Planting Sugar Cane

Overview

Sugar cane is a perennial grass that, without leaves, looks very much like its cousin, bamboo. It is native to Asia and grows in tropical regions of the world. If you live in a tropical climate you should have no problem growing sugar cane. If you are purchasing a cane sold as food, select only the top part of the cane to plant and plan to get it into the ground when temperatures are consistently above 75 degrees F.

Step 1

Saw the cane into 6-inch pieces, making sure that each section has one or more buds (located at the rings around the stalk). These sections are called setts.

Step 2

Dig a trench, using the hoe or a shovel, deep enough that your sett will lie 4 inches beneath the soil.

Step 3

Lay the sett horizontally in the trench and cover it with soil.

Step 4

Water the planting area deeply, until the water puddles, and keep the soil moist until the sugar cane sprouts. This sprout, known as the ratoon, will appear within three to four weeks of planting.