Pineapple Express Feminized Seeds

Named after the film, kept for the fruit

The strain took its name from the 2008 film, and growers kept it because the plant really does smell like its name. The Hawaiian parent brings the tropical side: pineapple, mango and a juicy top note. Trainwreck adds structure and a sharper edge of cedar, pine and pepper that stops the sweetness from turning syrupy.

The label lists the flavour as fruity, sweet and tropical, and that is how the room smells in late flower. It is a loud plant, so plan on a carbon filter indoors.

Built tall, so plan for it

Pineapple Express grows long branches with plenty of vigour, and it keeps stretching for a couple of weeks after the flip. Top it twice in veg and spread the tops under a screen, or bend the main stem over early so the side branches catch up. Supercropping the tallest tops in early flower keeps the canopy level. The label rates it intermediate, mostly because of that size; the plant itself is not fussy.

Effects

Pineapple Express is a bright, active smoke. At 23% THC and a 60/40 sativa lean, growers describe a quick, upbeat head and a light body feel that stays functional. The flavour is fresh pineapple and mango with a little cedar, and it suits the daytime or early evening.

Flowering, harvest and cure

Flowering runs 7 to 9 weeks, which is short for a tall, sativa-leaning plant. In late flower the colas stretch and fatten, the pineapple scent becomes obvious and the pistils darken. Support the branches with a trellis or stakes, since the plant is tall and the buds get heavy.

Harvest when most trichomes are cloudy with a modest amount of amber. The buds are medium density, so drying takes about a week to ten days at 18 to 20 C with gentle airflow. A cure of three to four weeks keeps the tropical note bright.

Growing Pineapple Express in Canada

Start Pineapple Express indoors in April or early May and move it outside after the last frost, in late May for most of southern Canada. The plant stretches during summer, so give it room or top it early. Flowering begins as the days shorten in August, and 7 to 9 weeks later puts the finish in late September to early October.

That is a comfortable window for most regions. The tall frame is the main issue outdoors, so wind and rain can break branches on the BC coast. In Ontario and Quebec, the open structure copes well with September humidity.

Pineapple Express outdoor calendar for Canadian cities

Pineapple Express is a photoperiod plant, so outdoors it starts flowering in early August, when the nights get longer. Add its 7 to 9 weeks of flowering and you get the harvest window below.

Dates use typical frost dates for each city and shift a week or two with the year, so check your local forecast before planting out and in late September.

Who Pineapple Express suits

Pineapple Express suits a tent with headroom or a sunny backyard where a tall plant is welcome. It does well with topping and a trellis. A grower with a low ceiling or a stealth garden should pick a shorter plant.

Similar strains at The Seed Pharm

Pineapple Express in other forms, and a tropical neighbour:

• Pineapple Express Autoflower Seeds, a quicker, light-independent version
• Pineapple Express Regular Seeds, the same strain for breeding
• Maui Wowie Feminized Seeds, a tropical sativa-leaning plant

How it compares

Figures from each strain's label in our catalogue.