Q: About three years ago, I lopped off the top of a pineapple purchased at a local grocery store and planted it. In April, my first pineapple began to grow. It appeared to be growing at a good rate, when it began to yellow. When checked, I found that something (bird or bug) had drilled several holes into it, causing it to die. Do you know what caused the damage and how I can avoid it in the future?
A:Â From the photo you sent, I suspect it is bird damage. Insects will come to the holes made by birds for the juice so you may find them there as well. The best way to prevent this is to exclude the birds once the fruit begins to develop. You can accomplish this with hardware cloth around the whole plant or you can enclose the individual fruit in a breathable bag as people do with peaches and grapes.
Peter L. Warren is the urban horticulture agent for the Pima County Cooperative Extension and the University of Arizona. Questions may be emailed to plwarren@cals.arizona.edu.
