How to Grow and Care for Sugar Cane

Sugar cane is a tall, clump-forming perennial grass whose long, thick stems are filled with sweet sap. It is mostly grown commercially for foodstuff, including sugar and molasses. In addition, it has also found its way into home gardens as an ornamental. It is used as privacy screen, border, accent, or focal point. Once sugar cane is established, it is a fast grower. The large blades have very sharp edges that require care when handling.

In warm climates, it is planted in late summer or fall. In areas where it is not winter-hardy, sugar cane is commonly grown as an annual and planted after the last spring frost.

Sugar Cane Plant Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing sugar cane:

• Plant it in a location with full sun.
• Amend the soil with organic matter before planting.
• Keep the plant consistently moist.
• Apply a high-nitrogen fertilizer every week, or less infrequently if not growing sugar cane as an edible.
• Cut the whole plant back if it starts to sprawl.
  

Light

Sugar cane needs full sun to thrive.

Soil

Sugar cane does well in most soil types as long as they are well-drained. It prefers deep soil that crumbles easily, with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5. The plant rapidly saps the nutrients from the ground so plant it in soil that is rich in organic matter or amend the soil with compost.

Water

Sugar prospers in consistent moisture but does not tolerate wet, soggy soil or being overwatered. In the absence of abundant precipitation, sugar cane needs to be irrigated, 1 to 2 inches of water per week.

However, reduce watering if you plan to harvest mature stems. Slightly dry conditions slow down the growth and increase the sugar production in the lower part of the stalks.

Temperature and Humidity

Sugar cane flourishes in hot, humid weather. The optimum growing temperature is around 90 degrees F and the relative humidity should be at least 50%. It can't tolerate temperatures below freezing. In temperatures below 70 degrees F, growth is stunted.

Fertilizer

When grown as a food crop, sugar cane is a heavy feeder and should be given a high-nitrogen fertilizer once a week during its peak growing time in the summer.

However, if you grow it as an ornamental, it is sufficient to fertilize the plant three times during the growing season with a slow-release high-nitrogen fertilizer. Apply the fertilizer 10 inches away from the base of the plant to prevent fertilizer burn.

Types of Sugar Cane

If you want to grow sugar cane as a crop. there are many different varieties to choose from. The number of ornamental varieties (which are all edible, too) is much smaller. Here are some varieties to look for:

• 'Pele's Smoke’ is a variety with dark purple leaves that turn black with increased sun exposure. It grows up to 8 feet tall. Hardy to the upper end of USDA Zone 8, it is hardier than other varieties.
• ‘Red Candy Stripe’ has canes with red stripes at the base. With a height of 4 to 6 feet, this is a shorter, fast-maturing variety. If planted in the spring, it is ready to be harvested in the fall.
• ‘Hilo Buddha’ is a rare bicolored variety with barrel-shaped nodes that have maroon and lime green stripes.

Pruning

If your sugar cane is thriving and vigorously shooting up, the grass may begin to sprawl and lose its upright, clump-forming habit. If this happens, it is usually best to cut the plant back and remove dead, withered foliage for a tidier appearance. Cut stalks are excellent material for organic mulch or used to make new plants.

Propagating Sugar Cane

Sugar cane is typically planted using seed canes but you can also propagate the plant using stem cuttings to make your own seed canes. The process is not complicated. Here are steps to take a cutting:

1. With a sterilized gardening cutting tool, take a 4- to 6-inch piece of a healthy stem that has at least two internodes in the upper part of the stem.
2. Plant the cutting deep into the ground, making sure no more than 2 inches of the stem is visible above the soil. Alternatively, bury the cutting horizontally into the soil.
3. It usually takes about two weeks for shoots to start appearing on the nodes and roots to begin forming.

How to Grow Sugar Cane From Seed

It is also possible to grow sugar cane from seeds although that method is less reliable in terms of results and is only recommended if you are planning to grow sugar cane as an edible crop.

1. Sow seeds directly in the garden two weeks after the last frost and the soil temperature has reached at least 60 degrees F. 
2. Plant seeds 1 to 1.5 inches deep, spacing them 8 to 12 inches apart and in rows 36 to 42 inches apart. To ensure wind pollination, plant sugar cane in blocks of at least 3 rows in each direction.
3. Keep the soil evenly moist.
4. The seeds take about 10 days to germinate. Thin seedlings 8 to 12 inches apart.

Potting and Repotting Sugar Cane

To grow sugar cane in a cool climate, you need to grow it in containers and overwinter the plants indoors. Use a container with large drainage holes, about 14 inches deep. Depending on the size of the plant, the container size may range 8 and 20 inches in diameter. Fill it with a mixture of potting soil and compost. Repot it to a larger container with fresh soil when the plant becomes root-bound.

Keeping the soil moist is the biggest challenge of growing sugar cane in pots, as the potting mix dries out faster than garden soil. Up your watering schedule accordingly.

Overwintering

If grown as an ornamental within its zone range, sugar cane typically does not need winter protection. Plants whose canes have been harvested, however, benefit from an extra layer of soil. Cut the plant as close to the ground as possible and cover plant's "stubble" to protect it from cold weather.

Bring container plants indoors before the first fall frost.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Sugar cane is prone to typical pests such as mealybugs, but you should be on the lookout for moth caterpillars, sugar cane borers (Diatraea saccharalis kills the stalks), termites, spittlebugs, and sugar cane beetles (Euetheola humilis). The grass is prone to root rot, whip smut, red stripe (top rot), and viral problems such as stunted growth of new shoots and grassy shoot disease.