How to Grow Ginger
Ginger is a popular American food however it is definitely the most used in the Asian cuisine. Ginger not only gives the food that zingy taste but it is also has a lot of health benefits. For growing ginger you can definitely use some space indoors and use a container to plant the ginger. Ginger is a tropical plant and it can adapt easily for indoor planting.
Here are the things that you need to know for growing ginger in your kitchen or garden
Selecting the right ginger type
Go to your local grocery store and buy the ginger root. This root is typically what you will need for growing the ginger at home.
Use the basic ginger root also known as Zingiber officinale. This is the one which we typically use to make cookies, ginger ales and for use in breads. You can also make crystallized ginger out this ginger and store it for later use.
Do not buy any dry or damaged pieces. Typically you should always use the pieces that have growing buds. The tuber to use should be the one that looks healthy and plump.
Select the right place to plant
If you are living in zone10 then you can think of growing ginger indoors, your best bet to grow ginger indoors in a container.
The size of the container should be double or three times the size of the tuber. This will give enough room for the root to grow.
If you are growing the ginger outdoors then go for the spot which has light shade and has well-drained soil. Avoid any areas where there is the possibility of high winds.
For soil you can use either the commercially available potting soil or you can use regular compost and soil mixture.
Tips for planting
The container with the tuber should be placed outdoors only if the temperature exceeds 75 degrees.
Always soak the tuber overnight before planting.
The ginger should be placed in the container with the fingers or the buds facing upwards.
Do not water heavily till the plant is established well enough.
Once these basic activities are done, you will need little additional maintenance for the ginger plant.
Tips for maintenance
Always allow for the shade when the ginger plant is young.
At the base of the plant you will see new tubers coming up and these are the ones that you will need to harvest.
The ginger plant takes about 10 months to mature and it will reach a height of 2 -4”.
Ginger roots generally reach the optimum flavors by the end of 265 days. You need to wait for that time for the best of the ginger root to be available to you. For getting the root out you will need a garden trowel and small scissors. It is advisable to prune the ginger plant from time to time.
When the ginger plant is young it needs to be in the shade. Also as I suggested earlier any time the temperature dips below 75 degrees these will need to be brought indoors.
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