Third step

Wait pending fall to harvest. Sugar cane foliage should be left to grow for as long as potential before the first hoarfrost of the year. If they are left in the land after the first frost, you will not be able to use your vegetation to make sugar syrup. If you live in a place with long, cold winters, play it safe and harvest your sugar cane by the end of September. If you live in a place with mild winters, you may be able to let your sugar cane produce until late October. Use a axe to cut the canes close to the ground. The mature stalks will be tall and thick, similar to bamboo, so simple garden shears won't cut it. Use a knife or a saw to cut the sugar cane as close to the ground as potential, so you'll be able to make use of as much of the plant as possible Don’t hack into the ground. You don't want to damage the roots of the well-known sugar cane plants. If you leave the roots in the ground, your sugar cane will come up again next year. Strip the leaves from the cut sugar cane. Be sure to wear gloves since the leaves are quite sharp. Use them to cover up the planting bed. The leaves will act as organic mulch that will guard the sugar cane roots over the winter. If you don't have enough leaves to cover the whole bed, use some extra straw to finish the job. Scrub the stems. After a season outside, they'll have mildew and dirt on them. Use warm water and a wash brush to scrub dirt and debris from the stems until they're wholly clean.