Cassava: A reliable staple for subtropical gardeners

Here's my latest entry for Mother Earth News - an ode to one of my very favorite crops:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/grow-it/cassava-subtropical-gardener.aspx#axzz2KdXyIQsL


As a side note on today's article: one thing people always worry about with cassava is the cyanide.

Relax. Take a deep breath. There's cyanide in a lot of different plants, including some of our most common edibles. With proper preparation, there's no need to worry. It's not like you're going to kick off like a double-crossed super-villain if you eat a piece of raw cassava, either. It's not that toxic. Also - the leaves are safe for your compost. During fermentation, boiling, composting, or even drying, the cyanide precursors off gas harmlessly into the atmosphere.

I've also fed limited amounts of cassava leaves to goats as a de-wormer. Amazing stuff.

For a shorter overview of cassava as a survival crop, click here.

UPDATE: To buy cassava cuttings, click here.