Cassava
So, here’s the scoop - a friend swung by and dropped off some boiled Cassava
, a bunch of roots, and some cuttings. Naturally, it’s planting time for Cassava. But, how does it even grow? And, more importantly, how do you plant it correctly?
My wife, who grew up where Cassava, or Yucca, is a dietary staple, casually says, “You just stick it in the ground!” Well, that’s not quite satisfying for me. Is it a tree or a bush? How should it be planted? What’s the ideal spacing? How deep should it go? Does it need any special treatment?
She grabs a shovel. I head for the computer.
First things first! How do you even spell it? Once I cracked that, I found some great info at Wikipedia, the UN, and loads of videos on Youtube.
Meet the Plant
-Cassava.
Turns out Cassava is a pretty neat plant!
- It’s a 6-foot-tall tropical-looking shrub
- Needs 4 feet of spacing
- Plant it 4 inches deep
- Drought-tolerant
- Works well with inter-cropping
- Thrives in acidic poor soils
- Sustainable
- Both roots and leaves are nutritious
- Has many culinary uses
- Offers good yields
- You can plant it any time Having tasted it before, I know it’s delicious simply boiled or fried. No wonder it has journeyed from Brazil to most of the tropical world, pushing aside many native foods.
Once considered poor man’s-food, it now commands a high price as a cash crop. But, of course, it’s not without its challenges.
Planting It!
-Two sticks just stuck 6 inches apart in the Florida sand.
Turns out, she was right. You just stick a 15cm cutting into the ground.
Not all is lost with the research. By the way, did I mention I now know how to spell Cassava? 🙂
Grab the pardner and the shovel. We’re off to the garden. Doing it her way. In a couple of minutes, the Cassava is in the ground. Can’t get any easier than that.
The Roots
While the leaves are edible, it’s the roots that we’re looking forward to harvesting. What a plant!
Time to Feast!
-Beautiful.
The cuttings are in the ground, and now we have something to look forward to. No, not a bunch of roots a year from now. It’s boiled Cassava waiting for us in the kitchen!
My pardner works her magic on the remaining mushrooms and some Choi from the Ft. Pierce farmer’s market. What a delightful combination of flavors and mouth-feel.✨
Another fantastic meal with my wife. Life is good! And it’ll be even better when I see the first shoots, and then roots from my very own Cassava.
Let’s Do It Again!
And then, I’ll make some cuttings and share them. This is how I roll:
Cassava, with its historical and cultural ties, is a remarkable plant. Who would’ve thought that an old Wyoming popsicle like me is planting them in Florida while the rest of the nation is buried in winter snow.
✨
Cheers, D 🌴🌊
