Yuca
Also known as: Cassava · Manioc · Manihot esculenta
2 types of yuca
Bitter Cassava
10–12 monthsHigh-yielding industrial types used for tapioca and cassava flour — requires extensive processing (grating, pressing, fermenting) to be safe. Not for casual cooking.
Sweet Cassava
8–10 monthsalso: Sweet Yuca
Low-cyanide types safe after simple boiling — the culinary cassava of Latin American and Caribbean kitchens. Standard home-garden choice.
When & where
Germination
Spacing & depth
How to plant
Cassava is almost always propagated from 8–12 in stem cuttings pushed halfway into warm soil, not seed — seed is rare and slow. If you have seed, scarify and soak 24 hrs, then start indoors in bottom heat. Plants become 6–10 ft woody shrubs; dig the fat starchy tubers at the end of the season.
Grower's tip
CRITICAL — raw cassava contains cyanogenic compounds and must be peeled, soaked, and thoroughly cooked before eating. Sweet varieties need boiling; bitter (industrial) varieties need extended processing. Not a beginner root crop outside the tropics.
Soil preferences
Deep, loose, stone-free sandy loam — rocks and clumps fork roots.
6.0–7.0
Avoid fresh manure or heavy nitrogen (causes hairy or forked roots). A light compost and rock phosphate work well.
Watering
Steady moisture — 1 in per week. Uneven watering causes cracking.
Deep soaking; avoid shallow daily watering that keeps roots near the surface.
Overwatered: cracked or rotted roots, foliage disease. Underwatered: woody, hot-flavored, or bitter roots.
Prefers top-watering — Top-water at the base. Wet foliage spreads late blight and early blight; keep leaves as dry as possible.
Temperature tolerance
60–75°F (15–24°C)
45–65°F (7–18°C)
Carrots, parsnips, beets sweeten after frost. Storage roots can often overwinter in the ground under heavy mulch.
Container growing
Possible with the right cultivar
12+ in deep for full-size carrots and parsnips; 8 in deep is fine for radish and short carrots
Pick short or round cultivars (Parisian carrots, Chioggia beets) for shallow containers.
Succession planting
Radish every 2 weeks. Carrots and beets every 3–4 weeks spring through late summer.
Detailed harvesting
Loosen soil with a fork before pulling to prevent snapped tops. Twist off greens 1 in above the crown for storage; leave 1 in of stem on beets to prevent bleeding.
Post-harvest storage & preservation
Trim tops; store unwashed in damp sand or perforated bags in the fridge or root cellar at 32–40°F. Most root crops keep 3–6 months.
Culinary, medicinal & other uses
Fresh, roasted, fermented (kraut, kimchi), pickled. Tops of beets, radishes, and turnips are edible greens.
Medicinal or traditional uses are shared for interest only — this is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before using any plant medicinally.
Seed saving
Biennial and insect-pollinated. Root crops cross widely (carrots cross with Queen Anne's Lace).
1/2 mile in the open or use cage with introduced pollinators.
Overwinter the best roots; replant in spring; collect the dry umbels/seed stalks in year 2.
Your zone's planting calendar
Pick your USDA hardiness zone and we'll estimate the key dates for yuca in your area. These are regional averages — always check your own last-frost forecast before sowing.
From your kitchen — grow yuca from what you already have
Root crops are usually biennials — the root is year 1, the seed is year 2. Store your best roots over winter, replant in spring.
- 1At harvest, save 5–10 of the best roots and store them cool, damp, and above freezing.
- 2In early spring, replant them tops-up at soil level.
- 3They'll bolt, flower, and set seed heads later that summer.
- 4Cut dry heads into a bag, rub free, sieve, and store cool and dry.
Storage: 3–5 years dry for most root seed.
My Yuca notes
Yuca seeds on hand
Track packets and loose seeds you already have. Private to your account.
Par level — leave at 0 for no alert. Anything below par shows on Seed Starting and your shopping list.
Order more seeds
Running low? Reorder from one of these seed stores.
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