How to Root Sugar Cane Cuttings?

[Bananapple]

I ordered three different kinds of sugar cane on eBay. They all look pretty good, bigger than expected. Not roots, yet, but one has two green shoots (maybe 8" tall) that have the very tips cup off it appears, and the other two have two little green nubs growing on them which should turn into sugar. When I tried to root some pineapples in soil, they just grew mold. These, I planted in 1/1 potting soil to sand with lots of small fish gravel mixed in. The soil is damp but not wet. What can I do to get these to root the fastest? I stuck them in my greenhouse. I don't have the heater or swamp cooler hooked up yet, just got them a few days ago. Haven't installed the shade cloth either. Would they be better off inside?

Tips?

[SWRancher]

Just stick them in the ground buried about an inch deep and let'em grow. All the times that I have grown sugar cane its been like a weed.

[Berto]

I just lay them flat on the ground.  Be prepared to have sugar cane all over! Plant them in a wet spot and get the machete ready!

[fruitlovers]

I just lay them flat on the ground.  Be prepared to have sugar cane all over! Plant them in a wet spot and get the machete ready!

Yeah the sugar cane sprouts easier if buried laying down. Cover with 1/2 inch of soil. Super easy. You can cut it in pieces if you want to spread the plants, just leave 2 nodes on each part. Sugar cane makes an easy and fast privacy hedge. Can easy get out of control if you don't maintain it regularly.

[Bananapple]

Wow, didn't know that it should be laying down! Wouldn't never guessed that. I'll dump the medium they're in out into a bigger container, then lay them all down flat and see what happens. How often do cuttings not make it? Here's the three...



They each have 2-3 nodes on them. So I can't really cut them up to spread them out that well.

[Tim]

Wow, good thing you asked questions here.
I used to grow red sugar canes when I was little, parents hated it for some stupidstitious, always wanted me to rip them out.  And we "borrowed" lots of the yellow canes from others' fields on the way home from school too   

[anaxel]

hi,
I like your success growing sugarcane in pots.

[Jackfruitwhisperer69]

I LUV Sugarcanes! they are top on my list Beware...the leaves are as sharp as razors OUCH

I just lay them flat on the ground.  Be prepared to have sugar cane all over! Plant them in a wet spot and get the machete ready!

Hi Berto, that method of your is very popular in India and Pakistan.

I ordered three different kinds of sugar cane on eBay. They all look pretty good, bigger than expected. Not roots, yet, but one has two green shoots (maybe 8" tall) that have the very tips cup off it appears, and the other two have two little green nubs growing on them which should turn into sugar. When I tried to root some pineapples in soil, they just grew mold. These, I planted in 1/1 potting soil to sand with lots of small fish gravel mixed in. The soil is damp but not wet. What can I do to get these to root the fastest? I stuck them in my greenhouse. I don't have the heater or swamp cooler hooked up yet, just got them a few days ago. Haven't installed the shade cloth either. Would they be better off inside?

Tips?

Hi Bananapple,
Here's a vid on S.C! Enjoy

Growing Sugar Cane in the Backyard in Sacramento California
Growing Sugar Cane in the Backyard in Sacramento California

[bsbullie]

Wow, didn't know that it should be laying down! Wouldn't never guessed that. I'll dump the medium they're in out into a bigger container, then lay them all down flat and see what happens. How often do cuttings not make it? Here's the three...



They each have 2-3 nodes on them. So I can't really cut them up to spread them out that well.

You are also going to want to have them in a bigger pot...and once they get going, as been already said, they take off...

[Jackfruitwhisperer69]

I totally agree with you Rob! I planted a sugarcane cutting in a pot and in no time the pot was full of roots!!!

[bsbullie]

...and to further clarify my post, a pot with a wider base as a decorative pot with a narrowing base will restriction the root system which is vigorous.  Also, keep in mind, once established, they will want to spread so a larger pot will be needed to accommodate that and to be able to keep the pots upright (the larger the canes get, the more they will want to knock their pots over).

[JoeP450]

The first time I tried to grow sugar cane I received a 12in cutting from a friend and made the same mistake by planting it vertical and during the summer I missed a couple days watering it and the cutting dried out and died... Absolute fail.

But.... I learned from my mistake and an absolute fail-proof technique is to lay a 6-8in cutting in a 3 gallon pot horizontally on the top of the soil, just cover lightly don't fully burry the cutting. Then water it, and then finally take a grocery bag and place over the 3 gallon bucket, this will seal in moisture and then place out in full sun. Have no fear because the bag locks in the moisture, sugar cane likes to be warm it is actually a type of grass...

If you have a chance encounter with the "green" variety of mullberry at Excalibur compare the taste to your sugar cane.... I think it tastes exactly like sugarcane, but that might just be me. I love to eat sugarcane and grow it, I think it's pretty neat you have 3 varietys I am just growing one, not sure of the cultivar.

