Whole plant
Overall shape, height, branching and growth habit.
Grasses & Grains
Sugar Cane growing guide
Saccharum officinarum
A tall perennial grass grown for its sweet jointed stems. Propagated from setts, lengths of mature cane laid horizontally, rather than from seed. Wants heat, water and a long growing season.
Fruits in 1 yrsFull sun60 cm apartTender to frostPerennial
14-28 daysGermination
365-540 daysHarvest
60 cmSpacing
10 cmSow depth
FullSun
TenderFrost
4 cm/weekWater
5.5-7.5pH
Planting calendar by climate
When to sow, plant out and harvest in each climate. Plotera turns this into reminders for your own garden, location and planting dates.
JFMAMJJASOND
Tropical
Subtropical
Mediterranean
Temperate
Cool
Arid
SowPlant outHarvest
Show as a table
| Climate | Sow | Transplant / Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical | Jan - Dec | Jan - Dec | Jan - Dec |
| Subtropical | Aug - Nov | Aug - Nov | Jun - Oct |
| Mediterranean | Sep - Nov | Sep - Nov | May - Aug |
| Temperate | Sep - Oct | Nov - Dec | Apr - Jul |
| Cool | Not suitable | Not suitable | Not suitable |
| Arid | Sep - Nov | Sep - Nov | May - Aug |
Botanical reference
Leaf detail
Leaf shape, edges, colour and vein pattern.
Flower detail
Flower colour, structure and where blooms appear.
Harvest / detail
Fruit, root, seed, pod or the strongest identifying feature.
Cooking and eating ideas
A quick garden-to-table guide for using Sugar Cane after harvest.
Raw / fresh
Peel the hard rind and chew the fibrous inner cane for the juice, spitting out the pulp.
Cooked
Press for juice to drink fresh or boil down into syrup and raw sugar. Split lengths make aromatic skewers for grilling.
Store / preserve
Use fresh, freeze, dry, pickle, or preserve depending on the crop.
Good companions
Avoid near
No avoid list yet.
Growing note
Lay setts horizontally in a trench, two or three buds each, under about 10cm of soil. Cut canes at ground level and the stool will ratoon for several more seasons.
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