Growing Cassava in Alabama [And CHECK OUT WHAT SHE SENT ME!]

Can you grow cassava in Alabama? Here's what we're growing so far.
Compost Your Enemies t-shirts: www.aardvarkte...
The Onion Scootcher: www.easydiggin...
Cassava Illustration by Off Kilter Homestead: / @offkilterhomestead
Start composting today - get David's free booklet: www.thesurvival...
David's Gardening Books: amzn.to/2pVbyro
David's gardening blog: www.thesurvival...
Today we're planting cassava and Seminole pumpkins, thanks to Heather who graciously sent them to me. Growing cassava outside the tropics takes some time but is not impossible. Today I share how I learned to grow cassava in North Florida and how I hope it grows in Alabama, too.

[@davidthegood]

Compost Your Enemies t-shirts: www.aardvarktees.com/products/compost-your-enemies

[@iwenive3390]

What if my enemy wears nylon shirts?

[@WD-zk6fg]

Shut up and take my money! Also gimme dat pumpkin!

[@t3dwards13]

Onion scootcher! Lmao

[@heathermartin2878]

2 weeks wow! I do have more seeds if you need them.

[@terrywalters7775]

I grew up poor. Didn't have an onion skoocher. Had to use the backside of a rake. The other kids used to make fun of us. "White trash!" they'd say. "Skoochin' their onions with a rake." It's taken years of therapy to be able to talk about it like this. Thanks David.

[@boydchapman5660]

Preach on brother Terry. We were so poor, when we went down to lake the ducks used to throw bread at us!

[@TRINITY-ks6nw]

I understand Poverty It made me appreciate affluence In humility I am grateful GOD

[@scotmhead]

My great grandfather was the onion scootcher champ of the county three years running. His onion scootcher was handed down but I pawned it in college for some beer money.

[@davidthegood]

So many stories like that. It's heartbreaking.

[@reidomoon]

Back in my day we didn’t have onion schoochers . We had to use a stick. Pa would send down me into the holler fetch a schoochen stick. Sometimes it would take all day. But I would return with a mighty fine to schooch onions with. And the farm was saved once again.

[@linaD08]

I am absolutely amazed at how the landscape has changed… from a barren land to a lush and productive garden… in just a short time… truly amazing!!

[@notmyfault6835]

San Diego growing zone 10b checking in 👋😎🌻 @8:22... There are times I don't feel like using a big old pesky shovel... I like to get down in the garden and use a big claw hammer to dig-dig diggity-dig and I even use the claw hammer to aggressively hack out the weeds! Hey, it works really well for me and it is *extremely* therapeutic! 🔨👍❤ 🤗 🌱

[@patrickmcleod7811]

Absolutely genius t-shirt advertisement at the end

[@breaking_bear]

Hahahahahahah! I love the skit at the end for the t-shirts! Ya know I really miss the "Be kind to your mother" rap. It really pumps me up everytime I hear it.

[@harmonic3350]

I was teaching a guy onion scootching back in the day and he turned around with tears in his eyes (I was scared he was going to hug me or something) but the dummy had bad technique and sliced the onions open. Grrr

[@manjawarner3162]

😂🤣

[@bagel9097]

I have been searching this good earth for a quality onion scoocher! Thank you David!

[@laurenchellis4918]

Nothing better than scootching onions. Let’s grow tons of food!!!

[@johnlone207]

I used to plant those back in the Phillipines when I was a kid. Real easy to grow. One of the best jungle food! Water source, you can boil it, dip it in sugar & eat it; or ground it, mix with brown sugar, coconut milk, wrap it in banana leaves & steam it. Cool thing about this, is you can break off the mature stalks, & just shove it to the ground half-way & it'll grow.

[@CassieDavis613]

The bit at the end -- priceless

[@manjawarner3162]

Thanks for the laughs, the tunes, and the good vibes. Love watching you experiment. Hope the Seminoles live into the future. I want to try growing them when we finally get to Florida!

[@joshaklese4969]

My aunt had a chihuahua/beagal mix. She named him onion skoocher. He didn't have worms he just knew from birth skooching the onions feels good man. Thats some John the Babtist wisdom right there.

[@halleluyah8241]

There are some hilarious comments here, but yours gets my vote for winner! (You're welcome:)

[@mio.giardino]

I’d need to check but I suspect onion scootchers are ether illegal here in Canada or on the down low amongst those in the know of their use and list them under different names to get around the taxes tacked on to them as a multi use tool. I’d love to try those seminal pumpkins up in zone 3 when you have seed for them.

