Yes, it's easy. Just cut into sections with 2 to 3 nodes, allow the cut ends to dry out for about 2 days, then plant with at least one node buried in the soil. You can plant them either horizontally or vertically. They should be put in a warm, bright place and kept fairly moist. Bottom heat from a seedling heat mat will help a lot. If all goes well, in about 2 to 3 weeks, shoots and roots will emerge.

This plant is a heavy feeder, and responds to abundant nitrogen and water. Culture here is essentially the same as corn. I see no problem with pot culture as long as it's a REALLY BIG pot, like a whiskey barrel planter, since it likes room to grow and can get to be 10 feet tall.

I've tasted sugar cane from the store before, but never did more than that with it.

I grow sugar cane a few types for fun. I do have a one mule press that is converted to run of a tractor PTO. I bought it just to say I have one. I admire old timey equipment. I will say it may be a challenge for you to grow but if it were easy everyone would do. Sugar can is sub tropical can handle light freezes which will kill the stalks but the root will survive till next spring. To hold over we bury the canes in a trench and cover with manure or heavy straw then in late march early April the new canes are starting to sprout. Take the sprouts and cut the joints or billets and plant each one in good rich soil or lay the whole stalk end to end in a furrow filled with rotted manure and straw. Cane likes heat moisture and lots of nitrogen come first cool night of fall in Nov. remove leaves cut stalks off at ground and chew on pieces for a sweet treat. It is near impossible to extract juice unless you have a press. Bury a few stalks for next year. Up north you will need to wrap the stalks in moist peat or something to keep them moist and put under the house in a root cellar or somewhere to keep the stalk moist and above freezing. Plants in containers or even in the ground are short lived. surving maybe one or two seasons so always have to save a few stalks for next season and replant. Rodger

When we raised sorghum a long time ago, we planted seeds. I would assume that you could plant seeds too.

Rodger, do you know where one can buy starts of sugar cane online? I've been thinking about trying it again (did once years ago, but didn't keep up with it and can't find the contact info for my source). I'd like a chewing type and a processing type, and kind of would like to grow the dark purple one as an ornamental if nothing else. Like you, I'm thinking it'd be fun to have an old press, only I'd like to actually try hooking it up to one of my horses or tractor and use it some day (even if all I get is a cup of juice, I'd get a kick out of it). I've found lots of places to find or build one of those, but not to buy the cane starts. And being in Texas makes it kind of hard to just go pick some up from the side of railroad tracks. ;)

Wayne, sorghum is a different plant than sugar cane. It's more of a cereal grain I believe, genus Sorghum, while sugar cane is Saccharum genus.

Thanks for asking this question, PlantOne. It's given me an excuse to ask about where to get some myself. Good luck with yours!

I have some starts I could let go,I have the purple , ribbon ,blueribbon, green chewing, ga. yellow and a couple of others. send me a pm.
I have used my press and made syrup. I did a large growout of Sorghum for seed for Southern Exposure Seeds last year and tried to make syrup out of it, but it was past the sugar stage when the seed heads were good and ripe.
Wayne sorghum is grown from seed while sugar cane is from billets or vegetative cuts of the stalk. It must be replanted each year from a new piece of stalk. If you don't replant each year the crown becomes too crowded and will not grow and will eventually die out. So best to save a few stalks for seed to replant each spring in well prepared soil. Another major difference in sorghum and cane is growing time sorghum takes less than 90 days while cane takes more than 200 days so sorghum and sorghum syrup are popular in the zone 6-7 areas of the south while sugar cane dominates the coastal and zone 8 and up areas of the south.sorghum is also drought tolerant and will lodge or go bad in heavy rain fall this made it unsuitable for the coastal and tropical south but well suited to the interior cooler areas of the south. Sorghum is native to Africa sugar cane northern africa and middle east both were brought over during the slave trade and experimented with as a crop for the tropical south and islands so that the European countries could monopolize on sugar production when at that time the midlle eastern countries had the monopoly and only the wealthy and nobility could afford sugar, once it took hold in the americas sugar became a common commodity in europe and america and was the single largest crop that demanded slave labor far surpassing cotton production in the 18th and 19th centruies. More slaves were imported for sugar production than ever where imported for cotton and the mortality rate of sugar workers was more than 50% and average lifespan was one season. Millions of slaves were brought to tropical america and millions died for the sake of cheap and plentiful sugar.Rodger

Rodger, you keep amazing me with the breadth of your gardening projects and the depth of your knowledge.

