We tried putting some ginger root in the ground to see if it would do anything and its now got a sprout. Are we hoping against all odds that ginger can be grown here in Abbotsford, BC? Would love to have a harvest of really fresh ginger root for making Asian meals. Does anyone have any words of wisdom?
Howdy Gmichael, Don't know a thing about the growing season in your part of the world except that it's superior to mine in Alberta. I did grow ginger once in the greenhouse. The crop grew and produce well. I also had experiences growing them in old country, Malaysia. Based on these two experiences, I think you can pull off a fairly good crop under plastic tunnels or cold frame. If you think you can get about 4 months of sunny days, the tunnel or cold frame should raise the temperature high enough to get a decent crop. Peace Thean
I don't really think it would do all that well here in the PNW, grown outside. I am interested in trying it in pots. What sort of potting medium did you use? What kind of temperatures were in your greenhouse?
I successfully plant here in the subtropics, but I look out for the ones at the supermarket that are starting to sprout already. I have galangal growing but I have to wait for 2 yrs to harvest. Ed
It is very easy to grow in Southern California. 2 years ago I plopped a store bought piece in a large, but not very deep pot. Just barely covered it with dirt. I have had way too much for my needs ever since.
Wow, thanks for all the notes. It's a big experiment I guess. I will post the results at the end of summer, such as it is this year. The rain yesterday (and tomorrow apparently) has me concentrating on keeping the tomatoes dry for now.
So how did the ginger turn out? I'm thinking about growing some ginger here - or trying to, at least.
We were able to get 2 plants started from shoots off of grocery store ginger roots. They survived all sumer, though it was wet last year. The roots failed to develop any new tissue and once the cold hit, they did not live. There might be some varieties out there that will grow here, but the not the kind we planted.
Thanks for the update, gmichael. Today I came across the fall issue of Gardenwise Magazine, which includes an article on growing ginger. The central suggestion is to grow zingiber officinale in containers, which can be outside in full sun when there's no chance of frost, and inside during cooler months. Hmmm. The article includes tips on soil, pot size, and harvesting/processing. It's an excerpt from Laura Peters' book Herb Gardening for Canada. Our library system has the book, so I'll take a look at that and see if there's any further information.