Best of luck

_JoeP450

[natsgarden123]

My husband is from Belle Glade, Florida- the sugar capital of the US. He says all the canes grow like weeds and multiply quickly,thickly.
Also, just some trivia:  He says that the people who grow it in their backyard, do so to hide other "smokable crops" from street and Aerial view!

[murahilin]

My husband is from Belle Glade, Florida- the sugar capital of the US. He says all the canes grow like weeds and multiply quickly,thickly.
Also, just some trivia:  He says that the people who grow it in their backyard, do so to hide other "smokable crops" from street and Aerial view!

Good idea!

[NewGen]

What soil condition do they like? Moist all the time or on the dry side? Can they survive the low 30s temp?
Thanks,

[lkailburn]

I LUV Sugarcanes! they are top on my list Beware...the leaves are as sharp as razors OUCH

I just lay them flat on the ground.  Be prepared to have sugar cane all over! Plant them in a wet spot and get the machete ready!

Hi Berto, that method of your is very popular in India and Pakistan.

I ordered three different kinds of sugar cane on eBay. They all look pretty good, bigger than expected. Not roots, yet, but one has two green shoots (maybe 8" tall) that have the very tips cup off it appears, and the other two have two little green nubs growing on them which should turn into sugar. When I tried to root some pineapples in soil, they just grew mold. These, I planted in 1/1 potting soil to sand with lots of small fish gravel mixed in. The soil is damp but not wet. What can I do to get these to root the fastest? I stuck them in my greenhouse. I don't have the heater or swamp cooler hooked up yet, just got them a few days ago. Haven't installed the shade cloth either. Would they be better off inside?

Tips?

Hi Bananapple,
Here's a vid on S.C! Enjoy

Growing Sugar Cane in the Backyard in Sacramento California
Growing Sugar Cane in the Backyard in Sacramento California

Allright! another john kohler watcher! I love watching his videos. He's a goofy guy.

-Luke

[natsgarden123]

What soil condition do they like? Moist all the time or on the dry side? Can they survive the low 30s temp?
Thanks,

I hope this helps:
Soil- Very Mucky, moist soil
Temp- it can survive into the 30's for short periods only-

Check this out- an excellent guide for home growers
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/sc052

[NewGen]

Thanks Nat,
now I'll need to look  for "chewing" sugarcanes.

[JoeP450]

This is pretty random, but while we are on the topic of sugar cane...

Last year my brother and I planted our first vegetable garden, but the site that was available was subject to really harsh scorching afternoon sun. To help with this problem we planted sugarcane around two sides of the garden this way to provide some shade on the small vegetable plants that would otherwise wither. The sugarcane worked out great because of how fast it grew and its ease of propagation. It served a duel purpose as for shade and occasionally harvested. Plus it made the garden look really cool lol.


_JoeP450

[Bananapple]

I replanted them horizontally in a long pot. It's in a 70% soil, 20% sand, 10% aquarium gravel mix.



Do I need to cover them up with soil? Also, on one of the offshoots of that middle guy, there are fuzzy roots at the base. Brushed it to make sure it wasn't mold and it wasn't they're roots! About 1/8" and super fuzzy.

[bsbullie]

I replanted them horizontally in a long pot. It's in a 70% soil, 20% sand, 10% aquarium gravel mix.



Do I need to cover them up with soil? Also, on one of the offshoots of that middle guy, there are fuzzy roots at the base. Brushed it to make sure it wasn't mold and it wasn't they're roots! About 1/8" and super fuzzy.

I would suggest a bigger pot and only one "plant" per pot.  With all three in that small area it is on a course for problems.

[fruitlovers]

Yes you need to cover the whole cane, thought it's the nodes that will form roots, you want to keep the whole stick moist.

[Bananapple]

I'll cover the entire thing with soil then. 

This is only their rooting container. Haha, if I grew them in that it would be sad!

One they're rooted and growing new foliage, I'm going to transplant them into the yard. Hopefully I can grow a hedge around my greenhouse to make it even more suspicious than it already is!

[bsbullie]

I'll cover the entire thing with soil then. 

This is only their rooting container. Haha, if I grew them in that it would be sad!

One they're rooted and growing new foliage, I'm going to transplant them into the yard. Hopefully I can grow a hedge around my greenhouse to make it even more suspicious than it already is!

I would still establish them in three separate pots.  You don't want the developing roots to grow together as one.  Just my opinion.

[JoeP450]

I couldn't agree more with Rob's suggestion of separating them. Sugar cane grows fast and tall and you will have a problem in a few months trying to separate them after the roots are intertwined. It's not necessary to fully bury the canes because the roots will grow from underneath the cane, but I guess you can do either or.

_JoeP450