8 Tips for Growing Pineapple Kush: Grower’s Guide

Pineapple Kush is widely regarded as one of the best pain-relieving marijuana strains on the market. It is a cross of Master Kush and Pineapple and inherits the tropical taste of the latter. It is an indica-dominant hybrid (75:25) with a THC level of up to 17% and a CBD content below 1%.

If you are new to marijuana, Pineapple Kush is a great place to start. Due to its moderate THC content, the cerebral high is more on the mellow side. Most Pineapple Kush consumers describe its high as uplifting rather than overwhelming.

The good news is that Pineapple Kush isn’t a heavily-sedating strain either. Most feel nicely relaxed without being glued to the couch.

Many consume Pineapple Kush for short-term relief from stress or pain. Its analgesic properties are much lauded by lovers of this strain. Some use this hybrid to boost their appetite or to gain temporary relief from anxiety and depression.

If you love Pineapple Kush, read this growing guide for tips and tricks on cultivating this tropical strain.

1 – Should You Grow Pineapple Kush Indoors or Outdoors?

Pineapple Kush is classified as an easy strain to grow if you are a novice. It is recommended that you grow this strain indoors because it is far easier to control the climate.

Pineapple Kush is resistant to mildew and common molds and is a reasonably tough plant. If you grow it indoors in a controlled climate, the flowering time is approximately eight weeks. Indoors, Pineapple Kush plants typically yield up to 18 ounces per square meter.

Outdoor growers can expect yields of around 20 ounces per plant. It should be ready to flower in late September or early October.

2 – Pineapple Kush’s Ideal Temperature

Your grow room’s temperature is essential for the photosynthesis of your crop. If the temperature is too low, it reduces evaporation through the leaves. As a consequence, the suction force, which helps the roots take up nutrients, is reduced. When that happens, the unabsorbed nutrients remain in the soil or hydroponic growing medium, damaging the root environment.

Meanwhile, the growing medium’s increased acidity further halts the absorption of nutrients, and growth soon ceases altogether. In photosynthesis, plants use CO2, water, and sunlight to create sugars, which are sent to various parts of the plant.

When the daytime temperature falls below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, these sugars are not transported to other parts of the plant. Therefore, it is essential to keep the average daytime temperature between 68 and 80 degrees. This is the perfect temperature range for your Pineapple Kush plants to thrive.

3 – The Humidity Question

Plants respire CO2 from the environment via their leaves and lose a significant amount of water in their foliage. The air holds a certain amount of water, and once the limit is reached, you see condensation.

Did you know that marijuana plants evaporate approximately 90% of the water they absorb?

The temperature of your grow room impacts the amount of water vapor held by air. Cold air is unable to hold as much water vapor as warm air. As a result, a relative humidity (RH) reading of 70% is different in a grow room at 68 degrees than 73 degrees. In general, you should keep humidity between 65% and 80% during the seedling stage.

As Pineapple Kush handles high humidity reasonably well, you can stay on the higher side of the following ranges, but make sure you reduce the temperature too. For example, in the vegetative stage, you can drop the RH to 55% if the temperature is 80 degrees. If the temperature is 70 degrees, you can increase the RH as far as 70%.

During the early flowering stage, RH should be between 40% and 50%. Again, 50% is acceptable at a temperature of 78 degrees, while 40% is okay at 70 degrees. By the late flowering stage, it is best to keep RH levels below 40%. This is because the temperature will typically be around 75 degrees or so at that point.

4 – Consider Trellising

Whether you grow Pineapple Kush in soil or hydroponically, you will need to train the plants. The reason for this is to ensure good airflow to the canopy. We recommend using the Sea of Green (SOG) training technique. If you want better growth in the top colas, prune your plants by removing unnecessary branches and fan leaves.

Pineapple Kush tends to have fat buds, so if you don’t have the right support, they could topple over. Trellising can help to support the growing plants and prevent them from toppling over. You can purchase a trellis online or make one yourself using nylon and plastic if indoors, or wooden posts outdoors.

Vertical trellising involves attaching the device to a wall to promote vertical growth, like vines. Typically, only commercial and outdoor operations grow vertically. The more common horizontal method is better known as the Screen of Green (SCROG) technique. A couple of weeks before flowering, install a screen with 2-inch square gaps directly above the plant canopy.

You need to ensure the plants are well pruned and thinned out for trellising to work. Once the plants grow through the screen, you bend and weave the shoots to promote neater growth. You can continue using the trellis until about halfway through the flowering stage.

5 – Feeding This Hungry Plant

Pineapple Kush inherits its appetite from its OG genetics. Most growers know all about the importance of using Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorus-rich products. However, aside from NPK, Pineapple Kush needs a good CalMag supplement (Calcium and Magnesium). You should feed your plants with other vital nutrients, including sulfur, zinc, iron, chlorine, manganese, and cobalt.

While nutrient burn is a problem with many marijuana varieties, Pineapple Kush doesn’t have that issue. By all means, check for nutrient burn symptoms such as burnt tips of leaves. However, in general, don’t be afraid to feed your plants heartily.

Focus on high nitrogen in the vegetative stage. Dress the top of the soil with phosphorus & potassium when it begins to bloom. Flush the plants a week or so before harvest to ensure there is no nasty chemical taste from your weed.

6 – Interested in Growing Organic Cannabis?

Chemical fertilizers and hydroponic growing mediums can take a lot of guesswork out of the growing equation. However, it is terrible news for the environment.

If you want to try growing organic weed, you need naturally amended soil as your growing medium. You can create your own super-soil by adding amendments such as:

• Compost tea
• Bat guano
• Fish emulsion
• Kelp meal
• Peat moss
• Worm castings

Feeding your organic Pineapple Kush is a case of finding clean water. A reverse osmosis system will purify your water. The trouble with municipal water supplies is that they are laden with chemicals, such as fluoride, which kill helpful bacteria.

Whatever amendments you add, make sure your plants receive ample NPK, along with calcium, magnesium, and manganese.

7 – A Brief Note on Hydroponics

There are plenty of reasons why you should grow Pineapple Kush, or any other strain, hydroponically. For example:

• You can get higher yields from a smaller grow room.
• There is less risk of pests and disease (as long as all equipment is sterile).
• You can also customize watering and nutrient timescales.

However, it is not all roses, as some guides seem to suggest. First of all, a good hydroponics system isn’t cheap. You need to have decent knowledge about plant nutrition and how a hydroponics system works.

If a complex nutritional problem happens, do you have the know-how to fix the issue?

It’s true that there’s less chance of diseases and pests ruining your crop. However, if pathogens get into your grow rooms, they will spread at rapid speed. Therefore, hydroponics is not a good option for your first ever grow. Pineapple Kush is hardy, but if you make several mistakes, your crop could perish!

8 – Is It Worth Your While Growing Pineapple Kush?

The answer is usually the same regardless of the strain. The price can range from $200 to $300+ per ounce, depending on where you live. However, you could create a small setup for a few hundred dollars. It usually costs more than $1,000 to purchase the kind of equipment that allows for a decent-sized grow.

If you are only likely to use a few ounces in a year, it is probably not worth growing Pineapple Kush. Hydroponics systems cost more than if you use soil. However, there are ample options for under $500 and a handful for below $200. If you need medical marijuana and use quite a lot, growing Pineapple Kush is not just worth the cost; it is incredibly fulfilling!