Folk, if you aren't familiar with Rodger's posts, seek them out on the Bean forum. You will be enlightened and entertained. He is one of several real experts we are fortunate to have contributing to that forum.

Jim

Thank you all for the information. I am sure it will make a fun project for my 4 year old granddaughter and me. She already has the garden bug bad and being able to chew on something sweet sure won't help her fight off the pending addiction lol. Hmmm, now I need to check out sorghum...something else interesting. Kim

My sugar can arrived today but I may have a small problem that I hope someone can answer...I didn't know it was going to be burned. I called my mom and she said the plantation burns off the leaves and such before sending it by rail. Do you think it will still grow? I am trying anyway but don't want to say anything to my granddaughter until I know for sure. Kim

I have a sugarcane growing in my backyard. The stalk is from a friend who digged it for me in Louisanna. It grow really slow in central Texas. I also grew a sweet sorghum from Baker Creek seeds. They do really well and grow all the way to 12 feet+. Got to chew lots of sweet stalks last summer.Sweet sorghum are my only treat when I was a kid.
Roger: I really enjoy your post with so much rich information/background. when you say you have "purple,ribbon ,blueribbon, green chewing, ga. yellow and a couple of others". Are you reference to sugae can or Sorghum? Thank you.
New gardener in Tx

I am refering to sugar cane. and the sugr cane for me some grow to around 6-8ft other 12ft.On the burned stalks I can't say but send me a pm. Rodger

That would be fabulous, Rodger! I'll email you right away through the G-Web form right now. Thank you in advance, immensely.

"Rodger, you keep amazing me with the breadth of your gardening projects and the depth of your knowledge." No kidding, Jim. And his generosity.

Roger, Thank you very much. I just sent you an email.

Rodger,
I got the sugar cane. Those beautiful purple stalks. I can see sprouts from the nodes already. I will plant them tomorrow next to my green ones. Thanks a lot!
New gardener in TX

Hi I have been looking for Sugar cane to plant for a LONG time. Would anyone be willing to share a couple pieces with me? I would be happy to pay postage and/ or trade for other plants (I do have more than what is listed on my trade list).

Does anyone know if cane from the grocery store would grow? It usually isn't available there, but I am always keeping my eye out for it. Thanks.
Josh

Jkrup, if you can't find some by the end of this year, shoot me an email. Roger sent me some Blue Ribbon cane and if I can get it to grow well enough that I have extra, I'd be glad to send you some. He may offer you some, too, but all the rest of us may have tapped him out. If so, I told him I'd pay his kindness forward, so I'd be glad to do just that with you.

Roger, hope you got my email letting you know I got my cane, too. Thanks again! :)

Roger was kind enough to send me two pieces of the Blue Ribbon and I immediately put it in the ground. I can't wait to see the shoots come up. Again, Roger thank you for sharing the cane and for sharing all of your knowledge. I am from South Louisiana and I just wanted a little bit of home.

knittlin, Thanks, I'll keep looking and I'll let you know if I have any luck. Good luck to you with your Blue Ribbon cane! I hope it grows well.

Quick question, as I'd like to add this to the list of stuff in my backyard! I can get cane down at the Italian Markets in Philadelphia...think original Rocky movie on 9th Street. Okay...so I can get some, can I just plant what I purchase from the vendor? My kids love chewing on sugar cane...my 16 year old did this for three summers while on Girl Scouts trips to Central America - 2 to Costa Rica and 1 to Honduras.

Thanks!

Pam
Havertown, PA