[@treasuretreereynolds1764]

I loved the trench song. It almost made me cry because I was feeling down today. Was thinking about everyone out west in the heat. Small farmers having to use less water. It’s really scary. You brought me a bit of joy and knowledge. And, for that, I thank you. 💜🌱💜

[@kylemcgee2951]

Bill Finch, director of Mobile Botanical Gardens, recommends planting winter squash in the summer months for the Mobile Bay Area. Not sure how applicable this is for Seminole pumpkins but I’ve just planted mine as well in west Mobile. Check out the Mobile Planting Wheel that the botanical garden put together if you haven’t already.

[@lynnwhite3503]

Learned something new today! Never knew that triangular thingy was an onion scootcher! I would have used it last week to scootch mine!

[@WD-zk6fg]

This man does all of the things I want to do. And I respect him for it.

[@cultureraising7168]

Happy Father's day!

[@kennysgunroom9136]

Thank you... Lived in Africa and have always wanted to grow Cassava... Now I live in Elsanor Alabama and live in the same zone. Good to know. Now help show harvest, cooking/prep and eating.

[@davidthegood]

Very cool. I have articles on harvesting etc at thesurvivalgardener.com

[@lynettetucker5236]

I hope you have success with the pumpkins and the root

[@alicebmrocha]

we plant Cassava ( mandioca) here in south of brazil and we have frost !

[@boydchapman5660]

Way down yonder on the Chattahoochee it gets hotter than an onion schoochy.... I've used that there onion schoocher to great effect for digging potato furrows. Yall need to go buy one from Greg, he is good folks.

[@Gabiviolino]

Cassava can survive very very low temperatures and snow... We grow it here in south Brazil, you can see it grow in Argentina and Uruguay as well...

[@judyevans6074]

Mighty finely engineered onion schoocher... Only the best for David the Good. Mighty fine trench digging song, too. Inspiring.

[@GypsyBrokenwings]

I'm up in 7A AL and have ghost pumpkins on the plants already, so hopefully your pumpkins will make pumpkins. Hey, yucca is a good survival plant also. You can eat the roots and seeds, use leaves for cordage and soap/ shampoo. It will grow pretty much anywhere.

[@keithbennett7514]

7b some big pumpkins and small ones. funny enough the neighbor doesnt have any yet his plants are 3x the size of mine at least

[@johnjude2685]

Yes it's great to keep your favorite veggies seeds and I now trying to keep records on where I got them. Iroquois canolope we have been raising for 40 years yes most of our marriage life and make wifie happy and " She's still the one!" Yes hold on anything good such a your pumpkins. Thanks for the teaching Sir

[@salimalsharji3463]

Have u ever tried Cassava leaf soup ?? its so yummy

[@karen-hillshomestead]

Back in my day, when I lived in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, onion scootchers had not yet found there way down there. How I wish I had an onion scootcher back then! You are so lucky that you discovered the tool down in Grenada!

[@cadenmefford8145]

Really hope those pumpkins grow

[@betty8173]

If they grow, I want to buy the first pack of seeds for next year! Well done, Heather, and quick planting, David! I have a question, please....I found a huge, yellowing cucumber, and picked it, hoping for seeds...I put the seeds in water, for three days...no...I forgot them, maybe 5 days...and when pouring them off, some of the sinkers got out with the floaters, and so, I dried them...hoping...they look like empty corpses!!! all but maybe 3 : ( so, are they all for the compost pile?? Did I pick the cuke too early?? Thank you. Thankfully, we have eaten our fill of cucumbers, and I made 4 quarts, and 1/2 gallon fermented pickles. Thank you! (commercial is cute, but Rachel's are way better) Praying for the family as you asked, may God send many to comfort them, do their daily needs so they can regroup.

[@Beecozz7]

#500 !!!YaHOOOO TY DTG you're the best!!!

[@raleighsistrunk7123]

Seminole pumpkin are sold by Hoss Tools. Love them.

[@davidthegood]

Hoss is great.

[@MatthewSherriff85]

I could have used an onion scootcher for transplanting my seedlings yesterday, if only i had known. haha

[@gardengatesopen]

It will be a pumpkin miracle!! I'm thinkin you should make little shade umbrellas for them while they're tiny tikes... ⛱

[@lancegunning9870]

I am located in NE GA. and one of the best ways to get faster yield from cassava is to have less leaf nodes on the sticks you plant. Each node takes one month to die before the plant starts to actually grow and produce roots for eating. You could try cutting them with anout two nodes and put them horizontally and half way down in the soil in pots and see how that works. I start my plants with sticks a few inches long in water in glass jars on my window sill in winter then once a good amount of roots are grown, I cut the sticks again and root those and transfer the rooted ones to small earthen pots and keep them moist in my heated greenhouse and then harden them off before putting them in the ground in spring. I hope this helps. Lance G.

