How to Plant Dasheen (AKA Taro, AKA Malanga)

Get the song here: gum.co/QzpSx
Here's how to plant dasheen the low-tech, easy way. Dasheen, also known as taro or "malanga," is a valuable staple crop that is easy to grow and tastes delicious. Though it can be planted in flooded fields, dasheen also grows in the rainy season this way. Just dig your holes and stick 'em in. Then wait. I've been digging dasheen out of the drain, then planting it out in the field. You can eat dasheen leaves, provided they are well cooked.
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[@davidthegood]

Thank you for watching. Plant propagation is way easier than most people think. If you want to propagate just about anything, check out my book "Free Plants for Everyone" here: amzn.to/2YiGHtP If you are interested in monetizing your passion for plants by starting your own home plant nursery, you should enjoy my book on the topic - check it out here: amzn.to/38uwRXu Get my free composting booklet: www.thesurvivalgardener.com/simple-composting/ "Compost Your Enemies" T-shirts: www.aardvarktees.com/collections/vendors?q=The%20Survival%20Gardener

[@Srrp868]

First song ever about Dasheen did it for me👍🏾😁

[@Blaculo]

Anytime I feel like slacking on my gardening, I just watch a couple of your videos. Thanks for the motivation.

[@davidthegood]

Making the videos actually pushes me to produce. Thank you.

[@qualqui]

Thanks!

[@jblood1098]

And nice planting too I'm also a farmer I grow coco yams not many people cultivate it in Jamaica on a large scale but I have to make a difference bless up mi youth

[@Sillysh_ha]

That spontaneous break out in music though😂

[@ayotalsamoth6867]

In Trinidad we eat the leaf, stem and dasheen root.

[@Tweak3r]

Yuh done know

[@cathleendell8111]

Great info Thanks ..... However, it was your amazing Taro beat that had me subbed!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@russellcook8735]

Great info about how to prepare the hole, and a awesome rap too!

[@b.war.8651]

Yesss!!! We love your videos! We leave with smiles, laughs and knowledge! Such a gift you and your wife give into these videos. I've heard of taro root but honestly have never eaten it. Also I never knew the amazing health benefits it holds! (For those who don't know---> Taro root contains a very significant amount of dietary fiber and carbohydrates, as well as high levels of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B6, and folate, as well as magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorous, potassium, manganese, and copper.) BTW My kids love your DASH33N song! My daughter is 20...cracked up the whole time loving it and is now singing it while doing the dishes! :) My son is 13 and loved it too. You should post all your songs for donations... they're super catchy and super entertaining Mr. The Good! ;) Bless you and your fam! Oh and I loved hearing your kids playing...what an amazing way to grow up... in a rain forest with a mountain stream! To cool!

[@davidthegood]

Thank you, Beth. That's hilarious. You sound like you have great kids.

[@celtgunn9775]

My daughter grew up as a little one on "poi" also known as Taro. Just pounded down into a "mush" then added to baby cereal and milk. It was her first "solid" food. 😊

[@merlinepeterkin9923]

Well done 👏 ✔️ 👍 👌 Now I'll go plant some dasheennn to reap next Christmas

[@eatyourgarden]

sick song mate :)

[@LibertyNotLicense]

A (not-so) closet rapper... with a bit of talent to boot!

[@40rtypluss14]

They make an amazing fried fritter from them that is called akra here in Haiti. It's AMAZING!

[@Poshgardenherbs]

Yummm

[@agotrachell4650]

hi David. ...in the Philippines we eat and consume the taro from roots to the leaves....the stalk we cook it with coconut milk...it is delicious....

[@fitawrarifitness6842]

Nice song

[@evansullivanrichgels5531]

I love the song you have at the beginning. IDK what it's saying but I love it!

[@bobbydogbear1710]

Oh man - I had taro in the Cook Islands. It's like potatoes and wax lips had a purple love child. I'm happy with my actual potatoes.

[@TheSpicerider125]

Well Done Buddy. What country are you in. Eat what you grow and grow what you eat.

[@juliaroberts9215]

I love this video very educational and so so funny. Thank you. I am going to plant some dasheen aka yams here in Antigua.

[@kennethwoolard5910]

I bought a corm from an oriental market and it has been in a container for about a month. It is just today sprouting a leaf. Yea!

[@davidthegood]

Great work!

[@kennethwoolard5910]

Thanks!

[@rolandoserrano1492]

Thank you for your info. I would think how different Malanga Is planted! Awsome video!

