Sweating Sugar Cane?

My sugar cane (4 ft tall) is beading with liquid on each leaf bud that's showing. It's really starting to kind of pour outta the buds. I tasted it and it doesnt taste like sugar. What's going on with it?

I have it in the house- it get's pretty good light throughout the day.
Soil stays moist. Is this the 'problem'?
It's making a mess on my floor, lol. About to put a towel down to contain the flood waters. (well, it isnt THAT bad.) LOL

Does sugarcane make a good tropical looking houseplant? I don't know anything about growing it. Can I use regular fertilizer on it? I used some miracle grow a few days ago- looks like it appreciated it.

When I get this stuff going- would anyone be interested in a cutting?

Thanks alot!
-Jocie.

Sugar cane goes through a process before it tastes like sugar...

http://www.sugar.org/facts/grow.html

Holy Lord- I'll try not to take sugar for granted anymore! LOL
Thanks for the link.

What kind do you have, Jocie? I don't have any advice - I actually have questions of my own! I have 'Pele's Smoke' (currently rooting) which is supposed to get 6 feet tall. That's some houseplant!

!!! What kind? Um- well- it's ... green..?
LOL
My BIL used to grow them to make Sugar Cane Syrup. I'd have to ask him what kind these are. Might be a good bonding experiance.
He had a whole field of them- wish I had gotten some last year.


So far mine seems to be doing really well- it's 'buds' are getting long and starting to open into leaves!
I think the MG I used on it helped alot.
I am also keeping it's soil moist.

If I can get more from him I am gonna plant them flat to the ground to get more babies. :-D

How big is yours?
I am looking it up now to see what it looks like.

OMG it's PURPLE!!!!!
Ohh- when yours gets huge- may I have a tiny cutting? That would be awesome in my gothic garden! I'll trade you some of mine or something else I have growing.

If not- where can you buy it?

LMK.

I was sent some foot long sugar cane cuttings that I'm trying to grow. I've never grown anything from a cutting and I've never had sugar cane. I'm a long way from my cactus lifestyle, lol, but how could I resist purple sugar cane? If these things actually live I'm more than happy to share! I don't know where you'd buy it.

I've buried them an inch or two down in a box I'm keeping in the shade for now. I am lightly watering them twice a week so they're staying fairly moist. I unburied one of them to check on it (I couldn't help myself) and saw about a half inch long root. This leads me to think that I might actually be doing it right. *gasp*

Suggestions?

I got my sugar cane in the produce section of the grocery store. Not knowing how to grow it, I did alot of research on the net- they say for the best way for it to have lots of shoots, plant it at an angle. Not staright up and down and not flat on the ground.

Sugar can isn't a real pretty plant from what I've seen in the cane fields but great for so many uses.

From the grocery store? Very cool! How long ago did you plant them?

An angle, eh? I'll do that when I get home today. They're horizontal right now. I'm hoping to plant them as a backdrop (behind my more "showy' plants) for a good contrast color.

I've got a hardy version - not sure if I can actually get any sugar out of it :) Saccharum arundinaceum
One in the center (before blooming - and before the stalks were visible in the photo)...

This message was edited Mar 8, 2005 12:27 PM

Yours is beautiful! I notice we don't have S. arundinaceum listed at Dave's . You should add it!

hmmm...thought I did or it was there already. Maybe later if I think of it. :)

Yeah it's there: http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/57951/index.html

This message was edited Mar 8, 2005 12:56 PM

I bet I couldn't find it beause the search engine has a few hiccups. Great pictures!

Yep, Jen! The grocery store. Most ethnic-area grocery stores carry it. I plan on using mine for a wind screen but also a critter treat. I prefer honey (bees) for the sweet stuff.

hc- I have never in my life saw sugarcane like that. It looks like a beautiful grass.

It looks MUCH like ravenna grass until it blooms. I guess the canes are where the sugar is when it blooms.

If you would ever like to part with some, keep me in mind! I can do sase or a trade. It's not only gorgeous but obviously is useful.

Let me know Jen if you want me to get you some 'cane from the grocery store!!!

That's gorgeous HC!! Wonder if I can get mine to look like that, LOL.
I do remember when his (BIL) was big it was like walking into a tropical forest. Very lush and tall. He had a whole bunch planted.

Summer hurry up so the canes can grow! lol

I'll be watching you Jen... watching you watching your cane grow.. then I shall pounce! buhahhaha. :-))

How long until you can make a screen from one (about 4 ft I guess) cane Cyber? This is so exciting- imagine a whole field of green sugar cane with that purple mixed in like waves in the breeze!

Ohh- or plant the green on the outside really thick and plant the purple towards the middle- it might look like a deep tropical forest! Only thing missing are the gorillias and the mist!

I will dream about Jen's sugar cane tonite, Jocie. I hope she gets back to me!!

This message was edited Mar 9, 2005 12:19 PM

Hey, if this stuff grows I will definitely share! It's the "if" part that has me nervous. Think growing thoughts for me!

I'm loving hc's sugar cane. How lush is that?! You think gorillas would like Tucson? I'm picturing one climbing my saguaro...

Teheee! They'd eat all the cane I bet! Man I couldn't imagine having a gorillia running the property, haha.
Sending growing thoughts your way Jen!

How bigs your Saguaro? Cactus are neat plants.

You dream of plants too? Oh dear- it must be a sickness! LOL

I'm thinking gorillas might find the cactus a little too prickly :)

I know I had some pictures of my sugar cane blooming. I'll have to look again...

I guess I don't have a blooming photo :( It doesn't bloom until late in fall. It barely makes it before frost gets it. It's not suited very well for this cold on an environment I guess. It would bloom sooner and better in a warmer climate.

Are the blooms pretty?

Yeah, pretty nice. I swear though, this plant could almost be a clone of erianthus. It's very similar. Although I think this hardy sugar cane is more well behaved and has a better appearance overall.

The place I bought it from has a blooming photo on their site:
http://www.plantdelights.com/Catalog/Current/Detail/01735.html

That is so pretty! I've added it to my mental wishlist. lol

~*~*~ New Growth Happy Dance ~*~*~

I didn't kill it!

There's a full centimeter of Pele's Smoke growth coming up today! I'm so proud, lol!

Blurry picture of proof below...

Hooyah!!!! Jen!!!

Mines putting off leaves now too, hehe. Just wait- soon yours will grow grow grow!!!!
I might be able to get some purple SC from my BIL. My sister said he had some planted. :-O

[ Jen ] I used to have sugar cane out here in Desert Hot Springs, near Palm Springs Ca. and it grew just fine until I cut back the water to it during the winter time and it died. Now I just try and grow bamboo and citrus trees, although I did try some so called [ black ] sugar care about 3 months ago but nothing has happened with it yet and I really don't think it will grow, I don't know why I feel that way, I just do. Anyway good luck with your sugar care, I'm quite certain that you will be happy with it. Enjoy

I would like to try growing sugar cane. I haven't seen it in our grocery store. Here's my information or just email me when you have cuttings to share.

Patricia O'Reilly
293 Turtle Hill
Roxboro, NC 27573

Mine is still small but remind me off and on so when it finally does get shoots I can send ya some.
Have you tried any spanish stores?

What kind of cat is that?

Mine just about died off completely this year. Not sure if it was the winter or moisture. Only one small section left. I'd say it's pretty much through now. I might need to dig it up and get rid of it.

Felions4evr (Roxboro, NC) -see above- would like to have it, hczone6.

I won't be shipping anything...I rarely do. I got mine here: http://www.plantdelights.com/Catalog/Current/Detail/01735.html