How to Grow and Care For 'Pineapple' Tomato

The 'Pineapple' tomato is an heirloom beefsteak variety believed to have been cultivated in Kentucky. This large tomato has the low acidity of a yellow tomato and the tangy, citrusy, but sweet taste of a red one. It works great in salsa, salads, sandwiches, and soups. It has a relatively long growing season of 85 to 90 days, but as an indeterminate variety, the plant grows large, up to 8 feet tall, and produces fruit until frost.

It is called a "pineapple" tomato because it has a ribbed exterior, and its insides look similar to the inside of a pineapple with sections. It's also predominantly a yellow fruit, although it features orangish and reddish tones inside and out. The color is uniform both on the skin and inside. It's as delicious to look at as it is to eat and worth the wait to harvest.

How to Plant 'Pineapple' Tomato

Purchase seedlings or transplants from growers offering many tomato varieties or start sowing seeds indoors before the first frost.

When to Plant

Start 'Pineapple' tomato plants from seed at least six to eight weeks before the final frost in your area. This is a late-season variety, so you can start seeds earlier if your season is short. Pot up at least once before moving larger plants into the garden, but seeding early gives you a head start for a better chance of harvesting this variety.

Transplant seedlings into the garden when soil temperatures reach 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The optimum air temperature for these tomatoes is between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit—anything below 50 degrees Fahrenheit and above 90 degrees Fahrenheit causes flowers to drop and ripening to stop, reducing fruit development.

Select a Planting Site

Choose a garden location that receives day-long or six-hour full sun exposure. Avoid planting in low areas where rainwater accumulates, as tomatoes don't tolerate wet feet.

Spacing, Depth, and Support

'Pineapple' tomatoes produce long vines, up to eight feet, with a relatively narrow spread of about two feet. Staking is essential to support vines with heavy fruits weighing up to two pounds. Remove the lowest leaves from the seedling and dig a deep hole, burying up to one-third of the stem. Space the plants 2 1/2 feet apart in rows three feet apart. Choose the tallest and sturdiest cages available if you use cages for support.

'Pineapple' Tomato Plant Care

The 'Pineapple' heirloom tomato is relatively easy to grow and has a good balance of foliage to fruit. The variety adapts well to a two-leader system, a method of pruning that establishes two main vines on the tomato plant to increase fruit production.

Early suckering reduces the overproduction of vines, allowing the plant to divert more energy into producing fruit.

Light

These tomatoes take longer than usual to bear fruit, which makes sun exposure especially important. The 'Pineapple' tomato benefits from morning, afternoon, and early evening light and needs a minimum of six to eight hours or more of direct sun daily. Ten hours of daily sunlight is ideal.

Soil

Tomatoes need plenty of nutrients. Ideally, the soil should be rich, fertile, well-draining loam. Add compost or other organic soil amendments before planting to give tomatoes an early boost. Neutral to slightly acidic pH levels of 6.2 to 6.8 grow the best fruits.

Water

Once established, the 'Pineapple' tomato is somewhat drought tolerant and performs well with about one inch of water per week. Drip irrigation is the best way to supplement rainfall and deliver the deep watering that plants need.

Avoid overhead watering, the leading cause of fungal disease in foliage. Water early in the day to keep plants hydrated and support active photosynthesis and growth. A slight reduction in watering frequency when fruit begins to ripen often improves flavor.

Temperature and Humidity

Ideal temperatures fall between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, nighttime temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and daytime temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit adversely affect flower and fruit production.

Tomato plants are not frost-hardy, so protect them with row covers if early season overnight temperatures drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit in your growing zone. 'Pineapple' tomato has a greater tolerance for heat and humidity than other varieties and is a good choice for southern gardens with long growing seasons.

Fertilizer

At planting time, add a balanced NPK fertilizer (10-10-10), blood meal, or well-rotted compost to mix in the planting hole. Two to four weeks after transplanting, apply a high phosphorous fertilizer (5-15-5) or bone meal to encourage flower production. When the first fruits start to form, a third application of balanced NPK fertilizer keeps plants healthy through fruit production and ripening.