[@rookminrampaul7295]

Tannia and pigeon peas in curry is delicious .

[@douglarboy201]

We use the leaves to make calaloo. Add ochro ,pumpkin, coconut milk, a little bit pimentos and garlic and a hot pepper . Swizzle it don't forget to take the hot pepper before it burst.

[@Bushman1083]

You sounds Trini

[@douglarboy201]

@@Bushman1083Trini to the bone .

[@354133]

Like that hat David!

[@qualqui]

That's how easy planting Dasheen is David?!! So if I buy one at the local supermarket, I need only cut the upper part(where the leaves were), dig a whole and plant it there, always remembering to keep it very well watered? Fortunately, after 2 minor rain showers in April and this monday evening May 23 the first "major"rainshower, WOW, it quickly cooled down the temp from 24C to 17C, hoping for more rainshowers and this way taking advantage of those beautiful summer monsoons! Thanks for sharing, liked and greetings for The Good Family! :)

[@marinetrax]

Any videos on how to prepare for eating? Thanks

[@bethanykingsbury496]

These are called taioba here in Brazil and the leaves are delicious cooked with rice - they almost melt when cooked. Here I've been told of several ways to distinguish between taioba and inhame leaves (I think inhame in the US is called taro root). The lobes of the leaves join at the stem, the face of the leaves have a border line and the leaves are completely green (no purple). I found an illustration in portuguese here: tinyurl.com/y89udujz. I didn't grow up eating it, but it has quickly become one of my favorite cooked greens!

[@qualqui]

I didn't grow up eating any Malanga here in Mexico(that's the name the supermarket here gave the taro) but WOW, the flavor of the root as prepared by Cubans, either fried patties or cooked in soup is SCRUMPTIOUS! And now I'm here listening to DTG forinstructions on how to grow my own Taro here, especially since today was the first rainshower of the season! Greetings from Mexico Bethany and if I have success growing the Taioba here, I may also be enjoying the leaves as well.

[@nichollabrathwaite-mundy5126]

In Trinidad and Tobago we cook the dasheen leaves with ochro, coconut milk, other seasonings like chive, thyme pimentos or flavour peppers, hot pepper and some type of salt meat. We call it calloo!

[@rookminrampaul7295]

Dashed is different to taro . Taro is eddo, which is smaller than dadheen. Malaga is the black stemmed wild dasheen . If eaten, will cause is lot of itching . In the Caribbean we make Calaloo with the the leaves and stems of dasheen leaves .

[@miltonwelch4541]

The fact that you're saying 'dasheen' and not some other weird word suggests you may be near Guyana, my country of birth. Good video, especially in distinguishing the difference in growth patterns between the dasheen (eddoe) and the tania.

[@davidthegood]

Yes indeed. Thank you.

[@poddingueatwork7354]

David, how could I tell if the tubers I have are Xanthosomia or Colocasia? They look pretty much the same to me. Thanks.

[@clementb.363]

Look at the leaves, also Colocasia tend to be much rounder and oval than Xanthosoma which are frequently long of shape similar to manioc or yams.

[@romulosantos6733]

That evil laugh at 8:23 hahahahahha xD

[@michelesanchez6828]

boil, then add olive oil and garlic and cilantro ...yummy!

[@RomeliaGomez-Calmell7934]

Absolutamente.

[@miltonwelch8619]

Except that they're waaaayy healthier than flour dumplings! Thanks for the video!

[@sylviavega-ortiz3006]

YUMMY 😋 you lucky guys! Wish they could grow here in urban PA LOL

[@miltonwelch4541]

They could, actually, Sylvia! You can get eddoes in 4 to 5 months.

[@christianbelcourt279]

Well 3 years late but hey worth a shot. They will grow just fine you just have to take the tubers inside for winter. I can dig some up to send they grow everywhere here. Let me know if you're interested.

[@williamvillar7134]

We stopped by the Publix near the Homesteader’s event on the way back home and I bought some Malanga roots.We'll see how this goes.

[@davidthegood]

DO IT

[@devbachu7072]

Correct tannia is edible in the rainybrhe rannia grow lottle bulbd the dasheen grow a huge bulb ab we even eat rhe tender leaves or make calkaoo in the caribvean There is eddos tannua dashdeen

[@sandymcqueen4930]

Awesome 👍🙏❤️💯

[@acesmerchs3625]

I love dasheens

[@LibertyNotLicense]

One viewer mistook this video for... I have no idea for what. But I cannot fathom what other explanation exists for the one "thumbs down"!

