Best pineapple 🍍 to grow in south Florida

[FRUITBOXHERO]

Hey fellas, looking to grow a few pinapples but I'm not a huge fan of cutting the tops off of store bought pineapples 🍍..... And where do I get it!
Thanks for you advice
        Joe

[Evildeadguy]

Hi here is a good place to get pineapple plants

http://wellspringgardens.com/products-2/oineapples

[Viking Guy]

Cutting the tops off is very effective though.

They start rooting within 48 hours with a high success rate.

Granted, that doesn't give you the unique varieties, however.

[FRUITBOXHERO]

Adam, I have the tops growing just want something better and different

[561MangoFanatic]

http://m.ebay.com/itm/PINEAPPLE-PLANT-COLLECTION-White-Jade-Sugarloaf-Florida-Special-/121657952646

Found this a couple weeks back & decided to try it since it was some of the varieties I was looking for. Wellspringsgardens looks great, thanks for posting!

[LivingParadise]

I had a good experience with Ken's Nursery. (I waited until the end of the season, around Sept or so, when everything was on sale and the plants were the biggest, to do several large orders.) They have a variety of pineapples, all of which will grow in SFL, and the plants were very large (but without fruit). I can't comment yet on which grows or tastes the best, because I haven't had them all that long and I've only tasted Royal Hawaiian and West African Sugarloaf from another supplier. But certainly Florida Special, which was talked about in another thread, will do well in FL. It might not end up being the one with the best taste though. But as long as you're willing to give them good soil, a number of varieties should grow well in SFL.

[simon_grow]

The White Pineapples are my favorite and you can probably find White Jade easily.

Simon

[gnappi]

So far to me all pineapples from cut and rooted store tops are basically equal in flavor if grown at home and ripened on the plant. Funny I do find them to have a nicer texture and sweeter flavor then their commercially sold parents likely because they arrive in the store green while mine are plant ripened. 

I have two each "white jade", "Florida special" and "Elite gold" in ground for a LOT longer (3 years in ground from 4" purchased tissue cultures) than store bought rooted tops that are still puny next to the cut tops that have already fruited. After they do finally fruit I will not buy any more even if they are noticeably better than the ones I already am eating from tops because the "designer" cultivars have not produced pups either.

[simon_grow]

I read a little bit of the history of the commercial Pineapple varieties and smooth cayane and MD2 were selected because they grew well, were disease resistant and had the highest consumer acceptance. I believe they are at a genetic advantage over these heirloom types for which I've seen first hand how slow they can grow.

I did notice that with foliar and ground applications of fertilizers, these heirloom types will take off.

Simon

[cbss_daviefl]

Tissue cultures can be fast.  I have taken a 4 inch tissue cultured White Jade to flower formation in 14 months.

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=3209.msg193143#msg193143

[Evildeadguy]

Tissue cultures can be fast.  I have taken a 4 inch tissue cultured White Jade to flower formation in 14 months.

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=3209.msg193143#msg193143

well that's great that you got yours to grow good i seen some of the photos you posted of them mine that I'm growing didn't do to well it did grow to full size and it has fruit on it. i pretty much do the same thing you do to take care of pineapple plants with water and feeding them but still mine didn't do to well. Now all my other type of pineapple plants i grow do great some in pots and in the ground Maybe white jade just doesn't like me or my ground soil lol

[simon_grow]

Thanks for the info Brandon! I'm going to use nutricote in my soil mix and see if that makes them happy. I've definitely noticed they look much happier when fed properly.

Simon

[sidney]

I get tops from the edible flower shops that offer fruit baskets as well as flowers. Also I am told Publix gives tops away.

[gnappi]

I get tops from the edible flower shops that offer fruit baskets as well as flowers. Also I am told Publix gives tops away.

I've found that any market that sells skinned whole pineapples or chunks / slices will gladly give them away also.

[Mark in Texas]

So far to me all pineapples from cut and rooted store tops are basically equal in flavor if grown at home and ripened on the plant. Funny I do find them to have a nicer texture and sweeter flavor then their commercially sold parents likely because they arrive in the store green while mine are plant ripened. 

I have two each "white jade", "Florida special" and "Elite gold" in ground for a LOT longer (3 years in ground from 4" purchased tissue cultures) than store bought rooted tops that are still puny next to the cut tops that have already fruited. After they do finally fruit I will not buy any more even if they are noticeably better than the ones I already am eating from tops because the "designer" cultivars have not produced pups either.

I totally agree.  White Jade, Cayenne and other clones I have are stubborn to produce.  After 2-3 years, I'm still waiting.  The store bought twistees are not only quick to fruit, like 16-18 mos. from planting, but are just outrageous regarding taste and overall quality.......AND, they're "free".

[Evildeadguy]

if they been growing that long and haven't flowered than you should force them to flower ... it wont hurt the fruit and it will still grow to be a good size and still taste great you can't tell the difference

[Mark in Texas]

Probably been discussed before but what do you guys know about Kona Sugarloaf?  Simon, didn't you grow this one?   http://wellspringgardens.com/pineapple-kona-sugarloaf

Almost sounds too good to be true -  Large (5-6 lb) fruited, white flesh with no woodiness in the center. Cylindrical in shape, it has a high sugar content but no acid. An unusually sweet fruit. Attractive plant. Maroon-green leaves. Coreless, white.

[Evildeadguy]

Probably been discussed before but what do you guys know about Kona Sugarloaf?  Simon, didn't you grow this one?   http://wellspringgardens.com/pineapple-kona-sugarloaf

Almost sounds too good to be true -  Large (5-6 lb) fruited, white flesh with no woodiness in the center. Cylindrical in shape, it has a high sugar content but no acid. An unusually sweet fruit. Attractive plant. Maroon-green leaves. Coreless, white.

it's just a white Sugarloaf pineapple just has a different name

[Galka]

Isn't it spiny?

[simon_grow]

Probably been discussed before but what do you guys know about Kona Sugarloaf?  Simon, didn't you grow this one?   http://wellspringgardens.com/pineapple-kona-sugarloaf

Almost sounds too good to be true -  Large (5-6 lb) fruited, white flesh with no woodiness in the center. Cylindrical in shape, it has a high sugar content but no acid. An unusually sweet fruit. Attractive plant. Maroon-green leaves. Coreless, white.

The White Sugarloaf is absolutely the best pineapple I have ever tasted. It is very sweet with excellent acid balance and the core is super delicious and completely edible. The fruit can be ordered online but they cost around $40 per pineapple shipped. Here is more information
http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=23668.msg282863#msg282863

From looking at Judes videos, the White Sugarloaf plants look like they have very little spines. The plants I ordered online have very tiny spines which seem to be disappearing as the leaves age. From what I understand, the White Jade May be a spineless type of White Sugarloaf.

If you have not tasted a White Sugarloaf, I highly recommend it!

Simon

[pineislander]

I get tops from the edible flower shops that offer fruit baskets as well as flowers. Also I am told Publix gives tops away.

I was at a Publix supermarket in Alabama Thursday and saw almost 100 pineapples on a rack ripening for the cut-fruit section. None had tops and when I asked I was told they were received 'crownless'. Not sure of the accuracy of what I was told but none had crown/tops.

[simon_grow]

The only pineapples I know of that they sell crownless is the Meli Kalima. It could be that they removed the tops for easier storage.

Simon

[Evildeadguy]

it could be they just told him they came crownless so they didn't have to give them out to someone maybe there not allowed too