Sugar Cane: Plant Now for a Sweeter Summer

Sugar Cane: Plant Now for a Sweeter Summer

Row of sugar cane. Image Credit: Les Harrison

Row of sugar cane. Image Credit: Les Harrison

By Les Harrison, UF/IFAS Wakulla County Extension Director

October has ushered in the fall gardening season. Turnips, mustard, radishes, carrots and a variety of other cool season crops have emerged and are growing.

Another once common crop ready to be planted in October is sugar cane.  Cane for processing is harvested, and select stalks with the most desirable traits are planted in October and November.

Planting is accomplished by digging a shallow furrow and laying the canes end-to-end. The cane is then covered with the soil removed from the furrows.  Sugar cane may also be planted in north Florida during March.

In the days before mass market sweeteners, almost every farm had a patch of sugar cane.  Some varieties were planted for processing into cane syrup, molasses and raw sugar, and some for chewing by the young and those with a sweet tooth. 

When not pulling a plow or wagon, mules spent their days walking in a circle to drive a cane mill. Enterprising growers frequently sold their excess production as a means of generating another revenue stream to support the family farm.

Roadside sales of homemade cane syrup were a common sight in the rural south for many years.  Sampling was a quality assurance courtesy offered to the potential buyer confirming the syrup had not been scorched while cooking.

The sugar cane plant is a form of grass with high sucrose content.  It originated in south Asia where it has been cultivated for several millennia.

Over the centuries, sugar cane production followed the trade routes west.  Christopher Columbus brought it to the New World on his second voyage west.

South Florida has long had a large commercial cane sugar industry with thousands of acres committed to growing and processing the sweetener on the outskirts of the Everglades.  Louisiana is the other big sugar cane state, but Brazil is the global production champion.

The perennial nature of sugar cane allows growers to harvest the cane, and then grow the following years’ crop off the existing roots.  Ratooning, as it is termed, is a widely used practice which has application for growing in panhandle Florida.

From a nutritional standpoint, sugar cane based products are a source of carbohydrates in the diet.  Generally speaking, the reason for addition of sugar to a recipe is an issue of taste and flavor.

The sugar cane currently growing in the UF/IFAS Wakulla County demonstration garden was planted in November 2012.  Tours of the garden are available during normal business hours.

To learn more about growing sugar cane in Wakulla County, visit the UF/IFAS Wakulla County website or call 850-926-3931. And “Like” us on Facebook.

Protect Vegetables from the Cold

Image Credit:  Eddie Powell

Image Credit: Eddie Powell

Every fall gardening season, Florida homeowners enjoy growing their own vegetables but are faced with cold weather issues. As early as November 1, a chance of frost is possible in Northwest Florida.

Most Cole Crops can be planted until November, but they must be protected from the cold weather or they will need to be replaced. A good variety of hardy plants should be planted in order to prevent total devastation of the garden by extremely cold weather. If tender plants are used, the following considerations must be observed.
Site selection for tender plants is the number one factor to be considered when preparing for a freeze. Vegetable plants need a site with good air drainage, and somewhat high in elevation relative to the area; not in a low area where cold air settles. Arranging tender plants along a barrier to protect them from cold winds improves the plants cold protection, especially from very hard freezes. Another factor to consider is that poorly drained soils result in weak shallow roots which are more susceptible to cold injury.

Plants grown with the correctly applied rate of nutrients will tolerate colder temperatures better and recover from cold injury faster than plants grown with little to no nutrients. Watering vegetable garden plants before a freeze can help protect plants. A well-watered soil will absorb more solar radiation than dry soil and will re-radiate heat during the night. This can improve hardiness by as much as 2°F. However, saturated soil conditions can damage the root systems of most plants over a few days, so make sure the ground is well-drained.

Healthy vegetable plants are more resistant to cold than vegetable plants weakened by disease, insect damage, or nematode damage. Routine inspection for pests and implementation of necessary control measures are essential. Feel free to contact your local county extension office for information on pest identification and recommended controls.
Plastic or cloth coverings can help protect vegetable plants more from frost than from extreme cold. Covers that extend to the ground and are not in contact with the vegetable plants’ foliage may reduce cold injury to the plant. If the vegetable plant foliage is in contact with the cover it is often cold burned or injured because of heat transfer from the foliage to the colder cover. Some examples of excellent plant covers are cloth sheets, quilts, commercial row cover such as “remay”, or black plastic. If plastic covering is used, it is extremely important to remove the covering during the day to provide ventilation of trapped heat.  Failure to do so will result in certain death to the vegetables. To learn more on cold protection of vegetable plants please visit this EDIS article on frost protection.

Look Out for Black Swallowtail Larvae in the Fall Herb Garden

Look Out for Black Swallowtail Larvae in the Fall Herb Garden

Second instar, Black Swallowtail larva. Image Credit Matthew orwat

Second instar, Black Swallowtail larva. Image Credit Matthew orwat

 

Busily devouring dill and fennel, the lime green, black striped caterpillars in the UF IFAS Extension Washington County Office have quickly become a popular attraction.  It is fortunate that the South’s climate is warm enough to allow for three generations of this species every year.

 

Larvae Busily Devouring Dill. Image Credit Matthew Orwat

Larvae Busily Devouring Dill. Image Credit Matthew Orwat

 Soon, the caterpillars of the Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes asterius ) butterfly species will continue their pupae stage by forming a chrysalis and emerging as one of Florida’s most recognized swallowtail butterflies. 

