How to Grow Sugar Cane From Seed
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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.
Sow seeds directly in the garden two weeks after the last frost and the soil temperature has reached at least 60 degrees F.
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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.
Keep the soil evenly moist.
The seeds take about 10 days to germinate. Thin seedlings 8 to 12 inches apart.
Growing:
Sugarcane needs strong sunlight, fertile soil and lots of water (at least 1.5 metres of rain each year or access to irrigation) to grow. After a few weeks new shoots grow from buds on the joints of the setts and break through the surface of the soil. Up to 12 stalks grow from each sett, forming what is known as the stool of sugarcane.
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A crop of cane takes about 9-16 months to grow in Queensland. In northern New South Wales (where it is cooler) it takes 18-24 months to grow. Typically, a cropping cycle comprises one plant crop and 3-4 ratoon (regrowth) crops. When ripe, the cane is usually about 2-4 metres tall
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Harvesting:
During harvest, the cane harvester drives along each row and cuts the cane stalk off at the bottom of the plant. The long stalk is then cut into many shorter lengths called ‘billets’ (around 30cm). Another machine known as a cane haul out drives alongside the harvester, collecting all the billets.
Australia’s sugarcane is harvested during the drier months in tropical climates – between June and December each year - depending on the weather.
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