Sugarcane

Overview

Sugarcane is a giant clumping grass with juicy, sweet stalks. In a food forest it is mostly valued as a fast windbreak and mulch plant, with sweet stalks to chew or juice as a bonus.

History

Sugarcane was domesticated in New Guinea and spread across tropical Asia and the Pacific. It is chewed fresh, pressed for juice, and planted as a windbreak along the edges of fields.

Growing on Kauaʻi

• Thrives in sun, warmth, and steady moisture.
• Tolerates many soils; needs extra water on the dry side.
• Plant rows on the windward side as a living windbreak.

Planting and propagation

• Cut mature stalks into pieces with 2–3 nodes.
• Lay them flat or at an angle in a shallow trench, about 2 inches deep, and cover.
• New shoots appear within a few weeks.

Care and maintenance

• Strip off dry lower leaves and use them as mulch.
• Cut whole stalks for mulch or windbreak height control; clumps regrow.

Role in the guild

Plant sugarcane as a windbreak hedge or border around the guild, cutting it regularly for mulch to feed nearby trees.

Harvest

Stalks are sweetest when mature, usually 9–12 months after planting. Cut them near the ground and peel before chewing or juicing.

Uses

• Food: chewed fresh or pressed for juice.
• Soil: leaves and stalks make long-lasting mulch.
• Shelter: a fast windbreak and living border.

Problems to watch

• Rats in the clumps.
• Can lodge (fall over) in strong wind when very tall.

General guidance for Kauaʻi; conditions vary by site. Check any new plant at plantpono.org before planting.