How to Plant and Grow Sugar Cane

Growing sugar cane in your garden will give you sweet rewards.

Sugar cane is a genus of large perennial grasses that is native to tropical southeastern Asia. Depending on the species, the grass ranges in color from green to red to purple. What all species have in common is their size—they grow up to 20 feet tall. In warm climates, you can grow sugar cane right in your backyard. It looks like bamboo, which is in the same plant family, but sugar cane comes with the sweet benefit of providing copious amounts of edible raw sugar, and unlike bamboo, it is not invasive.

Sugar cane is one of the world’s biggest crops, with the vast majority grown and harvested in Brazil. Along with sugar beets, sugar cane is grown on huge plots of land, harvested, and pressed to release its sweet sap. While sugar beets are typically grown in cooler climates, sugar cane is grown in subtropical and tropical locations worldwide.

Sugar Cane Overview

Where to Plant Sugar Cane

Sugar cane plants are large and take up a sizable portion of a garden. Plant in a location with full sun and plenty of space to grow upward and outward. Large plants like sugar cane block the sun for smaller garden plants and should be planted with this in mind.

The leaves of sugar cane have sharp edges. To avoid injuries, don’t plant it in locations with lots of traffic or near pathways.

Because of its large size, the plant is prone to wind damage. Plants benefit from being placed in locations with windbreaks, such as near fences or dense trees.

How and When to Plant Sugar Cane

In warmer climates, sugar cane is typically planted in November. In cooler climates, it is planted outdoors after temperatures have warmed the soil and the danger of frost in spring has passed.

Planting your sugar cane cuttings is exceptionally easy and is accomplished in just a few steps:

1. Cut cane sections into lengths about 6 inches long that contain at least two nodes (raised, ring-like areas around stems).
2. Dig a trench at least 5 inches deep. Trenches should be spaced approximately 5 feet apart.
3. Set cut cane sections lengthwise along the trench.
4. Cover the trench with soil and water thoroughly.

Depending on the soil and air temperatures, it may take canes upward of three weeks to begin growing.

Sugar Cane Care Tips

Although sugar cane requires plenty of garden space and a long, hot growing season, it’s a relatively easy-to-grow crop.

Light

Like most grasses, sugar cane grows quickly and requires intense, full sun. Provide your sugar cane with 8 or more hours of direct sunlight a day.

Soil and Water

Like most edible crops, sugar cane prefers light, loamy soils with good drainage and ample nutrients. Amending the soil with aged manure, compost, and probiotic fertilizers is recommended for the best growth–especially in regions with short growing seasons.

Give plants plenty of water while they are actively growing. While they tolerate brief dryness, a lack of water over long periods hinders growth and sugar production.

Temperature and Humidity

Being a tropical plant, sugar cane requires heat and humidity for good growth. It only survives brief cold spells,

In regions with short growing seasons, plant on the south side of a building or fence line to increase ambient temperatures.

Fertilizer

Fast-growing plants usually require large amounts of nutrients, and sugar cane is no exception. Fertilize your sugar cane with a high-nitrogen fertilizer 30 days after planting and every month thereafter.

Pruning

Sugar cane doesn’t usually require pruning, but because of its large size and propensity to fall over in exposed areas or locations without adequate sunlight, some pruning to maintain its shape may be necessary. However, keep in mind that cutting this plant’s growing points risks severely reducing harvestable mass later in the season.

Pests and Problems

Sugar canes are hardy plants. Disease detection is often difficult because of their quick growth and large size. However, some common pests include spider mites, mealybugs, aphids, and grasshoppers. If you detect an infestation, use organic pesticides such as pyrethrin and neem oil. Never use synthetic pesticides on sugar cane or other edible plants.

How to Propagate Sugar Cane

To propagate sugar cane, you need stalk cuttings. The seeds of sugar cane do not produce plants that are true to the parent.

Cut mature cane stalks into smaller sections, each with at least two nodes. Replant them promptly. Note that sugar cane cannot be stored for long periods and should be replanted within a few weeks.

In climates where sugar cane is marginally hardy (USDA Zones 7-8), you might be successful in overwintering sugar cane by leaving the cut plants in the soil and mulching them heavily before winter. The survival rate depends on the severity of winter in a given year.

How to Harvest Sugar Cane

In tropical and subtropical climates, sugar cane planted in November is ready for harvest about 12 months later. When ready, the plants begin to yellow, and the leaves dry out along the edges.

Sugar cane sugars are concentrated nearer the base of the plants, so stalks should be cut as low as possible. Use a sharp, sterilized machete or shears to create a clean cut and remove stalks one at a time. After all stalks have been cut from the plant, cut them into smaller sections.

Types of Sugar Cane

While there are multiple species of sugar cane, including Saccharum officinarum from Papua New Guinea and S. sinense from Southeast Asia, most commercially available plants are complex hybrids of multiple species. Various species are grown based on whether they are meant for chewing, dry sugar, or syrup production.

Frequently Asked Questions

While sugar cane can be started indoors from cut sections of stems called “seed cane,” they require too much space and light for proper growth and must be transplanted outdoors to be grown successfully.

While often referred to as sugar cane and grown for its sugar content, sweet sorghum (Sorghum spp. and hybrids) is not the same kind of plant as true sugar cane (Saccharum spp.).

In large commercial fields, sugar cane plants are burned prior to harvest to remove leaves and plant stems while leaving the lower portions of the stalks for harvest. This practice is not necessary in the home garden and not recommended.