# Growing sugarcane and making cane syrup



## Guest (Nov 8, 2011)

There have been a few threads relating to sugarcane here on the board over the years, but never many. So I thought I'd start one that could be added to over time for those of us here in the Deeper South who might have an interest in growing their own and maybe even going so far as to make their own syrup (or sugar).

Yesterday was the 2011 Sugar Cane Field Day at the University of Florida's North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy. (http://gadsden.ifas.ufl.edu/pdfs/sugarcane field day brochure 2011.pdf). The research station brought in a couple of the university faculty from down to South Florida who work with the commercial sugar industry to present on growing cane for syrup making. 

North of the Everglades it is not profitable to grow sugarcane for commercial sugar, but between there and a northern boundary of about central Georgia/Alabama (maybe further in the coastal Carolinas) there is still sufficient growing season to make it worthwhile to grow cane for syrup making. These last several years there has been an increasing interest in this Southern industry. Old cane mills are being hunted and refurbished. Old syrup pots are being cleaned and set up. You are still not likely to find genuine cane syrup in many stores but it is becoming somewhat easier to find.

It was about a three hour trip for us to get there and we arrived just as they got started.










I estimate there were about seventy five people all told. There were some folks there from the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement (http://ppmuseum.org/) where among other things they put on syrup making demonstrations in the season. I just checked their calendar and it looks like November 26th will be when it happens this year (http://ppmuseum.org/events.htm) and you can even sign up for a class on how to make your own (http://ppmuseum.org/classes.htm). They also offer a DVD of the whole thing which I ordered having gotten there too late to get one of the copies they had on hand.

Another good source of photos and information on syrup making can be found at Southern Matters (http://www.southernmatters.com/sugarcane/index.htm). 

There were several speakers discussing the technical issued involved.










This year's focus was on weed and pest management in cane growing. For small-scale growers such as what I hope to do weed management is going to involve a mower, a hoe, and maybe some mulch. But some of them fellas make syrup commercially and have too much for that to be practical so they needed something more sophisticated.

They also had samples of each of the cane varieties on hand. The variety name was written on the pink flagging tape tied to each stick.










All sugarcane contains sugar to some degree, but as you might expect from a plant that has been intensively cultivated for centuries there are varieties that are better for a specialized use more so than other varieties. A good chewing cane has different characteristics than a good cane for making syrup with. Some varieties withstand drought or particular diseases better than others. Naturally this means that some folks are more interested in one type more than a different one.

There were also folks there from the Southern Syrup Makers Association. (http://www.southernsyrupmakers.com/). These folks have joined together to promote interest in growing sugar cane, making cane syrup, and other traditionally Southern pastimes. On a more serious note they've also lobbied to change Florida regulations so that cane syrup can still be made in the traditional way for sale to the public. Florida State Statute # 500.12.1.a.4 now permits:

_Persons selling sugar cane or sorghum syrup that has been boiled and bottled on a premise located within the state. Such bottles must contain a label listing the producer's name and street address, all added ingredients, the net weight or volume of product, and a statement that reads "This product has not been produced in a facility permitted by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services."_

Anyone who might be interested in joining the Syrupmakers Association can find contact info on their website.

There was also a gentleman there selling specialized tools used in cane growing and syrup making. The one in the photo is a cane stripper.










Its purpose is to strip the leaves from the cane to be harvested before it is cut. Once it's clean it was traditionally cut down using a cane knife. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_knife).

Commercial sugar isn't harvested this way any longer in the U.S. having gone over mechanization. In fact at the field day there was a fella with a big string trimmer with a brush blade attached to cut his with! I must say though that once I got into the "swing" of it with my cane knife I was cutting faster than he was so in this instance mechanization wasn't much of an advancement.

Once the presentations were over it was time to get down to serious business!

A BIG part of the draw of the field day is that the folks who attended are allowed to harvest some of each of the varieties of sugar cane that the research station has in their cane patch. With this cane you can then plant a patch of your own. The Extension Office offers a handy guide on how to do that.

*Backyard Sugarcane*
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/sc052

If you're thinking of something larger than a backyard scale they also offer a Sugarcane Handbook (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_book_sugarcane_handbook_introduction) which is intended for commercial growers. Louisiana offers much the same I believe.

I rode up with my county extension agent who has a major interest in cane growing and syrup making who clued me in to the necessity to step lively when they finally allowed us into the field. Know what you want, where it is in the field, and don't be slow in getting it because the more popular varieties go fast! I did not stop to take photos until I had what I went for so the patch was already looking pretty bare by then.

Here was our field boss from the research station keeping things under control.









A man picking up a bundle of cane he had just cut.









It did not take long for the popular varieties to disappear!

















And finally after about a half-hour or so only the unpopular varieties were left.









This is the trailer that we brought with us to carry ours home. My stack in the one in the back with the cane butts against the gate. It wasn't much work, but then I wasn't cutting much cane! It's sure not something I'd want to do for a living, especially if the weather was hot.










