The Steps to Grow Pineapples in South Africa

How long does it take to grow pineapple South Africa?

A pineapple plant can be harvested twice in a five-year period. The first crop is harvested at 26 to 30 months and the second 18 to 20 months later.

How many months does it take to grow a pineapple?

Commercial pineapple plant fruiting is grown on a two to three year fruit crop cycle that takes 32 to 46 months to completion and harvest. Pineapple plants do indeed die after this cycle, but they produce suckers, or ratoons, around the main plant while it is flowering and fruiting.

How many pineapples do you get per plant?

Individual pineapple plants may produce up to two fruit (plant crop and ratoon crop). The ratoon (second) fruit is produced from a sucker that arises below the fruit and is allowed to grow. After harvesting the first fruit (primary or plant crop), remove all suckers and hapas but one.

What type of Soil is good for planting Pineapple in South Africa?

The tropical plant prefers warm, humid and frost-free climates and grows well in sandy, slightly acidic soil.

What Varieties if Pineapple are grown in South Africa?

There are two main varieties of pineapples commercially grown in South Africa, the smooth-leaf Cayenne (mostly produced in the Eastern Cape) and the thorny-leaf Queen (largely produced in KwaZulu-Natal).

Queen is sweeter and mostly sold as fresh fruit, while Cayenne’s larger size and higher juice content make it suitable for processing into juice and canned pineapple products.

Where do pineapples grow in South Africa?

Pineapple production in South Africa is concentrated in two regions, namely the Eastern Cape Province (Bathurst Area) accounting for 66 percent of the total production, and the KwaZulu-Natal Province (Hluhluwe District) accounting for 33 percent.