Sugar Cane varieties

[palmtreeluke]

Hey guys, Im trying to get a list of sugar cane varieties with info about each type. Ive outlined some common types in my neck of the woods on my website. here is the Article ive started so far: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2028/9931/files/sugar_cane_varieties.pdf?17482599652005844695

if you have more information id like to add it to the article to make this wonderful plant more common.


My favorite type for juice is HOME GREEN, but it has those prickly thorny hairs on the sheaths.

We are also looking for seed cane to plant out this year so if you have a source for cane please send me a message! Im looking for all varieties.
Home green variety:


mix:


Asian black:


ribbon type:

[simon_grow]

Hey Luke,

I've tried juicing about 7 varieties of sugarcane ever since I got the juicer from you and the best type for juicing this year is a yellow variety that does not discolor the juice, even if you do not peel the cane. Actually, this is just the best looking one, I juiced the different varieties at different times so I do not have a direct comparison between the different varieties but this Yellow Sugarcane looked the best and also was amongst the top in terms of taste.

Another member of this forum sent me a bunch of black sugarcane to try and the juice was excellent tasting but I did not peel the cane so the juice came out really dark. I believe you get more nutrients, Anthocyanins, if you do not peel the sugarcane so it may be healthier but I'm not positive on this. The Black and Ribbon stripped canes are probably the most decorative. I also tried juicing one of the black cane cuttings you sent me and it tastes the same as the ones thao sent me, excellent.

The Green Sugarcane I got from Mike was extremely sweet and the canes were really thick but I have noticed that the green type canes have more chlorophyll taste. This is not necessarily a bad thing, almost all the sugarcane juice I have purchased from the local Asian markets use the Green Sugarcane for their juice. Remember that sugarcane is just a sweet grass. I think of it as a very sweet wheatgrass.

Unfortunately, most if not all the varieties I have tried this year have no Variety name. I do have Yellow Gal growing but I have not tasted this variety yet .

I currently have very small cuttings of Black sugarcane from three different sources, Red Sugarcane, two varieties of green sugarcane, a Purple Sugarcane from Exotica, stripped sugarcane, yellow Gal and one of my favorites, an unnamed yellow sugarcane.
Simon


Simon

[LEOOEL]

Nice collection, please keep posting and telling us your reviews about different varieties of sugar cane, and thanks.

[mangomike]

Simon,

Yes, the unpeeled cane produces a healthier drink; the waxy outer skin of sugar cane contains up to 60% polycosanol a substance shown to lower cholesterol. Drink up!

[gunnar429]

I am interested in growing some but concerned about the running nature and the sharp spines on the leaves.  What varieties do you recommend for not being too sharp/spiky and easy to contain?


Leo, do you grow sugarcane?

[palmtreeluke]

its not running, it clumps in a group like clumping bamboo. all varieties are serrated and sharp along the leave like saw grass or pampass grass. however the green type has small fiberglass like hair on the base of the leaves that are painful.

[gunnar429]

got it.  I will avoid the hairs despite green types being tasty.

Do you grow them in pots?

[palmtreeluke]

ive seen them grown in large pots like 15-50 gallon tubs. u can get a nice clump going in a 25 gallon pot. good for people in  colder climates to keep it protected in a greenhouse.

Simon, thanks for the information, that yellow variety sounds interesting, do you have photos of it, maybe we can help ID it. sounds sweet!

the each have a different flavor, and like you said depending on growing conditions and climate and time of year it will affect the taste.

[gunnar429]

Hey Luke,

I've tried juicing about 7 varieties of sugarcane ever since I got the juicer from you and the best type for juicing this year is a yellow variety that does not discolor the juice, even if you do not peel the cane.

you sell sugarcane juicers? 

[simon_grow]

Hey Luke, I'm rooting the unnamed yellow in some water right now and the tops have dried out, I'll take a picture tomorrow. I am trying to get more of this variety but the two stalks I have growing are just starting to pop tiny root buds so hopefully they will make it.

I wonder if all yellow skinned sugarcane produces bright yellow juice, even if you don't peel the skin like this one that I got? It only makes sense that the juice will partly take on the color of the skin if you don't remove it but I also juiced some greenish yellow cane and the juice was much darker.

Mangomike, thanks for the information, I've been drinking lots of sugarcane juice ever since I got the juicer so if it's good to know it may help lower cholesterol.

Gunnar429, palmtreeluke sells sugarcane juicers through his website, I would spam him if you are interested. There is another thread on this forum that talks about sugarcane juicers. I'm very happy with my purchase and I use my juicer quite often. I juiced about two gallons of green cane last week to share with my friends and family.

I've been experimenting by adding ginger, key limes, Meyer lemons and Calamansi to the juice and so far my favorite is the Calamansi. The sugarcane stalks produce an amazing amount of juice. I also use the juiced sugarcane stalks as mulch.
Simon

[LEOOEL]

gunna429, yes, I grow sugar cane, but I don't know the name of the variety that I have. It's really, deliciously, sweet, but I do wish that it were thicker so that it packed more juicy flesh. So, I'm looking for a fatter, quality variety that is as sweet as the one that I have now.

