Anybody try their luck at raising sugar cane?

This evening at church a lady gave me a sugar cane about 3 feet long. She said she use to know someone nearby who use to raise it here in Oklahoma. I didn't know it would grow here! Anyway she didn't know if I could soak the stalk in water and get it to take root or not. It has a joint in it about every 4 inches or so. I don't know if I need to cut into peices between each joint or just stick the whole thing in water, or if I'm just waisting my time.

So does anyone have a clue as to wether I could get a start off the cane or not?

[JAK]

When I was younger I used to raise Cain alot, but the church ladies I knew tended to discourage it.

[james dilley]

Plant it in A trench eyes up and keep it watered. It should grow.

Should I wait till spring to plant it in a trench? What about frost, should I have to wait till all dangers of frost have pass?

[Ed in S. AL]

I grow a little bit. Not much to do but plant it and watch it grow. I have mine pretty thick so it can be used as a privacy fence.

[mountainman_bc]

I don't think it's frost hardy. Otherwise we'd grow canes and not beets around here.

[cpeyus]

OK...I'd never thought of growing sugar cane...Assuming I got it to grow, how would I use it!? I love trying new things & this one sounds cool!

[Grandmotherbear]

Wait till spring. Keep it cool but not cold.Plant after last frost.
If sugar cane is beaten down by a hurricane it sprouts along the cane, so I think you could plant it in rich soil and keep well watered.
Its sold in our produce departments down here in the grocerys for people to suck the juices.
You can macerate the cane, drain the juice, and boil it down to syrup or crystal a la maple syrup. But youll need a little more acreage of crop.

[moopups]

Two nodules are required for it to grow, other than that there is not much more than putting it into the soil, I would do it now and keep it inside for the winter if you get below freezing. It is also an invasive plant.

[Shepherd]

Boy, I'd love to learn more about this; wonder if it would grow in Iowa! I'd sure try it if it's possible.

[Chas in Me]

How different is cane from sorghum? I grew sorghum up here in northern Maine this summer. It got about 6-7 feet tall. I didn't know what to do with it, so I sold some for decorations. I may try making syrup next year.

[Al. Countryboy]

I live in the southeast and it grows well here. Like some else mentioned, I put mine in a trench in the fall and in the spring it would sprout at all the joints. I would then cut it up in sections and plant it in a row. I also tried to keep some through the winter in our greenhouse, but I think that it actually did better burried in the ground till spring. Up north I would think that you would also need to add a thick layer of straw or hay over where it is buried.

[Reauxman]

Plant it now. Cane only needs one nodule to grow, not sure who above said two are needed, but that isn't true.

Leave it as a whole stick. Plant it about 3-4" deep. It's only real use for you would be to chew it. Take it around this time of the year and scrape the outer skin and cut into cubes. Oddly enough, thats one of he few things a hog will not eat. They will chew it, but not eat it. Don't try and eat it, you will choke. Trust me. You can probably cut a piece off your stalk to chew if you'd like to try it.

Generally when planted, 3 sticks are put together at a time. That ensures a thick row. Cane takes about 18-24 months(depends on strain) to reach harvest age. Prior to that it is mildly bitter. Not sure if anyone here is familiar with a cane knife, but thats how cane was harvested. Now they use a machine that costs 1.5 M and drive down the row and the machine pulls the outer skin off and cuts into 8 inch pieces. the cane itself is no longer burned, only the remainder. This cuts down on evaporation while harvesting. Farmers are paid by the sugar content, and certain plots will give higher yields of content.

I live in the middle of a cane field. The harvest is only so long. You have a daily quota, and if it isn't met, oh well. If you can't havest your crop in time for processing, it still must be harested, but dumped in the spillway. Because of the 2 year growing seaon, farmers can only harvest half their cropland a year.

Sorry, kinda got off track.
Roo

Thanks for the info everyone. I'll keep it in our bedroom closet as it stays very cool in there and then I'll bury it in a trench about the last of March. I think I'll plant it off the hill by the creek from my house and just let it take over wherever it wants to grow. I always though just the tropical area's were the only place sugar cane grows. I guess like they say "your never to old to learn something new"!