when should i plant ginger?

Discussion in 'Annuals, Biennials, Perennials, Ferns and Bulbs' started by leaf kotasek, Nov 13, 2009.

  1. leaf kotasek

    leaf kotasek Active Member

    Messages:
    113
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    bc, canada
    i'm planning to grow ginger this year and i'm pretty stoked about it. i've heard that you can just plant ginger from the grocery store. what time of year would be best? all tips are welcome!
     
  2. seachange

    seachange Member

    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Annapolis Valley Canada
    I would wait until it's warmer and the days are longer. I am growing it for the first time this year. It apparently takes a year before you are harvesting more ginger. I took a chunk of ginger from my kitchen that seemed to be forming a little green node and plunked it into some soil/peat/manure in a large container in my greenhouse this summer. It loved it and grew into a plant with many leaves. Now that the days are shorter and I have moved it into the house for the winter, it seems to be struggling a little. I'll move it back out to the greenhouse for the spring and then dig a big hole and transplant the whole thing into a raised bed to finish over the summer.

    of course, I'm no pro at ginger obviously - just thoughts and notes. Also, I don't think it freezes where you are, so you may have a little more flexibility with where/when you can plant it.
     
  3. thanrose

    thanrose Active Member 10 Years

    Messages:
    800
    Likes Received:
    55
    Location:
    Jacksonville, FL USA USDA Zone 9
    My Zingiber officinale grown from a store bought hand (five years ago) of ginger has started to go dormant here in the subtropics, early November. I expect this every year around this time. The leaves will yellow from the bottom up, the stalk will wither and pull away from the rhizome very easily in a few weeks. I leave mine in the pot... Unless I'm harvesting new ginger.

    In the spring, this is my last root crop to sprout, and my last ginger of any type. I think about April-May for me, so it's already pretty warm.

    When you choose a piece to plant, you don't want to plant all of the entire hand, just a knuckle or so to carry the metaphor. One little oval bit the size of your big toe more or less. Snap or cut it off, let it air dry for a day or three, plant it in rich well drained soil, water it well, keep it warm. Plant several chunks if you want.

    What I have in the planter now are only a couple of fingers, pale yellow with some pink and some green, but not the papery beige of the store sized rhizome.

    It is nowhere near the most beautiful of gingers, but is satisfying to grow.
     
  4. leaf kotasek

    leaf kotasek Active Member

    Messages:
    113
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    bc, canada
    i'm really looking forward to trying some ginger! some zingiber officinale and maybe some other interesting gingers if i can find out where to get some. can't wait! and thanks for the advice.
     
  5. 1950Greg

    1950Greg Active Member

    Messages:
    315
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Langley, B.C. Stones throw from old HBC farm.
    There is a good little artical in the fall edition of Garden Wise magazine on growing ginger. Ginger needs full sun and a light soil mixture with good drainage.
     

Share This Page