Dr. Manners, you say fertilize pineapple with a dilute fertilizer solution. I have grown a large bed of pineapples for some years, and fertilize them with a 300 PPM N solution using a 25-5-15 W/TM fertilizer. They seem to do fine, as I get a lot of fruit. What PPM is normally recommend? - Millet (1,221-)

Millet, I don't think they're terribly picky. We never calculate ppm for them, but traditionally use 1-2 tsp of 20-10-20 or similar. I have no particular reason for doing that, other than that it seems reasonable and safe.
Malcolm

Dr. Manners, thank you. Comment: Home grown pineapples that are retained on the plant until they become fully ripe (golden in color) are a LOT better tasting than the commercial pineapples that must be picked while still somewhat green, so they ship well. The sugar content of a fully ripe pineapple is much higher. The difference between a commercial pineapple, and a home grown plant ripened pineapple, is about the same difference as a home grown vine ripened tomato, and a commercial store tomato. - Millet (1,221-)

A neighbour living 15km from my house have heated greenhouse as we live on 50gradus of north.He grow many ananases some dwarf sort ,each his fruit have about 2kg of weight ripens in november-december.
Jan Kola, Czech Republik

I've tried to root pineapples not once - and so far without any success. The tops have nearly always started to root - if not from the bottom then from the top. True enough, I've always cut (not twisted) tops off from the fruit - but I'd be very surprised if this were the reason of my success. Before planting, I had kept them dry for several days - probably not long enough.

What is the proper temperature for rooting them? Maybe I should give an another try...

Harri.

I don't know about temperature, I started my first outdoors in October, but they do not need a lot of water. You can pour some water down the center and the plant will get all it needs thru the base of the leaves.

Best way ot start a pineapple is to twist the top off, peel an inch or 2 of the bottom leaves. Let that dry for 10 days to 2 weeks--(it will actually live much longer) and then plant it.

I managed to get three to produce roots early last year. Have had three or four that have proved to be dead on arrival though.

Twist the tops, trim the bottom of the "core" a little until you can see the little white rootlets in the slices, pull a bunch of small leaves off from around the base and set it on a warm window sill with the bottom in a jamjar full of water.. much as you might do for an avocado. The white rootlets should grow until they are 2 or 3 inches long and then put them into well draining soil/compost in a large pot in a sunny spot.

Do not leave them out so they get killed by the frost as I did, got caught by an very early bad frost here, killed them stone dead.

Richard