Sugar cane is one of the most interesting crops to plant, and if you want to become a sugar cane grower you will need to be very patient. The plant can take up to 2 years to grow and be ready for harvest; in some climates even only 6 months, but the average is usually around 1 year. This is a relatively long period of time to wait to see your investment mature and enjoy the results, economic or otherwise. On the plus side, you won't need to replant the seeds after harvesting; the next crop will grow from the roots of the previous one, if you have done all the operations properly.
Steps
Step 1. Provide the sugarcane with a great environment in which to grow
You cannot reap the benefits of a plant that does not grow. Sugar cane requires a lot of sunlight, heat, and water. This is much more difficult than it looks, because the soil and soil will need to be dry and well drained at the same time. In fact, sugar cane will not grow if planted in soft soil with standing water. Although the roots need a lot of water, they are unable to survive submerged and soaked, so don't let the soil flood.
Step 2. Watch out for pests that can decimate the crop
There are few insects capable of infecting sugar cane, however they can easily spread to other plants if left undisturbed. You can recognize an infected plant when it is shriveled and has streaks (or similar marks) on its leaves. If the plant begins to sprout, which isn't likely, you need to uproot and get rid of it before the disease spreads.
Step 3. Be very careful when checking the sugar cane fields
Sugar cane is a tropical plant with extremely sharp leaves that can easily cut through clothing, not to mention bare skin. Sugar cane plants can grow up to 4 meters tall and ideally start harvesting them shortly before they have reached this height as soon as they begin to bloom. When most of the leaves have died, they are ready for harvest.
Step 4. Use fire to get rid of dead leaves and remaining parts, as well as to remove the thick layer of wax that covers the plant
The heat of the fire will be very intense but short-lived. The plant burns very quickly, and once finished, only the stems remain. Your sugar cane plantation is now ready for harvest. You can choose a hand or machine harvest.
- Harvesting by hand is very hard, but it creates jobs for many people and is better for the local economy.
- Harvesting by machine, on the other hand, is faster and more efficient; however, it does not require hiring anyone and the ground must be almost perfectly flat for the machine to work.
Step 5. Cut the sugar cane down to the height of the ground
Only a few inches of the broken barrel will remain above ground level. The green leaves left higher up will also be cut away and only the bare stems will remain, to be tied together and taken to the factory for extraction. By hand, it can take up to a year to finish the harvest of an entire plantation.
