I am shopping for pineapple plants, any advice?

[Mark in Texas]

Any one know anything about this nursery - quality of stock, service? http://www.floridahillnursery.com/pineapple-plants-c-11  Can any one recommend an easy to grow hybrid?  Will grow them in a greenhouse in large pots. 

Mark

Mod edit: fixed subject

[Dangermouse01]

No experience with Florida Hil myself, but here is a thread about them from bananas.org that may help.

http://www.bananas.org/f2/florida-hill-nursery-13340.html

DM

[Jack, Nipomo]

Don't know about the vendor, but Ethan (who frequents this site) gave me a "Sugar Loaf" pineapple ratoon and it has produced many pineapples over a few years.  It is only grown in my unheated greenhouse and the fruit is sweet and the core is soft and also sweet.  When ripe it fills the greenhouse with pineapple scent.  That one ratoon has provided many other pineapple plants/fruits as has the other reproductive parts (top of fruit, suckers under fruit, other ratoons).  We also grow afew from store bought tops.  They do well also but not as good as Sugar Loaf.  They are grown in 5 gal pots, minimal care.  Our summer temps are 40º nights, 75º days, the greenhouse is necessary to get required heat.  Texas might be a bit warmer in the summer? Check with Ethan.

[Mark in Texas]

No experience with Florida Hil myself, but here is a thread about them from bananas.org that may help.

http://www.bananas.org/f2/florida-hill-nursery-13340.html

DM

Wow, what a weird thread.

Ended up going with Wellspring Gardens.  They have an excellent rating on Dave's Garden.  http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/3735/

Got the Sugarloaf Jack, thanks.  Here's an excellent site for pineapples: http://pineapple.myindoorgreenspot.com/inpine.htm

My order, am excited!

Pineapple - Kona Sugarloaf    $4.95
Pineapple - Elite Gold    $4.95
Pineapple - Smooth Cayenne    $4.95
Bay Laurel Tree - Laurus nobilis    $7.95
Venus Fly Trap - Dente   $4.95

Price is right, shipping only $10.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

I've met the owner of FL hill nursery...he's a really nice guy, who runs an excellent online nursery.

[emegar]

I've ordered from both Florida Hill Nursery and from Wellspring and had good experiences with both. Also ordered White Jade pineapples from Adam. Of course the thing to remember with tissue cultured pineapples it's that they start out quite small and take awhile to get going. I'm hoping to induce my first bloom soon in a plant I overwintered outside using carbide.

[snhabegger]

Useful thread, thanks for bringing this up -- would you mind posting again on the condition of your plants when they arrive?

[gunnar429]

I've ordered from both Florida Hill Nursery and from Wellspring and had good experiences with both. Also ordered White Jade pineapples from Adam. Of course the thing to remember with tissue cultured pineapples it's that they start out quite small and take awhile to get going. I'm hoping to induce my first bloom soon in a plant I overwintered outside using carbide.

I have ordered from both, and had good results.  However, as stated, they both ship very small plants.  Not that bad for pineapples or bananas, IMO, but for figs, mulberry, and others, they are a LONG WAY from fruiting.  I have gotten a few varieties for under $8, and then paid $20 from other places and received a plant that is much closer to fruition.  No complaints on the companies though.  Both pack the fruit well.  I like that Wellspring puts a price tag sticker like grocery store with plant name on it, while FH just writes on the taped rootball in black marker, and is harder to read.

[Mark in Texas]

I've ordered from both Florida Hill Nursery and from Wellspring and had good experiences with both. Also ordered White Jade pineapples from Adam. Of course the thing to remember with tissue cultured pineapples it's that they start out quite small and take awhile to get going. I'm hoping to induce my first bloom soon in a plant I overwintered outside using carbide.

Nice to hear that.  I tried to get some from Adam but they were already in the ground.  Here's what he wrote, "yes in certain cases I can ship to TX...but not if the plants have been in contact with soil, or the ground...and these plants have been in the soil, on the ground.  right now I don't have any more plants that are certified to be free of nematodes, and legal to ship.  I could  possibly have some later this year...but for now I'm sold out."

snhabegger, I'll try to remember to post photos.