[@Sheenasalesthriftytreasures]

I would love Seminole pumpkins praying they do beyond extremely well 🙏🏻 great video

[@JimCates47]

Thanks David.

[@MySuewho]

This was such a fun and informative video. I loved the little intermission with the song and also I feel compelled to buy an onion scoocher! I bought casava off of your sight. Five of them. I have them in a box and I'm going to plant them today. I have watched pretty much every video you have about casava. Thank you so much for all you do!.

[@THECOUNTRYNINJA]

Cassava is looking good. Hope it all works out for you Bud.

[@babetteisinthegarden6920]

Well this year I got two onions maybe next year I will need an onion thingy

[@ericmoulton9533]

Going to dig up some cassava tomorrow. Seminole pumpkins store really well. Great job! Love that fig!

[@vonries]

Good luck with those pumpkins Dave.

[@fernandezfarm]

Love the trench song 👍

[@morganhenn]

I spent a short time in Gabon in West Africa, and there they call cassava "manioc". A popular preparation there is fermenting the roots, but the leaves are prepared as cooked greens with a fishy broth.

[@TheHighPriestess9752]

Zone 7a here. I started my cassava yucca late in the season last year and the cold got them before I could harvest any stalks. This year I started early. Hoping to get some stalks by fall.

[@ritahorton8229]

I’m learning so much. Thank you and keep the videos coming! God Bless!

[@FloridaGirl-]

How ironic that I going to be planting these Seminole pumpkins this weekend! 👍. Love the song!!!🤣🤣🤣 Gardening with humor, what a concept! Love it!

[@PleasantPrickles]

Nice scooching technique. I have to use a kitchen spatula to schooch my onions. It’s all we have. 😄🌱🌱🌱

[@skippy5506]

Fingers crossed your pumpkins do well 🤞and I love the add at the end 😂

[@stokelymarco8042]

Those TOGOs provided in about 8 months. I too am trying late summer seminole pumpkin...but growing on the east side with plenty of late day shade.

[@halleluyah8241]

Yes, I believe the technical term IS "onion scootcher" also used for scootching potatoes (by those who don't know any better), and useful as well for composting your enemies. Thanks for the fun and great info, Sir David. :)

[@breesechick]

Oldies are goodies

[@hic_tus]

my dad had a knife, a hoe, a pickaxe, a shovel, a pair of shears and a saw. maybe a rake? that's it. how many tools are you gonna need to grow some veggies? he kept the same tools for a lifetime, i remember he was mad at his pal once because he snapped his shovel or spade against a rock. but, tbf, was about time to buy a new one hahaha

[@davidthegood]

You really only need a few tools. Almost everything can be done with a spade, a rake and a hoe.

[@hic_tus]

@@davidthegood i'm taliking about a family garden of course, not a business. my uncle has a larger production and a vineyard so he needs a tractor, but hey! I'm a city boi at the moment but i'll get a decent home with a garden as soon as possible! for now i'll enjoy your videos with my morning coffee and dream of decent tomatoes :P

[@jamee6]

Even in this first-world setting, (although I'm sure there are some people who don't think that Georgia is first-world), some of us are super appreciative of your unconventional use of tools, etc! It appeals to my frugal nature and

[@hadleyjack]

Oh, I gotta get me one of those fancy onion scootchers! I bet it’s good for scootching other things too.

[@Bluere11e]

I hope they grew for you and you saved the seeds. I hope I can get on the seed sharing list and get some to grow here in . Grant Valkaria, FL

[@notmyfault6835]

Hope we get to hear an "Onion 🌰 Scootcher" song soon!! XoxoX 🎶🌱🎶🌱🎶 XoxoX

[@ABamaGardener]

ROTFLMAO, David and the onion scootcher. Your fitting right into Alabamaien life. Shush, most people don't know we build space engines here too.

[@Jadentheman]

If you shade them out from the harsh summer sun and deep water occasionally, then you could probably grow them to fruit. Not impossible

[@kathyjacques2688]

Very true, they do like a bit of shade

[@Juanrivers2022]

One awesome way of advertising your shirts man. Hahaha I'm sold

[@ethanmcdonald5899]

Dang David I wish you where my neighbor , :( or atleast more people like you, And also your survival gardening book is really good. Thanks for all your hard work and sharing your knowledge. Also why do you move so much? Why did you move out of the tropics? I probably missed it in a past video

[@jettyeddie_m9130]

Love that tool 😎

[@ACryin_Shame]

Shucks! We missed it! Watching now.

[@billclinton6040]

I live in 8b/9a, tossed some butternut squash seeds from a grocery store bought squash into an unused, almost fully shaded area in the garden. Those things sprouted and now several have gotten quite large and are already blossoming. They are also surrounded by huge bushes of lantana in full bloom, so I reckon if they make any female flowers they will certainly be pollinated. Just got to see if they can survive July/August because it will be hot.

