How often should I water pineapple plants?

Watering pineapple plants challenges your patience. Drought tolerant survivors detest wet feet. My first plant drowned from the weekly watering until I learned they were of desert origins. If you want to have success, treat your pineapple plant as if it lived in an arid region: water it thoroughly, then don't water again until the top 2 inches are dried out hard as clay by the sun.

Possibly the soil type dictates how often you need to water. Sandy loam mix, for example, will dry out more rapidly than clay-based soils, so you will need to adjust your schedule accordingly. To test, place a wooden chopstick into the soil. If the chopstick comes out clean, it is time to water the plant immediately. With potted plants, you can also lift the container. A lighter-weight pot often indicates that the root area is dry.

Leaf language signals hydration. Brittle brown tips signal to overwater and indicate the mistake I made for months. Soft yellow bases point to root rot. Healthy plants wilt slightly in midday then perk back up by dusk. This healthy process of wilting is the natural progression of stress that builds drought tolerance.

Micro-climates change needs. For example, my balcony plants need 25% more water than the specimens in the back yard due to the increased wind exposure. I try to keep track of the needs of each plant, and I even now label the pots with a date indicating when was the last watering. I use color-coded flags: green for hydrated, red for dry, and yellow for unsure.

Read the full article: How to Grow Pineapple: Expert Tips for Success