How to Grow -Ginger
1 February 2013, by gj
This is a first.
Not only because we have never grown ginger before, but also we don’t normally post about anything we haven’t actually done.
Here’s the thing, it can take nigh on a year before you will see the results of this attempt, so if you want to join in on the fun, go get yourself a root.
Step #1
As always, there is much conflicting information on the internet. No surprise, ginger probably grows somewhat differently in various places.
So here’s the basics:
1. You can use a ginger root from the market.
2. Start your ginger by placing it in some potting soil. Don’t bury it like a potato, just press it into the soil. You can plant the whole root, or break off side shoots. The roots grow from open/cut sides, so the smaller pieces may be better. Just as a test, we did both.
3. Ginger has tiny little nodules on it, they look like little spikes. This is where the green growth will come from. Don’t worry if you can’t see them, they are there. If you look close you can just see this nodule is turning white as it begins to sprout.
nodule sprouting
4. Continue to mist the ginger to keep it moist. Place in a warm area. After about a week the nodules will begin to sprout and the roots to grow. The next picture shows tiny hair-like roots coming out.
tiny roots
5. When the weather is continually above 50F, or after the last spring frost, you can bring the ginger outside. At this point it can be transplanted into the ground or remain in the pot. Ginger takes anywhere from 230-300 days to grow. That’s quite a difference, but it definitely does not like frost. Again to experiment, we will plant some in the ground and leave the rest in the container.
6. Ginger can take some shade, so almost any location is suitable. We have not read anything about it being invasive, but we’re going to keep it out of the main garden just to be safe.
7. Before the frost, bring the ginger back indoors. Presumably, the longer it has to grow, the bigger the roots will become. Bigger isn’t always better, the roots can get tough.
Have you ever grown ginger? Care to give it a go?
Botanical name: Zingiber officinale
Yield: One root will produce multiple roots.
Plant height: About 4 ft.
Harvest: When the leaves die back.
Storage: Dehydrate, freeze or pickle.
Categories: ginger, how to grow