[@PugFitNation]

Yeah my thumbs are green alright.😎😏💪🏼✌🙏

[@nancyfahey7518]

Thank you.

[@lacklusterami]

Epic creepy dasheen song

[@naturedegree5671]

Thanks for excellent presentation 💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛

[@dannypeace9053]

no need to worry about screaming kids, it's when they are quiet that you need to worry. They are either up to no good, or they got eaten by an anaconda.

[@davidthegood]

Truth.

[@franzb69]

we cal it gabi in the philippines.

[@jeneesellers1538]

Will these grow in a pond without the extra compost? I've heard that taro is a heavy feeder. That's the only place that I have that is consistently wet. I'm in zone 9b.

[@mingsong]

I bought both big ones and small ones. I guess I just need to bury the small ones, how about the big ones? Can I cut them up?

[@jblood1098]

Nice rap bro

[@kiwiwriter]

look at how the petioles join the leaves, this is how to tell taro from elephant ear etc.

[@titanlurch]

Do you have a Taro colony down by the stream?

[@jameshook6675]

1) That soil looks so dark and rich 2) I've heard people say its better to plant these for a full moon, they say it gets bigger, what's your thoughts, do you do that? 3) Have you ever had Dasheen Ice cream? Never had it myself but I heard they make it in Trinidad & Tobago.

[@jblood1098]

Yes three days after full moon is best for all root crops big tubers

[@stayblessdontstress3792]

Hi, Happy gardening, keep up the excellent work!!! Where can I purchase these edible tubers like Taro etc?

[@davidthegood]

Ethnic markets. Look for malanga.

[@stayblessdontstress3792]

Thank you.

[@justalurkr]

I was but a wee lass when I tasted poi, the goo made from taro. I was unimpressed. Maybe I should give it another try.

[@Darkfyre755]

Does anyone know if you can harvest them early like 2-3 months after planting? I know they'll be small but will they be unhealthy or unripe if picked early?

[@davidthegood]

Usually they don't set enough bulb to be useful at that age.

[@edwardleroy7648]

As with many things they look the same until you look deeper.

[@aniawraps]

edward leroy t

[@moondog7694]

I have a question. My dad bought me some baby taro roots, but I haven’t gotten around to cooking them yet. I want to cook them today. However, it looks like two have produced shoots! I don’t remember seeing shoots on any of them when my dad first gave them to me. May 18th is when my dad gave them to me, and it is now May 31st. If I cut off the shoot parts, would it be safe to eat? Or should I just throw them into the compost pail, uneaten? I’ve heard that Irish potatoes that have sprouted should have the sprouts cut off before eating. Do taro root shoots make the entire taro root toxic? Or are just the shoots themselves toxic? Or are the shoots nontoxic?

[@davidthegood]

Not sure. The roots have a scary amount of oxalic acid crystals though. Be careful and cook well.

[@shahedayeasmeen8089]

I didn't understand the dasheen and tania. I know yam (small size) and malagna (big size and long).

[@brobdingnagianone900]

Pardon my ignorance, but growing up I was told "elephant ears" were poisonous. Is there a poisonous look alike to this plant?

[@morami1122]

Brobdingnagian One I believe there is. on an episode of kings of the wild in mexico, the chef guy finds a similar plant and eats the leaf from inbetween the veins, and still gets slightly sick.

[@davidthegood]

Yeah, it's actually a bit of a complicated set of plants. The elephant ears often grown in landscaping contain a lot of oxalic acid crystals in the leaves and roots that will burn your throat badly if consumed, causing pain and swelling. Taro/malanga/dasheen will do the same, but has less oxalic acid and needs less cooking. Any of them raw will mess you up, though.

[@alexirodriguez9121]

I am growing malanga in an area of my yard that is constantly watered by laundry grey water. They are growing into large 5 foot plants with smaller plants/suckers growing around them. I planted them during the summer of last year and they have pulled through a few 40 degree nights with just minor discoloration of the older leaves. They are still growing nicely. When can I harvest them and will they be safe to eat since they will be washed very well and the skin will not be eaten?

[@davidthegood]

I would eat them, sure.