I don't mind small at all.  In fact, I prefer small younger plants for several reasons - less damage during shipping (usually) and if trees they seem to establish faster and eventually outgrow their larger cousins whose root system had to be butchered or disturbed.  There are exceptions like the trees I've received from PIN and Clifton's Nursery.  They're so good at packing that the trees never know they've been transferred 1,500 miles away!  If I buy a perennial like an oak, pecan or peach tree I prefer it dormant, about 5' tall, bareroot and shipped in late fall so I can get it in around Sept. - Nov.  By spring it's established and can take the heat of our Texas summers.  I've been able to get production in 2 years from pecan and peach trees.  It's all about the tweeks.   

Mark

[Mark in Texas]

I've met the owner of FL hill nursery...he's a really nice guy, who runs an excellent online nursery.

Compared to Wellspring he has some disgruntled customers whining at Dave's Garden! 
http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/7888/

[plantlover13]

I ordered two bananas and a pineapple (kona sugarloaf) from FHN, they got here promptly and looked very nice for TC plants. Can't comment on the owner but the product seemed fine.

[gunnar429]

both can have good results, but wellspring packs them better.  They come in tiny square pots with printed labels, whereas FHN's are just taped together and scribbled on with marker.  Plus, they ship in the long tubes and don't hold up as well as the rectangular usps boxes that wellspring uses.  Again, great for bananas and pineapples, but not worth it IMO for figs and others that will take  along time to fruit--unless you can't locate that variety and can wait until it grows up. 

[Doglips]

I have ordered from both, and had good results.  However, as stated, they both ship very small plants.  Not that bad for pineapples or bananas, IMO, but for figs, mulberry, and others, they are a LONG WAY from fruiting.  I have gotten a few varieties for under $8, and then paid $20 from other places and received a plant that is much closer to fruition.  No complaints on the companies though.  Both pack the fruit well.  I like that Wellspring puts a price tag sticker like grocery store with plant name on it, while FH just writes on the taped rootball in black marker, and is harder to read.

ditto.

[Mark in Texas]

I have ordered from both, and had good results.  However, as stated, they both ship very small plants.  Not that bad for pineapples or bananas, IMO, but for figs, mulberry, and others, they are a LONG WAY from fruiting.  I have gotten a few varieties for under $8, and then paid $20 from other places and received a plant that is much closer to fruition.  No complaints on the companies though.  Both pack the fruit well.  I like that Wellspring puts a price tag sticker like grocery store with plant name on it, while FH just writes on the taped rootball in black marker, and is harder to read.

ditto.

I'd like to comment on that fruition comment.  Yes, some of the time-to-fruition depends on the chronological age of the tree, but MOST depends on the outside influences which is totally dependent on soil structure and profile, climate and weather patterns and the experience of the gardener.  Given the same tree (that has a decent root system and top growth) you can have grower #1 bring a small fruit tree to a strong healthy condition such that is will fruit within 2 years of planting and support that fruit well while grower #2 won't have anything for 8 years because he and his tree are struggling against grower odds. 

The scion is taken from a mature, fruit/nut bearing tree.  It doesn't know it's not supposed to fruit for 8 years, hasn't learned to read the forums and grow books.     There are no absolutes in this biz, only in-betweens.

Mark

[gunnar429]

I understand your point, but with things such as figs, it seems like larger cuttings will definitely bear sooner.  As for grafted trees, I totally agree with you.

[LEOOEL]

The 'Elite Gold' mentioned by Mark in Texas is the one that I'm most familiar with. If my recollection serves me right, it was developed in Hawaii. I've tasted it and it's a rather large, all around superb quality fruit.

[jcaldeira]

There are a lot of good pineapple varieties, but I'd stay away from Smooth Cayenne.  They're big and nice looking, but they taste as if they're rotting prematurely.  It's the 'tang' in the flavor that reminds me of fermentation.

[Mark in Texas]

There are a lot of good pineapple varieties, but I'd stay away from Smooth Cayenne.  They're big and nice looking, but they taste as if they're rotting prematurely.  It's the 'tang' in the flavor that reminds me of fermentation.

