How to Plant Dasheen Japanese Taro

Dasheen taro features showy upper leaves.

Japanese taro, also known as dasheen, is one of four main taro types. A common side dish for Asian-Pacific cuisine, dasheen grows from cuttings taken from a parent plant. The cuttings, or hulis as they are called, comprise 12- to 18-inch stems attached to a corm. These tender greens prefer temperatures above 68 degrees, so planting is commonly in the spring, followed by growing season of six to 10 months and fall harvest. Does this Spark an idea?

Things You'll Need

• Pitchfork or rototiller
• Soil test kit
• Lime or peat moss
• Soaker hose
• Fertilizer

Instructions

1. Prepare a plot that receives full sun during the morning. Break the soil with a pitchfork or rototiller to create a light and airy planting medium

2. Perform a soil test to determine the pH of the soil. Modify the soil if the pH test comes back unfavorable. Dasheen prefers soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. A soil test that reveals a pH below 5.5 requires the addition of lime, while a pH above 6.5 benefits from the addition of peat moss to lower alkalinity. Add the modifier according to the manufacturer’s instructions on the package label.

3. Press one Japanese taro cutting halfway into the soil, vertically. If planting more than one, space each taro cutting at least 18 inches from the next, with a three- to four-foot spacing in between each dasheen cutting.

4. Run a soaker hose through the planting location to ensure that the soil remains moist at all times. The soil should never be allowed to dry out during the growing season nor should it ever be sopping wet.

5. Feed the Japanese taro a diet of 16-16-16 fertilizer two months after planting and again at four months and six months after planting. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use before applying the fertilizer.

Tips & Warnings

• Japanese taro is ready for harvest six to 10 months after planting. The mature taro can be removed from the ground with a shovel and stored in a location with a constant temperature between 45 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit with an overall humidity level of 85 percent.

References

• University of Hawaii - College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources: Taking Taro into the 1990s: A Taro Conference
• Guam Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Guam: Fertilizer Facts
• University of Hawaii- Extension ENTOmology & UH-CTAHR Integrated Pest Management Program: Taro Production Guidelines for Kauai
• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Chapter 24. Tropical Root Crop Production in Florida