3 Months In: Watching My Cassava Field Come Alive 🌱

Good morning Hive family!

I wanted to share a quick update from my little farm here in Kitwe. It’s been about 3 months since I put these cassava cuttings in the ground, and I’m honestly proud of how they’re coming along.

The picture above is from this week’s field check. The soil is still holding moisture from the last rains, and the plants are standing strong with those bright green, finger-like leaves and reddish stems. Cassava is such a resilient crop. It doesn’t complain much, even when the sun is harsh and the soil isn’t perfect. For me, that’s one of the reasons I keep planting it season after season.

What I’ve learned so far:

1. Weeding matters early - I went through the field twice in the first 6 weeks. Keeping grass down gave the young plants space to breathe and push roots deeper.
2. Spacing is everything - I planted at about 1m x 1m. It feels wide at first, but it gives each plant room to bulk up underground. That’s where the real harvest is.
3. Patience pays - Cassava takes time. We’re looking at 9-12 months before harvest, but seeing this healthy vegetative growth tells me the tubers are probably forming well beneath.

I grow cassava mainly for food security and a bit of income. Nshima, cassava flour, and chips are staples here, and the leaves are great for relish too. Nothing goes to waste. Plus, it stores in the ground, so I can harvest as needed instead of all at once.

The biggest challenge right now is just keeping an eye out for pests and making sure the soil doesn’t get too compacted. I’ll do one more round of light weeding and then let the plants do their thing until the rains come back strong.

For anyone else growing cassava: what’s your trick for getting bigger tubers? Do you add any manure at planting, or just let the soil do the work?

Gardening teaches me patience every single day. You plant, you weed, you wait, and eventually the land gives back.

Thanks for stopping by my garden corner. I’ll post another update when we hit 6 months.