When I started growing ginger root I expected it to be difficult. It’s not.
I’ve been growing ginger reception for years, and ginger would need to be a significant contender for the title “most neglected plant” in my garden.
I check out my ginger plants exactly once a year, at harvest . I harvest them, replant them, then ditch them for an additional year.
I easily grow a year’s supply of ginger root from them. I even have plenty left over to offer away, both ginger root planting material and ginger for eating.
You can start using store bought ginger root. And you’ll easily grow ginger in pots or tubs, so growing ginger indoors may be a possibility in cooler climates.
On this page I tell you everything you would like to understand about growing ginger, so you’ll grow your own fresh ginger, too.
Growing Ginger Root isn’t That Hard…
…provided you get a couple of basics right. Let’s first check out some pictures of ginger plants and therefore the roots:
The picture above shows the foliage of ginger plants. Below you see a ginger rhizome.
We usually say ginger root when talking about the edible a part of the ginger plant. But that’s not really correct. You eat the rhizomes, and as you’ll see, the rhizomes have roots. Rhizomes and roots are two various things .
But I’ll keep talking about ginger root anyway, that’s what everybody does and you recognize what I mean.
GINGER FLOWERS ARE EDIBLE TOO!
by reader Jo Kuah from the united kingdom
“I just wanted to means that the ginger flower is edible. I’m originally from Malaysia and that we use the flower to flavour stocks and curries in our dishes.
Just cut away the hard petals and eat the bud itself. confirm to blend it or chop really finely because the plant is extremely hard, and will be uncomfortable to swallow, but it lends this beautiful high note to your spicy/sour base dishes that’s unattainable from the other ingredient.
If you’re curious about looking for some ginger flower recipes search for Asam Laksa or Asam Fish.
The Malaysian word for Ginger Flower is Bunga Kantan.”
What Ginger Plants Like And Dislike
Ginger loves a sheltered spot, filtered sunlight, warm weather, humidity, and rich, moist soil. (What else did you expect from a tropical plant?)
What ginger can’t stand is frost, direct sun, strong winds, and soggy, waterlogged soil.
Planting Ginger Root
The easiest thanks to start growing ginger root is to urge a couple of fresh rhizomes of somebody who does grow ginger, at the time when the plant re-shoots anyway (early spring). Otherwise just buy some at the shops at that point .
Make sure you decide on fresh, plump rhizomes.
Look for pieces with well developed “eyes” or growth buds. The buds appear as if little horns at the top of a bit or “finger”.
Some people recommend to soak the rhizomes in water over night. That’s not a nasty idea, since shop bought ginger may need been treated with a growth retardant.
I also read the recommendation to take a seat rhizomes in water until they sprout roots. That’s nonsense. Your ginger plant are going to be much happier if the roots are within the ground and may breathe right from the beginning , instead of having to affect the transplanting shock and therefore the change in conditions. If the bottom is moist and warm they’re going to root very easily.
Whether you grow your ginger root during a pot or within the ground, you are doing need specialized soil to start out with. It must be rich enough to feed your ginger (you can always add some fertiliser, see below), it must hold enough moisture so it doesn’t dry out, but it must be free draining therefore the ginger roots don’t become water logged.
Good compost is in fact ideal. i exploit a mixture of 1 a part of “> a part of my best compost with one part of my sandy garden soil. The compost supplies the nutrition and holds water, and therefore the sand/loam makes sure the combination drains freely.
If your garden has reasonable soil just dig in some compost which should be ok . If your soil is just too heavy you’ll make a raised bed or alittle hill or ridge to enhance drainage.
The best planting time is late winter/early spring (late dry season/early wet season within the true tropics). confirm you decide on a spot where the plants get many light but no direct sun, and where they’re shielded from wind.
You can cut or hack the ginger rhizomes in little pieces with a few of growing buds each. or simply plant the entire thing. Plant your ginger root five to 10 cm/2-4 inches deep, with the growing buds facing up.
How Much Space Does Ginger Need?
Growing ginger doesn’t take up much room in the least. Every rhizome you plant will first only grow a couple of leaves, within one spot. Over time it’ll become a dense clump and really slowly get bigger, but as long as it isn’t harvested.
The rhizomes underground also don’t seem to mind if they become a touch crowded.
Ginger only grows to about two to 3 feet/60-90cm tall .
A 14 inch pot easily holds three average rhizomes, an oblong styrofoam box holds about nine to a dozen. If planting them within the ground plant them about 15-20 cm/six to eight inches apart. And if you would like to plant an entire hectare order 1000 – 1500 kg. 🙂
How Much Water Does Ginger Need?
