u/_Arthur-Dent_

I'm in zone 10a. I went to a local nursery looking for advice and a solution to getting this pineapple plant into a proper container. They initially seemed helpful over the phone and their Google reviews said helpful, knowledgeable staff. When I got there they didnt really help me at all, and just gave me this flimsy little thing that doesn't even seem like a permanent pot, with some dirt in it that was just on the ground under a tarp, and just told me to put the plant in it. They really weren't helpful at all and I do not feel like this pot is anywhere near big enough for a pineapple plant. All the resources i check online say I want something even bigger than the 5 gallon bucket the plant is already in, not something smaller. I was expecting to be given advice and recommended fertilizers and whatever I'd need to help the plant.

You can see I had to prop up the plant with a paver because the plant is flowering for a 2nd time, on top of old growth, and the plant is hanging out over the egde of the bucket. This is why I think it's too big for the black pot.

Back before covid (maybe 2018 or so) my brother and I planted a pineapple crown in this 5 gallon bucket with a false bottom and pvc to collect water. Aside from maybe a little bit in the first year, this plant has gone entirely unmaintained since then. This is the second time it is fruiting. Maybe hard to tell from the pictures but the plant is now leaning out over the edge of the bucket due to the continued growth on top of the original plant.

My wonder is what to do with the plant. I would like to actually start taking care of it but I'm not sure if I should just leave it be till it is done fruiting or not. I think the fruit will become heavy enough that it may be detrimental to the plant itself.

Should I try and repot the plant soon, as is? Am I better off letting it do it's thing until it's done fruiting and then transferring the plant/a pup to new pots? Thanks in advance.