Growing Root Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
Ginger can be grown in the home garden given a warm climate or a hothouse situation. In cooler climates ginger can be grown in pots or containers and kept indoors during cooler periods to extend the growing season. Remember that ginger plants will get to 3ft tall so a reasonable size container will be required. Ginger can be grown from pieces of ginger purchased for cooking, the piece will need to have 'eyes' which are the growing points. Ginger is usually planted in spring and harvested in the fall.
Growing ginger as a culinary plant is not difficult given the right growing conditions.
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.
Growing conditions for Ginger. Zingiber officinale
Remember that ginger is a tropical plant, it requires a warm climate, humus rich moist soil and filtered light.
Ginger does not like, frost, wet or boggy soils, windy position (it tends to fall over) and hot direct sun should be avoided.
Ginger can be grown from rhizomes planted in early spring or late winter in warmer areas. Look for 'eyes' or signs of new growth. Ginger can be grown in a pot or container in cooler areas, start it off in a hot house.
Ginger is usually harvested as soon as the leaves die back in late autumn.
Where to get ginger to plant.
You can buy root ginger online, or you can go to your local organic vegetable supplier in spring and look for a nice looking piece of ginger that is showing some bud pushing up on the ends of the rhizome.
How to Plant Ginger
You need a garden bed or a pot with humus rich moist but well drained soil in a part shaded position. Plant the ginger rhizomes bout 5 inches deep and about 8 inches apart.
Ginger will grow to around 3ft tall and be ready for harvesting in 8 -12 months.
Remember to fertilize with something like a seaweed fertilizer or a vermicaste 'tea' solution or better still a mixture of both.
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