Ginger needs tons of moisture while actively growing. The soil should never dry out. Don’t overwater, though, because the water that drains away will take nutrients with it.
Ginger loves humidity. If you’ve got problems with dry air then regular spraying and misting might help. Dry air can cause problems with spider mites. But that’s rather a drag for people that attempt to grow ginger out of its range and indoors. A sheltered, moist spot during a warm climate will provide enough humidity.
If you’re growing ginger within the ground mulch it thickly.
It helps to stay the bottom moist, it helps feed the ginger because the mulch breaks down, and it also keeps down weeds.
Ginger may be a slow growing plant and simply overgrown by others.
Towards the top of summer/wet season, because the weather starts cooling down, your ginger will start to die down . Reduce the water, even let the bottom dry out. This encourages the ginger to make rhizomes. Once all the leaves have died down your ginger is prepared for harvest.
How Much And Which Plant Food?
If you’re growing ginger in good, rich soil it shouldn’t need anything extra. I grow mine in tubs. I put in fresh compost mix per annum and never add any extra fertilizer.
If you don’t have good soil, or if you’re growing ginger in some standard bought potting mix, then you’ve got to feed it regularly. you’ll even have to feed it if you’re growing ginger in a neighborhood that gets torrential summer rains (many tropical regions do). Such rains leach all the goodness from the soil.
Work in some organic slow release fertiliser at planting time. then you’ll use some liquid fertiliser like seaweed extract or fish fertiliser every few weeks.
When to reap Ginger Root?
If you’re growing ginger root within the garden you’ll start stealing little bits of it once it’s about four months old. Just dig carefully at the side of a clump.
But remember that this “green ginger” does have tons less flavour than the mature stuff.
The best time to reap ginger is any time after the leaves have died down. Usually it takes eight to 10 months to urge thereto point.
You can now obtain the entire plant. the rationale that I grow my ginger in tubs is that it makes the harvest very easy . I don’t need to dig, I just tip out the entire thing.
Break up the rhizomes, select a couple of nice ones with good growing buds for replanting (you can replant them straight away), and keep the remainder for the kitchen.
I simply peel, chop and freeze the entire lot. a good better way is to chop it into small chunks and store it in brandy. Brandied ginger keeps like fresh. many thanks to reader Jan Stevenson for this tip.
The rhizomes that are replanted or left within the ground don’t need any water or attention until the weather warms up again. Mine still get watered where they’re (other plants within the area need it), which doesn’t seem to harm them either.
The other thanks to grow and harvest ginger is to possess many clumps growing around your home , and to only obtain what you would like , once you need it. The plants grow outwards from the mature rhizomes. Once a clump is large enough you’ll harvest the mature tubers from the center without damaging new shoots.
By the way, if you’re serious about growing ginger reception then resist the urge to reap it for a year or two. Rather build up an honest resource stock first. I started with one little rhizome and dug it up the primary time after two years. I replanted every single promising looking bud and still had some to eat. Next year I did an equivalent , and then I always harvested enough to last me the entire year.
When Does Ginger Flower?
When growing ginger as outlined above you won’t see any flowers. A clump must be about two years old to flower. So if you would like to ascertain your ginger flower leave it within the ground, and just dig very carefully at it to reap bits here and there.
The flowers of culinary ginger are green and insignificant anyway.
There are however some spectacular flowering gingers. If you’re after great flowers get a number of those. they’re grown exactly just like the culinary ginger, just skip the harvest.
(Mind you, many of the flowering gingers are edible, too. they only don’t taste nice.)
There’s also reasonably variegated ginger with white and green striped leaves. All the decorative ginger varieties are evergreen within the tropics, meaning they don’t die down just like the culinary ginger.
A Few Final Notes For People In Cool Climates
Don’t expect to be harvesting much of your ginger plants. You’ll be growing ginger mostly as a decorative plant. it’s a very pretty plant with its glossy strap leaves and it smells beautiful once you brush against it.
Start your ginger indoors, it’ll be too cold outside in spring. Don’t worry about the dappled sunlight. In your parts of the planet the sun isn’t as intense. Your ginger should be ready to handle it and it needs all the heat it can get.
You may or might not be ready to keep it alive over winter, counting on where you’re . Definitely move it inside at the primary signs of weather . Once the leaves die down keep it reasonably dry and funky or the tubers will rot, and with a touch of luck your ginger may grow back next year.