You'll notice that everyone out there had long sleeves. It wasn't that it was cool, but because cane leaves are sharp and will eat you up if you go into a cane patch with bare arms.

We made it home in the late afternoon after grabbing a bite to eat and stopping to pick up some cottonseed meal which the men I was with favored as good cane fertilizer.

I'll be spending my Veteran's Day with the rototiller turning up my new cane patch, then chopping and planting the seed cane. With luck by this time next year I'll be getting ready to strip and cut cane to make the first ever pot of Dun Hagan Farm cane syrup!

Now who else is growing cane? You sorghum folks are welcome to join in too!


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

It's been a long time, but I've seen sorghum grown as far north as Minnesota. I used to ride my bike to a farm 5 miles away to feed pigs every day. Along the road was a field of cane sorghum and I would cut a stalk every day and chew on it as I was riding.


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## ldc (Oct 11, 2006)

Alan! Lots of people still use a cane knife here! But how do you do the grinding? ldc


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I'd love to raise some for the animals. My dad grew it and could cut us pieces to chew on while we were bringing the cows up to the barn. Is the only way to grow it by cane cuttings?


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## Randy Rooster (Dec 14, 2004)

An interesting thread alan- thanks for the pictures

I used to grow sugar cane- just as an ornamental crop.- I didnt protect my canes one winter and they froze out - - before that mine did quite well


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## Capt Quirk (Sep 24, 2011)

Really nice article, it looks like you had a good time. I was really interested in growing cane myself, until I started looking into the milling and processing. The cost alone stopped me.


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## Guest (Nov 9, 2011)

ldc said:


> Alan! Lots of people still use a cane knife here! But how do you do the grinding? ldc


 For that you need a cane mill.

Check out Syrupmakers.com for photos of many kinds of mills.
http://www.syrupmakers.com/mills/

They also have photos or links to them of many syrup making operations showing the pots or evaporator tables and the associated gear.



Callieslamb said:


> I'd love to raise some for the animals. My dad grew it and could cut us pieces to chew on while we were bringing the cows up to the barn. Is the only way to grow it by cane cuttings?


Yes. Cuttings is how it's done. Sort of like sprigging pasture grass only the sprigs are very big!

Sugar cane does make seed, but it's tiny and cannot be counted on to breed true.



Capt Quirk said:


> Really nice article, it looks like you had a good time. I was really interested in growing cane myself, until I started looking into the milling and processing. The cost alone stopped me.


Yes, for small scale producers the cost is going to be big. In fact it deterred me as well until I finally came across some folks who cooked and said they'd do mine if I grew it. I'm not looking to sell, but just want to make syrup for my own family use and for gifts. Turns out there are a lot of folks who want to do that.


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## luv2farm (Feb 15, 2008)

VERY interesting. Thanks for all the pics and information. Now, to add more paper to the printer........


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## Capt Quirk (Sep 24, 2011)

luv2farm said:


> VERY interesting. Thanks for all the pics and information. Now, to add more paper to the printer........


Tree killer...


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## sweetbabyjane (Oct 21, 2002)

Alan,
You need to come to Mule Day in Calvary, GA. It's the first Saturday in November. (You just missed it)  The Calvary Lion's Club sells cane syrup every year, for the past 39 years, and it always goes fast! They grind the cane and boil down the juice right there on the Mule Day grounds.

Quincy is only about 30 minutes from Calvary...

One thing to keep in mind is it takes 2-3 years for a cane patch to get established good. Until then you won't get enough cane to make too much syrup.

Part two of your thread can be instructions and pics on how to process the sugar cane in to syrup and sugar. 

SBJ


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Sorghum is a booming crop in the mountains of NC.
I have 2 friends with sugar shacks and they do big boilings in the fall.
You bring a tent and your cane and some jars.
It is quite the event with the fires burning all night and the horses turning the mill etc...And I have several friends that plant it heavily every year.

And in the 1800's, sorghum was a seriously big business further out in the mountains. Out in the big valleys.

Nothing. Nothing beats sorghum and butter on hot cornbread.


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## Guest (Nov 9, 2011)

sweetbabyjane said:


> Alan,
> You need to come to Mule Day in Calvary, GA. It's the first Saturday in November. (You just missed it)  The Calvary Lion's Club sells cane syrup every year, for the past 39 years, and it always goes fast! They grind the cane and boil down the juice right there on the Mule Day grounds.
> 
> Quincy is only about 30 minutes from Calvary...
> ...


 We have several places doing syrup boilings down here in Florida that I know of. And like with yours it sells out fast.

According to the half-dozen or so experienced cane men I spoke with on Monday they think I ought to be able to get enough to do at least a small boiling next year though naturally that depends on a number of variables. Commercial sugar down to South Florida replaces their plantings every three years due to declining yields. The small operators that I've been learning from recommend every four years or so plowing it under and replanting for the same reason.

