Sebastian Pineapple Ranch Fall Photos & Sitrep

[FloridaGrower69]

It's almost November and we made it through the wet season. 

We here in East Central Florida were fortunate enough to have Hurricane Ian's worst rain go to our north, but we had weeks of heavy rain before the event.  So it was soggy-root season and the plants started to show the warning signs of pythium root rot.  One of the countermeasures I took earlier this summer was to dig 6" below the pots and place crushed stone to assist in drainage.  Soil was also amended with plenty of pebble and perlite to aid in drainage.  Leaf 'white spot' at this point is on the decline... so good signs.  As usual practice, going forward until spring... the foliar feeding gets cut back by half.  And the mild fungicide (Captan) inoculation is complete as well.  Looking forward to dormant season and then the increase in basil ratoons/slips and flowering.  I just hope we can get through winter without a freeze warning.  Frost is shelter in place with blankets and, ...if required, ...Christmas lights under the blankets to keep the plants warm.  But a freeze warrants all 50 pots going into shelter, which is a back-breaker.  The good news is we're close enough to the Atlantic that cold fronts aren't normally very intense. LOL just jinxed myself.

Here are some shots from the collection as last year's slips are maturing and new items are in the ground and thriving.  Exeption: Manzana, which has had some trouble getting from tissue culture plantlet to first year plant.  Suspect: Phytophthora.  The 2 plants are in the infirmary (j/k) ... out of the direct sunlight and sheltered... and improving after pest and fungus treatments.  I caught it early. 

Sarawak is inbound and will hopefully be in the collection shortly. 

Cheers all,
Brett

[hammer524]

What do you use to fertilize and how often? Feel like my pineapples didnt grow that much this year probably due to neglect

[FloridaGrower69]

Jacks Classic 20-20-20.

1/2 recommended mix: 1/2 tablespoon per gallon of water sprayed to foliage monthly in season.

I’ve tried 10-10-10, Osmocote 14-14-14, organics like gardentone etc. Based on overall plant growth (top side, roots, fruit) this works for me.  Keeps disease at bay.  I flush potted plants occasionally to change out medium and inspect roots. Happy with performance. 

Other growers will undoubtably have their formulas that work as well. 😊 👍

www.jrpeters.com

[hammer524]

Jacks Classic 20-20-20.

1/2 recommended mix: 1/2 tablespoon per gallon of water sprayed to foliage monthly in season.

I’ve tried 10-10-10, Osmocote 14-14-14, organics like gardentone etc. Based on overall plant growth (top side, roots, fruit) this works for me.  Keeps disease at bay.  I flush potted plants occasionally to change out medium and inspect roots. Happy with performance. 

Other growers will undoubtably have their formulas that work as well. 😊 👍

www.jrpeters.com

Thanks. I have a big bag of Jacks Classic 20-20-20 that  I use on my figs. That makes things easy

[spaugh]

Hey Brett, nice pineapples.  Is that Sarawak the same as Paun?  If not maybe I can order a pup some day when you have duplicates. 

[FloridaGrower69]

Brad - Sarawak is spiny, so assuming its different.  The Paun you sent me aligns closer with ‘Kew’ which is smooth and according to the reading I’ve dug into - references to both are interchanged. The Paun is one of my wife’s faves. Just a little tart to go with the sweet.  As soon as those plantlets get established - you got it. 👍

https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUSERFILES/20400510/PINEAPPLE/HANA019.PNG

[spaugh]

Sounds good keep us posted.  I have to admit I hate the spine plants.  Stuck my hand it one last week and it came out with like 20 little splinters in my palm. 

What's your best spineless types? 

[FloridaGrower69]

Best Spineless for taste:

1 Dellerman Gold
2 Cayenne Hilo
3 An MD2 cultivar I brought in from Lajas PR. Vanilla flavor, big plants.
3 Smooth Cayenne - USDA ARS orig cultivar
4 Giant Paun - the one you sent is amazing.

Still waiting on the whites to push fruit. 3 years now.

Yup the spiny guys are tough to work with. Between them and the fire ants that live in the pots …miserable. I moved the Bracteatus tribe to a remote location because they are the worst.

[hammer524]

Lol I mislabeled my Giant Paun as "Giant Praun" . I thought it was either from Australian or District 9.