[Syrupmakers] Thinning out of sugar cane?

[John Catoe]

I am in SC and I never thin my cane. It comes back every year, if we don't have a killing freeze. We have a shorter growing season here and have never had a problem. It starts to get kind of poor after 5 to 8 years. John

From: richard.hash at gmail.com
Date: Fri, 13 May 2016 15:05:39 -0500
To: syrupmakers at syrupmakers.net
Subject: Re: [Syrupmakers] Thinning out of sugar cane?

I'm using it for syrup, and have been pretty happy with it. My mature canes are usually 1 1/8" to 1 1/2" (1.5" would be the biggest I've seen it). I'm not sure what "big" would be for sugar cane, but 1.25" is plenty big enough for me. I was getting one gallon of juice from a little over six stalks last year, and I don't irrigate, but again, I don't know what is considered good or bad there..
Here is a photo of an average sized cane for me - https://goo.gl/photos/uJQc1qD8FYcPhTTn6
I also realized I mistakenly duplicated the original set of photo links instead of providing two unique ones, so let me try again:Here is a photo of the current clump from what was a single stalk 5 years ago - see https://goo.gl/photos/Ysg4QneD838QRUv58  And here is this years growth from just two stalks from last year only - see https://goo.gl/photos/nEpBCQHVbxfSxpQg8
I keep thinking it will crowd itself out and start producing smaller stalks, but it hasn't yet. But eventually?? Seems like it has to...(???)


--/Richard

On Fri, May 13, 2016 at 12:00 PM,  <syrupmakers-request at syrupmakers.net> wrote:
Date: Thu, 12 May 2016 23:08:30 +0000 (UTC)

From: Richard Harrison

To: A list for sorghum and cane syrupmakers

        <syrupmakers at syrupmakers.net>

Subject: Re: [Syrupmakers] Thinning out of sugar cane?


This is one of the reasons that I don't grow that species of cane. It grows too thick, multiplies too much and usually makes smaller diameter stalks. I don't know what your intention is for using it, but if you want sugar or syrup, I would?suggest switching to a larger stalked variety that doesn't multiply so well. If you want it for livestock, it is great! I got rid of all varieties of that species for my particular use.  Regards, Richard Harrison, NW FL? (I have kin S of Houston)



      From: Richard Hash 

 To: syrupmakers at syrupmakers.net

 Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2016 4:58 PM

 Subject: [Syrupmakers] Thinning out of sugar cane?



This question is for sugar cane, not sure if it is relevant for sorghum or not.? I'm about 20 miles south of Houston, TX, growing an unknown variety of some Asian green cane. This is all hand-harvested with a machete, no mechanization at all.

The question is - should I be thinning the sprouts out? At the end of each year I cut all stalks down flush with the ground, and then even more sprouts back the next spring.? This is unfertilized, unirrigated, untended, I basically just ignore the whole patch until November. But my sprout-back rate is getting ridiculous and even though it sounds labor intensive, I'm wondering if I should be thinning things out. I can't even get to the "interior" stalks without cutting down everything on the "outside" down first.

Here is a photo of the current clump from what was a single stalk 5 years ago - see https://goo.gl/photos/Ysg4QneD838QRUv58 And here is this years growth from just two stalks from last year only - see https://goo.gl/photos/Ysg4QneD838QRUv58

I have had one agricultural extension agent tell me "definitely without a doubt you will ruin your yield without thinning them out", but I thought I would see what kind of experiences other people have had....

Thanks,--

--/Richard




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