induced-flowering.html

Yesterday I was given three suckers, detached moments before.
1) They are very large.
For plants of other kinds, I know to reduce the amount of vegetation on
cuttings so that less energy go to maintenance, more available for
generation of roots. I do not know whether to apply the same concept
to these "cuttings".

2) Some sources state that suckers should be left to dry
for a number of days before planting. How does dryness promote
root vigor (rationale given in one document) ?

Some of the lower leaves tend to curl under and prevent the bottom of the plant touching the soil, those can be trimmed. But otherwise, there's no need to reduce the amount of vegetation on the tops.

The reason for allowing them to dry off a bit is to allow the cut/broken part of the plant to heal over and prevent fungus or other pathogens from getting in. A few days of drying off doesn't hurt them.

Thanks.

Beneath every one of the many little lower leaves that I tore off
there are rather thick short roots partially encircling the stem.
Will they themselves be feeders? Feeders emerge from them?
Only stabilizers? Will many /all be useless?

This is happening! After 8 years it’s finally fruiting! I’m so excited! I relocated a pot to a more sunny side of a house and added a dripping line so it gets plenty of water and it worked! Thank you for all your advice!

Happy ending :) Enjoy!

I’m thinking how can I protect it from animals? I don’t want them to eat it before me

Cover the fruit.
Family Dollar store has wire baskets, office paper trash type,
you could lash one of them into place.

Congrats!! OMG 8 years! That was natural flowering I take it, no apples added?

Matt, no apples )) I relocated it to a more sunny side of a house and added a dripping line. I guess that made a trick lol Here’s my pretty pinapple today, does it look ready? It also gave about 4-5 side shoots. I’m not sure what to do with them. Im planning to replant them but I’m afraid to damage them.

Plant benefits by removal of suckers. Unnecessary to remove all;

and fruits form on its intact suckers. So, detach all except one or two.

How to detach : grasp sucker very close to its bottom, twist forcefully.

It pops out cleanly.

Four, can I plant them?

Yep that is one way to propagate pineapple .

Elena, my three are growing beautifully. For planting them, I tore off many little lower leaves, exposing thick short roots partially encircling the stem.

Thank you!

Elena, prompted by your report of 8yr-old plant, I did likewise. Dug it up, potted it in compost, watched it stay healthy then lugged all into full sun. Now, at 8 yrs, a bloom.

(The suckers that I started in August also have blooms.)

My cage formed from wastepaper basket :

(Ignore the white stiching around top; former use was as a compost seive, bottom rim of which was separating in places,)

I now have 4 pineapples, that came from the same plant! The fruit was delish! I cut a top and planted it as well.

Well, the cage was needed : racoon knocked pot off table last night.

And was effective : today I am eating the fruit.

How was the pineapple? Any pictures of the interior?

I'm considering growing a pineapple this Fall/Winter... get a head start indoors before bringing it outside in the Spring.

How was the pineapple : Plant of small-medium size. Fruit somewhat small, fairly even color pattern of strong gold patches surrounded by dark green borders, interior light yellow. Another plant's growing fruit was nearly ready two days ago, may be ready now; will shoot pictures for you.

Better to start yours now, the consideration being the probable season at harvest time..

This plant and fruit smaller than first. Fruit more thoroughly gold.

Non-uniform interior color.

Grown from last of three slips from same mother plant; reasonable to think that this one too will turn golden. Not yet a need for the cage. Right?

Wrong :

Different plant, the 8-yr-old about which I wrote earlier. Huge fruit (not ready).

This is how I found it tonight:

Not even a bit of stalk! Fruit's headdress nowhere in sight. I think of human, not animal; I would like your thoughts about that.

6 months after a flower has been noticed

6 more months awaiting for this one

16

16 months old in South

once my fruit gets close to picking, I tie the dollar Tree Mylar balloons to tent stakes around my plants. The raccoons and critters do not like the movement of the balloons and stay away from the plants. After losing fruit a couple years ago, I started using the balloons and it works and I haven’t loss any fruit since! Have loss a couple of balloons but they are cheap compared to losing my fruit! Good luck and happy pineapple growing!!

why my 3 years old pineapple plants do not fruit? should I kill the plants? or How to force them to bloom?

Here's the information we posted on this page two years ago, Norbert, about how we encourage pineapple plants to produce fruits:

We place an entire apple beside the base of the pineapple plant, Elena. Because your plant is growing in a pot, you should enclose the entire potted plant in a large clear plastic bag, and close the bag (underneath the pot for a more esthetic appearance). Then position it where the plant will get plenty of light but not in direct full sun, to avoid creating too much heat from the greenhouse effect.

As the apple ages, it produced ethylene gas which induces the plant to create a fruit, which will grow to become as large as the pineapples you buy in stores. Note that after you pick the fruit for eating, the plant will eventually die -- but not before it has produced one or more baby plants, each of which in two years will provide your next crop of pineapples.

You can get more details about growing pineapples and many other plants on our Gardeners of Southwest Florida group's extensive website at https://meetup.com/FloridaGardeners. Group membership, gardening classes, light refreshments and everything else in this large and helpful group is free, so welcome aboard.

No one answered the question "However I couldn't find specific information on how long it takes to go from this stage of flowering to fruit and then to ripen. Can someone please give me a general idea as to how long this takes?" Also petersuzanne2 the ethylene gas ripens fruit it does not cause the fruit to develop. CAN anyone answer the question??

There are many answers above. For some people they said after many years they still had no fruit. Some said 12 months, others said 18 months, etc. It varies according to climate and conditions. There is no "one answer".

Also you're quite wrong, ethylene does initiate flowering and fruiting in pineapples.