[gunnar429]

good to hear leo.  I will definitely be looking into this more.

[Tropicalgrower89]

Hey guys, Im trying to get a list of sugar cane varieties with info about each type. Ive outlined some common types in my neck of the woods on my website. here is the Article ive started so far: http://www.greenplanetfarm.com/sugar%20cane%20varieties.docx

if you have more information id like to add it to the article to make this wonderful plant more common.


My favorite type for juice is HOME GREEN, but it has those prickly thorny hairs on the sheaths.

We are also looking for seed cane to plant out this year so if you have a source for cane please send me a message! Im looking for all varieties.
Home green variety:


mix:


Asian black:


ribbon type:

]

The one I'm growing is the home green variety. Nothing like drinking a refreshing cup of iced sweet grass water.

[gunnar429]

I see the striped red canes (like bottom picture) in N Miami on roadside quite often.  Seems popular among Haitians. 

[simon_grow]

Here is a horrible picture of a really old and dried up piece of my favorite sugarcane variety that I have tried this past year. The cane looked very different when it was fresh but it was left in my garage for a while before I finally stuck it into water. It is just starting to pop out some roots. Like I mentioned earlier, this variety produced a very bright yellow juice when you run the cane through a juicer, even if you leave the skin on, it is also very sweet and has no chlorophyll taste. I do not know what variety it is but the cane color is yellow.
Simon

[simon_grow]

I scored another bundle of sugarcane. This is my favorite yellow with some green mixed in.

[simon_grow]

Here is a picture of the juice from a combination of the Yellow Sugarcane with a little green Sugarcane mixed in. I juiced everything including the skin and notice that the color is still very light golden yellow. You can compare this to the pictures of the juice from the Black and Green sugarcane in the "sugarcane juicer" thread. This juice is very sweet with no chlorophyll taste. I still need yo do a side by side comparison between this juice and the other varieties to see which one is best.
Simon

[NaturalGreenthumb]

I scored another bundle of sugarcane. This is my favorite yellow with some green mixed in.

Simon I'm jelous!!

Do any of them look like mine?

Please save me some cuttings.

[simon_grow]

The green cane at 99 Ranch market looks like the cane you brought over. It was the same color and thickness and also tasted very similar. I have to dilute the sugarcane with a lot of ice, doesn't matter what variety it is, the juice is just so sweet. I really love sugarcane juice, really one of my favorite drinks in the world! I'm using the sugarcane juice to make lemonade for my family and I'm also using the juice to replace white processed sugar. For those of you out there without a juicer, many Asian markets sell the fresh juice, if you've never tried it, you're really missing out!
Simon

[Zambezi]

 

Simon, that looks yummy! You're making me miss home..

Did you try it with Ginger and/or lime or lemon? I love the taste of ginger in my sugarcane juice! Just add the ginger pieces into the folded crushed cane fibers as you are passing it into the rollers on the 3rd or 4th run. You fold it in the cane so you don't accidentally get your fingers too close to the spinning crushers. Same when you add lemon; add half a slice in-between the crushed sugarcane.
 

[palmtreeluke]

Simon, that's a new one for me. looks good, I love that juice color!

anyone else have any unique varieties?

[simon_grow]

 

Simon, that looks yummy! You're making me miss home..

Did you try it with Ginger and/or lime or lemon? I love the taste of ginger in my sugarcane juice! Just add the ginger pieces into the folded crushed cane fibers as you are passing it into the rollers on the 3rd or 4th run. You fold it in the cane so you don't accidentally get your fingers too close to the spinning crushers. Same when you add lemon; add half a slice in-between the crushed sugarcane.
 

Yup, I tried it with lemon, lime, Ginger and Calamansi. I like the juice with Calamansi the best. I also like the fresh pressed juice by itself. I saw a video where a guy recommended against adding anything to the juice because it can change the properties of the juice. I did notice that things settle out of the juice when I add extras.

Luke, you got pm.

Simon

[Ryan]

anyone else have any unique varieties?

I've got a couple local Hawaiian varieties. Will try to post photos.

[palmtreeluke]

anyone else have any unique varieties?

I've got a couple local Hawaiian varieties. Will try to post photos.

Please post them up, the Hawaiian varieties ive seen in the past are really colorful! 

[Ryan]

anyone else have any unique varieties?

I've got a couple local Hawaiian varieties. Will try to post photos.

Here are the two Hawaiian varieties I am currently growing. Though uncertain as to the proper names, I call the first one "Green Lake" (for the nature preserve where I found it) and refer to the other as "Hawaiian purple." Native Hawaiians are said to have had 40+ cultivars (100 according to some sources). What I can tell you is that these two are quite tasty.