How To Grow Cassava For Food

We Love Lions by Shaun Livingston

3 years ago

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is a perennial woody shrub that belongs to the huge Spurge genus. It is not to be confused with the wholly unrelated yucca plant, which is sometimes referred to as yuca in the United States. The shrubby, big, green leaves might lend some decorative charm to a garden environment, but these plants are mostly grown for the leaves and tubers. The tuberous root is a popular starchy carbohydrate food source in regions like Sᴏᴜᴛʜ Afrɪᴄᴀ and Southeast Asia, but it’s not very prevalent in North America.

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If you reside in a warm place like Florida, where it is most similar to the tropical and subtropical climes where it is grown in its original habitats.

You will only be able to grow the cassava plant as a perennial beginning in the spring. It takes up to eight months to harvest and is a unique alternative to some of the more familiar root veggies.

Cassava is interchangeable with sweet potatoes in terms of crop rotation, and it is frequently grown after plantains, which are planted after maize or okra. Cassava should be planted in rows 3-4 feet apart.

Although continuous exposure to sunlight helps cassava plants produce their optimum harvest, excessive direct sunlight can cause leaf burn. A partial shade atmosphere might be preferable in these cases.

Cassava grows well on a wide range of soils and pH levels as long as it is well-drained. A sandy, loamy soil, on the other hand, produces the best results. Cassava’s ability to withstand times of drought as well as strong summer rains is part of its attractiveness.

However, certain cultivars are more drought-tolerant than others, so do your homework before planting. Standing water can cause root rot, so if you live in a rainy area, make sure your soil drains well.

Cassava requires a generally frost-free climate to produce a decent yield all year. They don’t thrive in temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit or above 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Some enthusiasts will grow it in containers to be overwintered indoors or in a greenhouse if they live in areas with colder winters. If you’ve planted your cassava in soil that’s high in organic matter.

You won’t need to fertilize it. Additional feeding, on the other hand, can help you achieve a better yield. Fertilization requirements are identical to sweet potato requirements.

To avoid extended, straggly roots, the fertilizer should have a higher potassium content. If you want a bountiful harvest of leaves, a nitrogen-rich fertilizer will be more effective.

It takes about six to eight months for the roots of a cassava plant to become fully established. After then, if your crop is good, you’ll probably have a biannual harvest.

It’s a good sign that the roots are ready to pull up when the leaves start to turn yellow and drop. The roots are frequently boiled or roasted, and the leaves are sometimes ground into flour.

Once boiled, the leaves are also edible. The tuber is also used to manufacture tapioca pearls, which are often used in puddings, and it is from this that the tapioca plant gets its name.

Your cassava plant may become leggy and straggly if you don’t prune it. If you harvest the leaves on a regular basis, it is doubtful that they would grow taller than 4 feet, although the plants can grow to be over 10 feet tall.

To avoid mistakenly growing the bitter cassava type, it’s recommended to propagate from cuttings rather than seeds.

If the temperatures are favorable, stem cuttings from this plant root easily and fast, and can be put directly into damp soil. In a few months, you can expect the cutting to be fully established.

In the video belᴏw, yᴏu cɑn see How to Grow Cassava to Fast Harvesting and Most Yield – Easy and Effective – Agriculture Technology