Plant in fertile soil after the ground is sufficiently warm. Plant the ginger root horizontally, about 4 inches deep in a 5-gallon pot. Yet gardeners, as a rule, love to cook. Tender, young roots can be used in everything from salads and fish to sauteed or stir-fried vegetables. The ginger plant is native to tropical climates. As it is bred to grow well in California, it thrives in warm, sunny weather. Ginger needs mildly acidic soils for healthy growth of rhizomes. Bring the pots outside during warmer months and indoors to protect them from winter chill. Keep and use or discard the old rhizome pieces according to your preference. Specialty Crops for Pacific Island Agroforestry, Specialty Crops for Pacific Island Agroforestry: Ginger (Zingiber Officinale), Missouri Botanical Garden: Zingiber Officinale, University of Florida: Ginger—Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Kew Royal Botanical Gardens: Zingiber Officinale (Ginger), University of Florida IFAS Extension: Ginger — Zingiber Officinale Roscoe, Penn State Extension: Growing Edible Ginger in High Tunnels. Transplant ginger outdoors in the late spring for fall harvest. Although ginger is a moisture-loving plant, its tolerance to waterlogging is poor. A good source of ginger for planting is fresh rhizomes from another grower. It doesn’t produce seeds, which is fine because all you need to grow ginger (and turmeric) are some fresh rhizomes with living “eyes” on them. Avoid planting ginger in the same bed with or in rotation with solanaceous crops -- including peppers, tomatoes and eggplant -- due to the potential for bacterial wilt. What Ginger Plants Like And Dislike. Ginger prefers a sheltered area with partial shade. Ginger is a reed-like plant that is perennial and consists of annual leafy stems that grow to a height of about a meter. When growing ginger, it is very important to keep the plants in a warm, wet environment. Plant your growing tips 6 to 12 inches apart within the row, with rows spaced 45 to 60 inches apart. These days, most ginger still comes from Asia. Cooks who want to use really fresh ginger root can grow it either on a patio, in a pot among window plants or in the garden. Growing ginger as a culinary plant is not difficult given the right growing conditions. Harvest before--or protect from--frost. Restrictions face skepticism from public. Obtain a soil test to determine any nutrient deficiencies. Start your plants by division. L.A. County’s new stay-home order is the strictest in California. Most of the ginger that arrives in our markets and on our tables was cultivated in Ginger grows best at temperatures around 77 degrees F. Protect your transplanted rhizomes from freezing temperatures. Plant the rhiz… They’re easy to unroll, snip off, scrape, grate or squeeze through a garlic press for drops of fresh seasoning at a moment’s notice. Before planting, cut the ginger rhizome into 1- to 1½-inch pieces, and set them aside for a few days to allow the cut surface area to heal and form a callus. Will they obey. Harvest small amounts of ginger during the growing season by gently removing the soil around the edges of a clump to reach individual fingers of the rhizome. Few gardeners ever think of growing ginger. The global production of ginger was 2.1 million tons in the year 2013. Provide warmth by putting it under a grow light for about 12 hours a day, or put the pot next to a southern wall in full sun. California Early. Trimming seems to encourage growth. Give your plants three to four months to grow before harvesting small amounts of ginger. Use pieces harvested from fresh grocery store ginger right out of the produce section, if you prefer. Ginger is a popular ingredient in stir-fry cooking, Asian cuisines, and for many homemade herbal remedies. The Top Ginger Producing Countries. Few gardeners ever think of growing ginger. Here’s how it works. The newly formed parts of the rhizomes have a more desirable flavor and texture. It was transported via the trade caravans of the ‘Silk Route’, along with other luxurious spices, gold and precious stone. Select a site with partial sun and partial shade, morning sun and afternoon shade work best, which is protected from strong winds, advises Specialty Crops for Pacific Island Agroforestry. Turmeric, another spice, is also from the Zingiber family. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Use the hilling method for growing ginger vertically: Dig a furrow 12 to 18 inches deep. Outdoors, the ginger plant is not terribly hardy. Unlike the edibles you might be used to growing, turmeric & ginger don’t grow from a seed – They grow from a rhizome. You can harvest ginger root after the plant dies down in winter, digging around the plant to cut off a piece of the older root. A 14-inch pot is a suitable size for holding three rhizomes, which will multiply over time. California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida all include climates within zone 9 and they are areas which have warmer winters and hot summers. Botanical Name: Zingiber zerumbet. This in combination with the day length encourages rhizome formation. Place a piece of the ginger root into some organic potting soil. The best time to plant ginger is in spring. When the shoots are thriving, gardeners familiar with growing the roots will dig down and break off a piece for use in the kitchen. Ginger likes warm and humid climate. This plant likes it hot, but not bright, direct sunshine. How to Grow a Ginger Plant: 13 