I'll take some photos this weekend as I prep the ground and the cane then plant it.

Here's a photo of my haul after I got it home.









After I get the ground prepped I'll cut it down to two foot lengths and plant it.


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

A.T. Hagan said:


> For that you need a cane mill.
> 
> Check out Syrupmakers.com for photos of many kinds of mills.
> http://www.syrupmakers.com/mills/
> ...



My Grandparents had a DIY mill @ their place in Puerto Rico. It was about waist high sorta like a pillar maybe 3' around, made out of cement with a wringer type design mounted on top. The rollers were metal with short spikes if I remember correctly. Very Homemade. Couldn't crank it because it had rusted. There was a trough indented underneath the rollers to promote sap flow & a hook to hang a bucket for collection. 
Wanna say it was another one of my Abuelo's trades he was quite a horse trader in day but not so much later on. 

When I saw first saw it I had no idea what it had been used for so I asked my Abuela. She rolled her eyes and said something about sugar cane being a memory best left in the past. 


~~ pelenaka ~~


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## Guest (Nov 15, 2011)

Well, in spite of the joy of a developing middle ear infection, it was a busy weekend. That stack of cane wasn't getting any younger so it was time to get with it!

I had originally decided to put the cane patch in the garden, but when it came time to actually do so I changed my mind. Ultimately decided to put it in the pasture behind the henhouse. Out came the big tape measure, string, and flags and I laid it all out. Ended up marking off six 50ft rows instead of the five I originally planned for because I want five full rows of syrup cane and the chewing cane was to go into the sixth row. I've got space there for ten rows before I get into the traffic area of the chicken tractors but for this year I'm going to focus on just six.










A light weight front-tine rototiller is not the best tool for turning up a pasture, but it's what I had so I used it. This is the first pass.










By the fourth pass it looked like something you could plant in. Pure Florida sand-ridge sand! But it's what good syrup cane likes.










A few times over it with a rake to remove the grass and cactus and it was ready. Now it was time to prep the cane.










This is my wife stripping the leaves.










My youngest, the Kinder Minor, wanted to help too!










My station for the machete work of cutting off the tops then cutting the cane into billets for planting. For reasons of a thing called "apical dominance" it's best to cut the stalks into pieces rather than planting them whole so as to get as many sprouts as possible. I cut mine into lengths of at least four nodes per billet which came out between one to two feet in length each.










The wife and I stripped and cut and the child did the stacking. All the while asking a blue million questions! We covered the entire history of sugar making as best I could remember it as well as how to grow cane and make syrup. We've got an incipient historian or cane grower here. Maybe both!


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## Honduras Trish (Nov 30, 2007)

This is interesting! Sugar cane is grown all around me, but I haven't been in a situation to find out much about the growing process. I do, however, have some photos on my blog about how the cane is processed into sugar around here. 

Here's the link, in case anyone is interested!


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## Guest (Nov 15, 2011)

Once the cane was prepped it was time to open the rows and get it in the ground.










I was aiming for a planting depth of four to six inches. My sandy soil dries out fast so I like to plant big stuff deep.










Cotton-seed meal seems to be the preferred fertilizer among the cane men I've met. On the way home from the research station we stopped by Southern States and bought thirteen bags between us!










Once each row was well powdered it was ready for the billets.










In order to assure full rows with no skips the commercial guys lay a double line of billets down in each row. I opted to do the same though it meant planting fewer rows than I wanted.










The last row was the chewing cane and I was about two stalks short of having enough billets to do the full double line for the entire length so the second line we had to space a bit.

I'm going to see if I can come up with some more seed cane before the end of the season to finish my last two rows. 

Until then we've planted everything I brought home from the Field Day. There's nothing left to do, but water once a week and see what I get next spring!


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## michiganfarmer (Oct 15, 2005)

chickenista said:


> Sorghum is a booming crop in the mountains of NC.
> I have 2 friends with sugar shacks and they do big boilings in the fall.
> You bring a tent and your cane and some jars.
> It is quite the event with the fires burning all night and the horses turning the mill etc...And I have several friends that plant it heavily every year.
> ...


interesting. a member here on HT...txcloverangle...lives in tx, has bought maple from me in the past, and sent me a half pint of sorgum syrup a couple years ago. It had a little molasses taste to it. I had never had any. It isnt on store shelves in Michigan.


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## michiganfarmer (Oct 15, 2005)

A.T. Hagan said:


> Cotton-seed meal seems to be the preferred fertilizer among the cane men I've met. On the way home from the research station we stopped by Southern States and bought thirteen bags between us!


hmmm...cotton seed meal.... I fed that to dairy cows for protein suppliment when I was milking cows in the mid 90s


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## Wanda Williams (Nov 19, 2020)

Do you have to process the cane the same day it is cut?


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