I hope you're wrong but it doesn't really matter.   "Pay your money take your chances."

According to this source they are the main canning and processing variety.  http://pineapple.myindoorgreenspot.com/inpine.htm It was a package deal too good to pass up offered by Wellsprings.  Being it shipped Tuesday, I expect them Thursday or Friday.  Will update.

[natsgarden123]

It all started with a store bought gold pineapple top....I probably have 30 descendants in my yard....they do produce delicious pineapple

[jcaldeira]

There are a lot of good pineapple varieties, but I'd stay away from Smooth Cayenne.  They're big and nice looking, but they taste as if they're rotting prematurely.  It's the 'tang' in the flavor that reminds me of fermentation.

I hope you're wrong but it doesn't really matter.   "Pay your money take your chances."

According to this source they are the main canning and processing variety.  http://pineapple.myindoorgreenspot.com/inpine.htm It was a package deal too good to pass up offered by Wellsprings.  Being it shipped Tuesday, I expect them Thursday or Friday.  Will update.

The climate a fruit is grown in can influence taste, so perhaps you'll get lucky with Smooth Cayenne.  For instance, the tropics produces great papaya, but not so in the subtropics.  The subtropics produce sweet oranges, but less so in the tropics.

Consider hedging your bets by planting several varieties.

John

[bradflorida]

I ordered from Wellspring Gardens twice.  Each time the tissue culture plants arrived very healthy and packed very carefully.  I was very pleased

I ordered Kona Sugarloaf.  I am going to try to stick with the pineapple plants that have serrated / sharp edges on the leaves.  I feel this might deter wildlife from eating the pineapple

Brad

[natsgarden123]

I ordered from Wellspring Gardens twice.  Each time the tissue culture plants arrived very healthy and packed very carefully.  I was very pleased

I ordered Kona Sugarloaf.  I am going to try to stick with the pineapple plants that have serrated / sharp edges on the leaves.  I feel this might deter wildlife from eating the pineapple

Brad

The sharp edges have never helped- the critters dont seem to care.....if you do a search on here, you can see a photo, posted by me,  of some damage ...    Wear long sleeves because thopse spines will hurt! 

[plantlover13]

I ordered from Wellspring Gardens twice.  Each time the tissue culture plants arrived very healthy and packed very carefully.  I was very pleased

I ordered Kona Sugarloaf.  I am going to try to stick with the pineapple plants that have serrated / sharp edges on the leaves.  I feel this might deter wildlife from eating the pineapple

Brad

The sharp edges have never helped- the critters dont seem to care.....if you do a search on here, you can see a photo, posted by me,  of some damage ...    Wear long sleeves because thopse spines will hurt! 

On the plus side they're good for mild threats. For example, fried on mine refuse to stop falling asleep in class (sits right next to me). I told him i'd poke him with a pineapple leaf if he didn't stay up. HE looked at me like i was crazy, but then i showed him the pineapple the ext time he came over. He still falls asleep, i still haven't carried out the poking, but the look on his face when he managed to cut himself on a plant without any thorns by just touching it was priceless.

Also, thorns/serration doesn't stop bugs.

[Mark in Texas]

The only sure way to deal with critters is exclusion like netting or electric fence...... or dogs.  If hungry and thirsty enough there is not much you can do to deter them.  Around here there is no such thing as "deer proof" plants.  They'll eat cactus if hungry enough.  Twice I planted/replaced burford holly that has spines and they stripped them bare.

I just got this for a temporary fix for my dog who likes to dig massive holes in my raised beds garden.  After she gets nipped I'll set it up at my vineyard.  Last year raccoons stole 70% of my crop.  They busted right through the tough netting and worked their way down the rows. http://www.lowes.com/pd_92259-1558-ESP2M-FS_0__?productId=4747077&cm_mmc=SCE_PLA-_-Fencing-_-ElectricFencing-_-4747077&CAWELAID=320011480000707487&kpid=4747077&CAGPSPN=pla

Mark

[natsgarden123]

This worked; Last year, when the pineapples were developing and were starting to become large, I huddled all of my pots together and surrounded them with 5 ft chicken wire - tied together with zip ties. The critters cannot climb it.

No losses last year!