[@nancyfegan7299]

Thank you so much for your info. God Bless You

[@josiahkulwa34]

Nice project

[@RussellBooth1977]

In cold hardiness zone 10b in Australia I have noticed that the cassava plants die back right to the roots as well because it gets down to 0-2°C (32-33°F). overnight during winter time. That's just north of Sydney in New South Wales (Newcastle) !

[@davidthegood]

Yes. If it touches freezing, the tops die completely.

[@gardengatesopen]

That t-shirt bit was fantastic!! ❤ 👚❤👕❤👚❤👕❤👚❤

[@tampadw4l401]

Can those handles be used on other tools? Noticed you said where it came from but, didn't list it in the description. Thank you for continuing to provide content, I'm in zone 9 and used to follow you in N Florida.

[@jolyanpratt2350]

I'm interested in those pumpkins if they make it as I absolutely love your channel....Jolyan

[@laurachatfield4142]

Does it matter when you plant casava in zone 9 and 10? It beginning of July in Ft Myers, and of course very rainy and hot right now

[@bethraisbeck368]

Could you explain the air potatoes, please. Ty Blessings

[@ManMtn7]

I would definitely be interested in buying Dave's Fetid Swamp Pumpkin seeds.

[@WD-zk6fg]

Same here

[@chrishershey5033]

New to gardening, what was that (ash?)looking mixtureYou added to the soil?

[@em286]

Sooo cool! Maybe, if they do well, you can sell us some Seminole pumpkin seeds? Ps...the ending cracked me up 😂😁

[@gretchenrussick4792]

What came of the pumpkins Heather sent you? Did you get a crop? I was curious and tried searching your videos to see the results.

[@doloinc]

Dave, are you able to find any of the butter stick variety? I've tried looking for it but can't find a source for cuttings

[@simmonds6063]

From the cradle, onion scoocher😂!

[@ilchickentv340]

🎶 I’m cutting down grass for a seminole🎶. Also, How long a season does that variety need?

[@davidthegood]

Maybe 120 days.

[@MySuewho]

Also, did the Seminole pumpkins grow?

[@davidmackenzie1132]

Yo Good-Man. If those produce, may I have some seeds? I'm growing various mixes of seminole with hardy tropical pumpkins here in Hawai'i. Would love to include the genes into the mix.

[@charlescoker7752]

How did your corn do thru the storm?

[@yvettespencer-auber1212]

Hi, do you know there is a huge market for cassava leaves? I grow cassava in Texas too, but never been able to get much cassava root out of them. I am more interested in the leaves than the roots and that's good enough for me. If you are not interested in the leaves, I will be more than happy to have them, especially the ones with red stems.

[@Klavier7]

David, what part of Alabama are you in? I’m near Birmingham.

[@Nurse_Lucy]

You yucca looks so different than mine. Mine grows like a palm

[@davidthegood]

This is "yuca", not "yucca."

[@nancyfahey7518]

I planted seminol pumpkin too late last year and they didn't come back. I'd put one in a pot for moving.

[@gardengatesopen]

Pumpkins are known to be sneaky. Which is why they are used for Halloween. They just got up, and walked away. They never came back... Or did y'all simply grow apart? And if you put them in a pot, won't that make it easier for them to roll away? And never come back.

[@FrontYardGardener]

Any plans to sell Cuttings?

[@olsonlr]

Why don't you start those Manihot canes indoor in winter to get them up and growing for spring plant out?

[@davidthegood]

They really don't like to grow at all when it's cool, so I would need a better greenhouse set up. I plan to get a better setup in the future, though.

[@olsonlr]

@@davidthegood what about the heat mat for starting seeds?

[@sigridwinney7693]

I am surprised you didn't wet the dirt before placing the sprouted seeds.

[@davidthegood]

This was just before a tropical storm.

[@Shane_O.5158]

back in my , we used a stick we couldn't afford an onion scoocher, pappy used to say "what do you think i'm made of onion scoochers."

[@davidthegood]

Hahaha!!!

[@mclovin2232]

They suck at mailing seeds but they're really good at handling mail in ballots so there's that

[@davidthegood]

Yeah.

[@michaele.4702]

if they survive and can survive the tropics make sure you seed me some of those pumpkin seeds I'll make sure they always have a place to grow

[@hillarycosenza6586]

Amazon link for the onion scoocher please. I hear the seller has thick skin. Gotta go find beauty in a trench now.

[@dustinrozas7831]

What is the name of the siminole pumpkin variety?

[@cookiewilcox5082]

Hahahaha. I Want That Shirt!!!

[@moniquegebeline4350]

How is your soil that dry after all that rain 😂?