I don’t keep track, but I’d say about 3 years from store-bought pineapple (fruit with crown, cut off the bottom leaves) to flower.
I have harvested several already. I don’t know what I’m doing right, but I consistently get a flower and a fruit. I think it’s the warm and sunny location.
Anyway, here is what I do: Water every 2 weeks (pineapples are specialized to survive dryness and store water in their leaves, so not too much I guess). The tap water is a bit hard here, and I read you should filter it so I always do, but never tested without. Standard soil, a few stones as drainage in the bottom (I doubt this matters a lot). Do not put the plant on the balcony on a sunny summer day, when I did it wilted within 2 days and didn’t recover. I guess it really hates cool nights. The pot size has a big influence, the size in the photo seems to be optimal, with a smaller pot I get smaller leaves and a smaller fruit (600g instead of 1100g).
And before you take my advice, I should mention that many plants have wilted in my care at that window. Just not pineapples.








You may be right that I don’t use enough fertilizer, I usually do a bit in summer but I haven’t used any during the last 8 months. And I don’t know what the brown stripes on the leaves are about, but it doesn’t seem to stop the growth.
But I know that the leaves also produce some white waxy substance on the underside, which is probably what you’re seeing. It can be rubbed off. (Or at least I hope this is what I just rubbed off, lol.) The Pineapple manual (PDF) says it is to protect from moisture loss.