joanna1aviles@
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Sick pineapple plant

I am need of some help. I have had this pineapple plant for 1.5 years, after the first year it startes becoming less green, the leaves started to close shut, is very brittle and started getting these spots. Ive read up on so many websites and tried spraying it with diluted soapy water, fertilizing it, changing the soil, letting it dry a bit (thinking maybe over watering was a reason) etc. Nothing has worked. Does this look familiar to anyone? I don't know what it is and don't know where to take it to get more info on how to treat it. I'm thinking it has a plague of some sort. the heart and roots are in good condition, not the leaves and it has stopped growing. Its still alive but getting worse. Any help is great! Thanks in advance!
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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I have several pineapple plants of various ages 1-3 years, one of which has fruited and I’m hoping it will grow offsets and pups — but I have to say I have not seen the blotchy marks yours show before, although they do look somewhat like water blisters (oedema) to me which occcurs from uneven — excessively dry, followed by too much — watering.

My feeling is that this pot is way too big. Your plant to me looks dehydrated. Even though you say the roots are healthy, perhaps it is not able to take up water?

Mine has always been grown in much smaller containers, preferably unglazed clay, though I do keep some of the smaller ones in plastic nursery pots after they have rooted and established a good root system — to protect them from completely drying out. I have always found them to have small root systems and to be generally drought tolerant. Needing only de-chlorinated water in their cups and occasional — once a month in the winter and once a week in the summer — thorough deep watering.

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Here is a post that has a good photo of the fruiting as well as some of my smaller pineapples in their pots — it occurs to me after re-reading this that another possible problem might have been sunburn if you had put your plant outside in direct sun after keeping it indoors.

:arrow: Subject: Is this pineapple going to be big enough to bloom next year?
applestar wrote:I FINALLY put the baby Pineapple outside today. I have other plants still inside, hanging on, but not happy.

Pineapple will stay here on the layover picnic table in the dense shade of the mulberry and will be acclimated before it will be put somewhere more appropriate.

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joanna1aviles@
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The pot is big, however I do have a pot riser inside as well, so the plant is technically in a pot 1/2 to 1/3 its size. I dod start noticing the leaves becoming almost burned so I now have it in the shade at all times and have been watering it every week yet 6 months has passed and it looks exactly the same if not a bit worse. I'm thinking it is sick but not sure. Then again the theory if the roots not soaking up enough water seem pretty logical. Would call for the leaves burning since its not soaking enough water to nourish its leaves. Thank you for your insight. I do have another and it doing great. Still sticking it out for this one though, its my first born lol

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

The pineapple should be much bigger at this age even if it was grown from a crown. I think the blotches are scale. Insects like to attack weak plants. Pineapples are bromeliads. They have a small fibrous root system and grow well in pots. They do not require a lot of water and they prefer their water and fertilizer in the leaves. Since they can be easily burned, you can use compost tea, fish emulsion or miracle grow for your fertilizer. I use fish emulsion only in the beginning while the leaves are maturing then I switch to miracle grow because of the high phosphorus, potassium and micronutrients. They do prefer to be in the sun but can grow in partial shade in hot climates.

The pineapple fields were in the higher elevations of 800 ft but out in full sun. They like slightly acidic conditions. They grow better from ratoons (offsets), tops will take longer to fruit.



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