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow Fertilize monthly, starting from the emergence of shoots, or fertilize at each hilling. Select a Healthy Root. Ginger loves a sheltered spot, filtered sunlight, warm weather, humidity, and rich, moist soil. The Ginger plant is adapted to tropical environments of its native forests in Asia. Growing conditions for Ginger. Keep the soil damp until the last one to two months before and during the main harvest, when you must stop watering to create a dry season for your plants. These ginger plants have narrow-bladed leaves and grow up to 4 feet tall by 3 feet wide. Collect your main harvest after the plants’ foliage dies. Good drainage is essential, as ginger requires a very moist soil, but excess moisture may lead to disease. You can also work with roots purchased at your health-food store. Actually, the name comes from Zanzibar, from where ginger was first imported several centuries ago. It follows that sooner or later they will probably be involved in the ancient but popular method of wok cooking known as stir-frying, in which three out of five recipes specifically call for fresh ginger root. Water The Plant. (Squash and pumpkin seeds sprout better when planted in … In the winter, you can allow them to go dormant by reducing the heat and by watering less. Los Angeles County has issued a new COVID-19 pandemic order in a desperate move aimed at slowing an unprecedented surge of coronavirus infections. Start your ginger early in the year by potting it indoors or grow ginger in large pots year-round in areas where the temperatures are inadequate for good rhizome development. Reduce water as this happens, and stop watering entirely once the stems die. There is a world of difference between fresh ginger root and the familiar powdered product. If you live north of zone 9, frost and freezes could compromise any ginger plants in your garden. You can mail-order ginger and turmeric for planting (try Hawaiian Organic Ginger and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds). Retain three to four eyes per piece for best results. There is a wide variety of ginger plants for you to choose from, from edible to ornamental ginger. Ever purchased fresh Ginger or Turmeric from the shops or famers market before? The rhizomes must be lifted for the winter if you grow … Cover with 1 inch of soil. – That’s a Rhizome! Orient your growing tips with the eyes facing upward. This will get the root ready for planting. Space your growing tips 15 inches apart within a row, in rows 15 inches apart. Avoid planting ginger in the same bed with or in rotation with solanaceous crops – including peppers, tomatoes and eggplant – due to the potential for bacterial wilt. Ginger grows in very hot and humid parts of the world. Whether within or outdoors, you can plant ginger in a flowerpot. Remove any rocks in the planting bed and correct for any drainage problems. Planting Ginger and Turmeric. But, if you want to grow and enjoy your own ginger root, you can grow it indoors in a container with very little effort. Each piece should be plump with well-developed growth buds, or eyes. 2. Choose a healthy, plump looking ginger root that is about 4 to 5 inches (10 to … Ginger is a widely used herb harvested from the roots of the plant for not only cooking methods, but also teas and multiple medicinal uses. Bring your ginger indoors when the soil temperature falls below 50 degrees F if you plan to allow your plants to rest rather than harvesting the rhizomes. Harvesting Ginger. Place your growing tips at the bottom of the furrow with the eyes facing upward, and cover the planted sections with 1 inch of soil. If you live in USDA hardiness zones 8 to 11, growing a white ginger plant in your landscape will fill the air with aromatic fragrance and, in bloom, it is stunning. What ginger can't stand is frost, direct sun, strong winds, and soggy, waterlogged soil. Yet gardeners, as a rule, love to cook. Whatever ginger plant you are growing, the care will be the same because all ginger plants are tropical plants. Sun and Soil Requirements. Locate plants where they aren't competing with tree roots. Ginger may take eight months or more to reach harvest time. Harvested roots are preserved in several time-tried ways. … Plants are tender outdoors, even in Southern California. Edible ginger flowers are usually sterile, rarely producing seed. To get a good start, you should always buy healthy roots, probably at the supermarket. You can find a ginger root dealer online, but just as easily you can head to your local grocery store and buy a ginger root right out of the produce section for growing ginger plants. Ginger rhizomes are the part of the plant that we eat and if you are growing ginger as a crop you will need to lift and divide it every year to keep the plants growing at optimum. Most gatherings are banned for three weeks starting Monday. A more sweeping stay-at-home order is likely if L.A. County can’t slow COVID-19 spike. The roots will keep on growing. After the stems die, about 8 months after planting, dig up the whole pant, harvest the bulk of the roots and save a few for replanting. Planting Ginger Root. It's a powerful anti-inflammatory herb and used for a multitude of ailments such as fevers, arthritis, blood pressure and recently has been found to have cancer suppressing/fighting abilities. The best roots (rhizomes) for growing are firm, fleshy and already have green points forming at the end of the 'fingers.'