The chrysalis is formed by two glands located inside the caterpillar that secrete silk.  The silk threads stick together and harden when exposed to fresh air.  The hard, protective coating is usually camouflaged from predators and blends in with the environment.  Inside the chrysalis, the process of metamorphosis continues as the adult structure forms while the juvenile structure breaks down.  The insects are very inactive during this time as they grow and change.  This stage can last from two weeks to an entire season in temperate climates and tropical dry seasons.  When hormones indicate it’s ready, the butterfly emerges by splitting the chrysalis open either biting its way out or using spit to soften the ends.

 

 

Green Chrysalis. Image Credit Don Hall UF IFAS

Green Chrysalis. Image Credit Don Hall UF IFAS

The Black swallowtail has quite a heavy appetite for such a small creature.  They eat a variety of plants in the carrot family (Apiaceae) such as dill, fennel,  parsley, celery, and carrot leaf. In addition to these cultivated species, they will feast on mock bishopweed, roughfruit scaleseed, spotted water hemlock, water cowbane, and wedgeleaf eryngo. They have also been known to enjoy Common Rue (Ruta graveolens L.).

They exhibit several interesting behaviors throughout their life cycle. For example, when they feel threatened the Black Swallowtail larvae will exhibit yellow antennae-like structures called osmeterium. These flare out and emit a foul odor, like rotten cheese, if one’s finger gets too close.

Osmeterium on display. Image Cretid Matthew Orwat

Osmeterium on display. Image Credit Matthew Orwat

 

Even though they are voracious plant eaters and honorable defenders of their territory, butterflies play a vital role in agriculture by pollinating crops and flowers.  They’re an indicator of a healthy ecosystem; an abundance and diversity of butterfly species illustrate the overall health of an area.  With their acute sensitivity to contaminants and toxins, butterfly populations will not be found in polluted areas.  Recognized for their beauty, butterfly watching has also become a popular hobby and pastime. 

Photo courtesy of Donald Hall, University of Florida.

Photo courtesy of Donald Hall, University of Florida.

It’s never too early to think about planning a butterfly garden.  For more information on creating a backyard butterfly habitat, download this 4-H fact sheet for kids and parents.   For more information on this specific butterfly, visit the UF IFAS EDIS website for a publication on the Eastern Black Swallwtail.

Additional Content by:

Julie Pigott Dillard, Director, UF IFAS Extension Washington County

Brussels Sprouts: Another Fall Vegetable Idea

Brussels Sprouts: Another Fall Vegetable Idea

I tried growing Brussels sprouts for the first time a few years ago. I enjoy vegetable gardening and thought I’d try something a little different. To be honest, I wasn’t too happy with the results – nothing like starting an article on a positive note.

Actually, I don’t think I did too badly but overall I couldn’t decide if the results were worth the effort. Before I completely discourage you from trying this vegetable in your garden, I better give you some of the positives.

They are considered fairly easy to grow. They require about the same growing conditions and care as cabbage. Technically they are a type of cabbage. But instead of forming one large head, as cabbages do, they form many tiny heads along their tall stems. The round vegetable sprouts are about the size of walnuts. Each sprout resembles a miniature head of cabbage, with its layers of tightly packed leaves and central core.

Brussels sprouts are considered a cool season crop. They require cool weather for best growth. They should be grown in the winter garden in Florida. Now is a good time to plant this crop. If they are grown when temperatures are warm, the sprouts tend to be soft and open rather than solid and tightly packed.

Brussels sprouts can be started from seeds or small plants. But it may be hard to find plants for starting. Seeds can be planted directly in the garden or germinated in flats. If you start seeds in flats, plant about 25 seeds to a foot of bed and cover them with about half an inch of soil. When seedlings emerge, thin them to about an inch apart. They’re ready to plant in the garden when they’re about three or four weeks old. Plant them 30 inches apart in rows that are three feet wide.

Follow good gardening practices in watering, fertilizing and monitoring for pests.

Your sprouts are ready to harvest when they reach walnut size and feel firm. Usually, the first sprouts, near the bottom of each plant, are ready within three months. Don’t leave them on the plant too long or they’ll become yellow and tough.

Brussels Sprout Plant Photo Credit: UF/IFAS Extension

Brussels Sprout Plant
Photo Credit: UF/IFAS Extension

 

If you have space in your garden to devote to one crop for a minimum of three months (I left mine in the garden for five months), you might do okay with Brussels sprouts. Keep in mind they will still be producing in spring when it’s time to start planting your spring garden. The length of time it took to get a decent amount of Brussels sprouts was probably what I disliked the most about this crop.

Fall Blooming Native Wildflowers

swamp sunflower

Swamp Sunflower Photo credit: UF/IFAS Milt Putnam

Fall Blooming Native Wildflowers

Drive along any highway or rural road at this time of year and chances are some color will catch your eye; not so much in the tree tops, but in ditches and right of ways.

Although yellow seems to be the predominant color in the fall, pay attention and you may spot reds, oranges, and even some blues in the wildflower pallet.

Examples of wildflowers that bloom late summer to early fall in the Panhandle:
• Bluestar (Amsonia ciliate), blue flowers, 1-3’
• Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), orange flowers, 1-3’
• Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata), yellow flowers, 1-2’
• Leavenworth’s Coreopsis (Coreopsis leavenworthii), yellow flowers, 1-3’
• Swamp Sunflower (Helianthus angustifolia), yellow flowers, 2-6’
• Rayless Sunflower (Helianthus radula), purple flower, 2-3’
• Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis), red flowers 2-4’
• Lyreleaf Sage (Salvia lyrata), purple flowers, 1-2’
• Goldenrods (Solidago spp.), yellow flowers, 1.5-6’
• Tall Ironweed (Veronia angustifolia), purple flowers, 2-4’

To learn more about these and many other wildflowers read EDIS Publication “Common Native Wildflowers of North Florida.”