What kind of fertilizer for pineapples

References 1. Fruits — Google Scholar 3. Trop Agric Trin —50 Google Scholar 4. Exptl Agric — Google Scholar 5. Trop Agric Trin —34 Google Scholar 6. Techn Bull 5, 83 pp 8. Trop Agric Trin —78 Google Scholar 9. Government Printer, Nigeria, 56 pp Google Scholar Acta Hortic — Google Scholar Gartenbauwiss — Google Scholar Hort Res —74 Google Scholar Adv Agron — Google Scholar Download references.

Author information Author notes J. Obiefuna Present address: School of Agric. Ucheagwu Authors J. Obiefuna View author publications. The flower petals are white at their bases to violet-blue at their tips. Each flower is surrounded by a hairy bract. Generally, the first flowers open 50 or so days after flower induction and flowering continues for 20 to 40 days. Usually one to 10 flowers open daily beginning around midnight and close the following evening. Pineapple plants are self-incompatible, meaning pollen from the same variety will not result in seed production and seedy fruit.

However, growing several varieties next to each other that flower simultaneously may result in seedy fruit. To prevent seed formation, either grow only one variety or induce flowering at different times. The fruit of pineapple is a seedless syncarp. A syncarp is a fruit derived from the fusion of many individual flowers into one fruit. The fruit consists of the fused ovaries, bases of sepals and bracts, and cortex of the central core. When fruit are mature ready to pick , the individual fruitlets flatten and the peel color begins to change from green to yellow progressively from the base to the top of the fruit.

Fruit may weigh up to 5 lbs 2. Ripe fruit have a yellow-green to yellow peel and pleasant aroma. The pulp is yellow to golden yellow, sweet, and juicy.

There are many variants of these pineapple varieties. Not as widely available as 'Smooth Cay- enne'. Leaves are spiny. Fruit weigh 2 to 4 lbs 0. Fruit have a squarish shape. MD-2 'Del Monte Gold'. This variety and 'Tropical Gold' are common in the grocery stores throughout the US.

In general, leaves are about 3 feet long 0. Fruit weigh 3 to 4 lbs 1. Fruit are cylindrical in shape with square shoulders and a high sugar and low acid content; high vitamin C content.

One of the most widely grown varieties in the world. Leaves are about 3 feet long 0. Fruit weigh 5 to 6 lbs 2. Fruit are cylindrical in shape and with high sugar and acid content. Not as widely available as 'Smooth Cayenne'. Fruit weigh 2 to 3 lbs 0. Keeps well after ripening. Leaves are about 3 feet long with some spines near the tip. Leaves are smooth. Pineapple plants are best adapted to the warmest areas of Florida, along the southeast and southwest coasts.

However, pineapple plants are grown in protected locations and landscapes throughout Florida. The time from planting to harvest depends upon the cultivar, cultural practices, and temperature; it ranges from 18 to 24 months. Cool and Freezing Temperatures. Some protection may be obtained by covering outdoor pineapple plants with an insulating material such as blankets or mulch. Plants grown in containers may be taken inside.

Pineapple plants are tolerant of dry soil and weather conditions; however, plant growth and fruit production will be reduced. Symptoms of drought develop slowly but include wilting of the older leaves, leaf color change from dark to pale green, then yellow and red, and curling of the leaf margins.

Pineapple plants are not tolerant of excessively or continuously wet or flooded soil conditions. Generally, growth and production are reduced and susceptibility to root rot is increased, which may lead to plant death. In general, pineapple plants are tolerant of windy conditions, although some reduction in plant growth and fruit stalk toppling may occur.

Symptoms of wind stress include browning of the leaf tips and margins. Hurrican- force winds may cause toppling or uprooting. Saline Conditions. Wind-borne salt spray results in blackish spots near the tips of leaves. Pineapple are typically propagated from new vegetative growth from the original mother plant. There are four types of common planting material: the crown of the fruit; slips and hapas, which arise from the stalk below the fruit; suckers, which arise from the leaf axils of leaves; and ratoons, which arise from underground portions of the stem.

Slips originate from the fruit stalk below the fruit and have a characteristic curve to the base of the leaves. Hapas are similar to slips but develop well below the base of the fruit and do not have the characteristic curve at the base of the leaves.

Slips and hapas should be left on the peduncle for several weeks after harvesting the fruit to develop a usable size for planting. Suckers develop along the bases of the leaves and should be left on the plant after fruit harvest to develop usable size for planting.

The central stem may also be used to propagate new plants and is usually cut into several pieces. In all cases, the larger the crowns, slips, hapas, suckers, and stem pieces, the more rapid the growth and time to fruiting after planting. At 12 to 16 months, use 3 to 6 ounces. After 16 months, use 17 to 24 ounces of fertilizer every eight weeks. You can also feed your pineapple with a liquid fertilizer that is sprayed on the leaves.

This is called foliar feeding. These should be applied every 8 to 10 weeks. Liquid fertilizer should have about the same NPK and Mg ratio as dry fertilizer. Two or three times a year, you can also use a foliage spray that contains zinc and manganese.

Some of these sprays may also contain iron. In the case of deficiency in the amount of magnesium it brings problems like in the fruit such as lack of sugar, acidity and flavor. In this way it will be possible to create a fertilization plan in the short and medium term capable of getting the most out of the plantation.

In the case of garden pineapple plants , where we are not interested in obtaining large production, but rather a rather decorative plant, we can do without very complex soil analysis. Although at least a quick ph analysis would be very convenient to perform. Remember that he likes acid soils. If you are reading this post, you will probably be interested in learning about fertilizing these other plants. If we have to talk about nutrientes and fertilization for a plant, there is a concept that we cannot fail to mention, and this is the NPK values.

They are three numbers responsible for indicating the concentration of nutrients in a fertilizer. In general, the rest of the total weight is completed by other nutrients and additives from the fertilizer itse. During the life of the pineapple there are two different types of fertilizers that can be applied to improve the development of this plant.

These are balanced NPK fertilizers and micronutrient fertilizers. Although also in less demanding plantations or in garden plants we can make use of organic fertilizers. We have separated them between commercial and organic. Among the balanced fertilizers we can recommend the or mixtures. Depending on which one we are going to use, the application dose will change we will see this in the next section. These fertilizers can be applied as foliar fertilizer or granular fertilizer in the soil.

When looking for micronutrient fertilizers, buy those with zinc, manganese, and iron. There are several formats, although for this plant the most common is to look for a foliar spray fertilizer.