[@BryconerFreelanceGuide]

10 to 12 months and eliminate suckers to get the root real big like 5 pounds

[@BryconerFreelanceGuide]

It really likes water like rice like in a ponds shore

[@alexirodriguez9121]

@@BryconerFreelanceGuide Yeah, it has been more than a year and it still growing and getting bigger. The leaves have gotten smaller, but it is still growing more leaves. It has grown flowers too and has a small trunk (root above the ground). If it is still edible, that will be a huge malanga root. I also have a banana clump growing in the same area.

[@naomidunbar719]

What is the storage life?

[@alcatelkey]

As long as you don't cut it, maybe 2- 3 weeks or a little more.

[@davidthegood]

Yeah, that's about it. It's not great for storage.

[@michelesanchez6828]

( lerenes)I don't know the name in english, but they are like a small potato, some people use it for thickening. I imagine you know about them..

[@davidthegood]

Yes - arrowroot. It's easy to grow. I used to have them in Florida.

[@AAHomeGardening]

How long did yours take to have mature roots?

[@BryconerFreelanceGuide]

10 months to 1 year 2 importat thungs 1. Eliminate as many new little plants as you can 2. Water like in a pond the whole time.

[@RomeliaGomez-Calmell7934]

@@BryconerFreelanceGuide ¿So les encanta el agua? A mi no me producen mucho y son pequeñas. Seguiré tratando.

[@BryconerFreelanceGuide]

@@RomeliaGomez-Calmell7934 debes tenerlas en agua todo el tiempo como si fuese un estanque adoran el agua y quitarle todos los hijos posibles que debilitan la planta.

[@RomeliaGomez-Calmell7934]

@@BryconerFreelanceGuide 👍

[@annmariejoshua698]

You can also cook the dasheen leaves. I make callaloo with the leaves. Bye the way it is In the sweat of Thy face shalt thou eat bread.

[@TheCossak]

Cool. Also, I really enjoyed your video on the prepper world summit :)

[@davidthegood]

Thank you, Shiva. I enjoyed making that one.

[@kellyhummingbird]

yum!

[@constancelovejoy7308]

Can the taro root &I leaves be eaten raw? Can u ferment taro? ☺️

[@davidthegood]

No, definitely not raw. Cooked then fermented, yes.

[@amyjohnson7834]

do you make poi out of your taro? my aunt hated both the taste and the texture lol:)

[@davidthegood]

I have not tried yet. Usually we just toss the roots into stews.

[@kimjones2056]

Every home should use grey water.

[@blackmamba5725]

Aka coco yam

[@michelesanchez6828]

arrowroot! that is the small potato we grow in the Caribbean (lerenes)

[@christinesahadeo6207]

Doesn't dasheen grow in water... Most people I know plant dasheen in drains that always have water

[@davidthegood]

It does - yes.

[@BradGryphonn]

Nomm Nomm!

[@lakelady185]

By Monday or Tuesday I may have figured it out. I bet all of you aches after hearing your plans. Before your video - I was looking for taro growing and cooking advice. This was 3rd on the list. So I clicked it. Saw someone chaulking in poundage harvested. And knew I was in for vegan hipster swingers in a desolate outback. Then heard David the Good's voice. Oh how kind of David. Providing audio for the lowly vegans. 👼What an angel!👼 After your video - Now I am not sure if I have taro. I went to the Asian market. Both were marked Taro. One was the size of a large baked russet. One is the size of a small pear. Maybe an eddoe? Last year I bought the stems of one and was very impressed stir fried. Are the greens slimey like spinach? Are both edible greened? kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6PXZKmjo5ikZ5o I bought enough for myself and the family of a fellow who is as prolific a father as another I know. Planning for solar minimum. Or maximum. Trying a gameplay for either. There must be a way. Carbs are going to be an issue for us both. Even if the taro is indoor part of the year, and we always need one set indoors. I don't ever want to go back to the days of my PawPaw. Corn or rice. Rice or corn. I don't want food fatigue to kill people. Again. 🙏🏻👵🏻 I know...poorly written. 😂

[@808Kalaoa420]

Aloha

[@MARINE76911]

AKA gabi

[@ayotalsamoth6867]

Wear gloves next time it's very itchy and stains the clothing.

[@MaxWell-cz7nw]

I went to easydigging.com and got a great farmer's file. Thx for the tip.

[@wanto4279]

What?? It's yam....

[@rookminrampaul7295]

Tannia and pidgeon

[@mikeytobago]

what is pidgeon?

[@Cruoasis]

@@mikeytobago pigeon Peas

[@terrysookhoo2528]

Hey people dont eat malanga