Pollination

'Pineapple' tomato is open-pollinated, meaning the tomato flowers have both male and female parts and are fertilized by air circulation and movement among the vines. Bright yellow flowers attract insect pollinators, which aid the process but aren't necessary for the fruit to develop.

Inviting pollinators into the vegetable garden is always a good idea by adding a few warm-weather flowering annuals near or in your vegetable garden.

Tip

If you are saving seeds from your 'Pineapple' tomato plants after harvest, isolate the plants from other tomato varieties. Isolation prevents pollinators from fertilizing your plants with pollen from a different tomato variety.

Harvesting 'Pineapple' Tomato

When a 'Pineapple' tomato is uniformly orange-yellow with light red striping, it is ready to harvest. It should have no more green flesh. When pressed, the tomatoes should feel solid and slightly heavy with a light give to the skin. Support the fruit with one hand, and use a sharp sterile scissor or pruner to cut it from the vine while retaining an inch or so of stem.

When harvesting many tomatoes at once, carefully place the tomatoes in the harvesting container and beware that the tomato stems do not puncture the other fruits. Marring the fruit can reduce its shelf life. Alternatively, carefully and gently remove the stem by twisting it off or cutting it down. If the fruit cracks or tears while doing so, use the tomato immediately.

How to Grow 'Pineapple' Tomato in Pots

Due to vine length and fruit size, 'Pineapple' tomatoes are not well-suited to grow in pots. If you want to try, choose a pot the size of a wine or whiskey half barrel with plenty of drainage. Provide good support, water up to two times daily, and fertilize with a balanced liquid fertilizer every two weeks throughout the growing season.

Pruning

Several pruning methods work well for 'Pineapple' tomatoes. Remove suckers for the first few weeks of growth to reduce the number of vines. This moves the plant into fruit production a little earlier. Suckering slightly reduces fruit production throughout the season but improves fruit quality and flavor. As the first frost approaches, prune back vines to allow the plant to work on ripening existing fruit instead of continuing to produce tomatoes that won't have time to mature.

How to Grow 'Pineapple' Tomato From Seed

'Pineapple' tomato seeds germinate reliably at temperatures between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Start seeds six to eight weeks, or earlier, before the final frost in your area in a seeding tray, seeding cells, or small individual pots.

1. Sow seeds in a moist seed-starting medium 1/4 inch deep. Cover the seeding tray or pot with a plastic dome to increase moisture and aid germination.
2. Water from the bottom or using a heating mat to encourage sprouting occurs in one to two weeks.
3. Remove the plastic when the seeds sprout.
4. If using a seeding tray, thin seedlings three inches apart and repot them into individual three- or four-inch pots once true leaves appear and stems are sturdy enough to handle.
5. Place them in a location with plenty of sun, and keep the soil moist but not soggy.
6. When average daytime temperatures approach 65 degrees, harden off the plants to acclimate them to the outdoors before transplanting into the garden.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

'Pineapple' tomato plants are vulnerable to pests and diseases that affect all tomato plants. The most destructive pests include aphids, blister beetles, armyworms, and hornworms.

Aphids are a nuisance that damages foliage and can rapidly become an infestation. Try knocking off aphids with a strong water spray from a garden hose. One or more treatments with insecticidal soap can help control these pests.

Hornworms and blister beetles can destroy a crop almost overnight. Hand-pick mature hornworms or treat plants early with Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) as a preventive. BT also eliminates armyworms, which ruin crops by drilling holes into the fruits. Use a pesticide specifically formulated for blister beetles. Repeat applications might be necessary.

The best defense against common tomato diseases is to follow good gardening practices. 'Pineapple' tomato plants are particularly vulnerable to fungal diseases, especially powdery mildew. Provide good air circulation with proper spacing and selectively prune out excess foliage, if necessary, by removing a few leaves.

From: thespruce