Growing Ginger

Zingiber Officinale : Zingiberaceae / the ginger family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec

Not recommended for growing in USA - Zone 5a regions

  • Plant pieces of fresh root showing signs of shoots. Best planted at soil temperatures between 20°C and 30°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 15 cm apart
  • Harvest in approximately 25 weeks. Reduce water as plant dies back to encourage rhizome growth.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Grow in separate bed

Your comments and tips

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28 Aug 19, Andrew Macdonald (Australia - tropical climate)
I have 2 large 2 metre square sq ginger plants. I want to trim off the dead leaves. can I burn ...set fire to the ginger plant and burn off all dead leaves.
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19 Aug 19, lyric (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
what is the cultivar of the edible ginger. what type of diseases and pest that affect ginger.
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17 Aug 19, Johanita (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
I live near Hartbeespoort, and bought fresh ginger at Jasmyn - I'm going to try if it will grow!
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01 Aug 19, Ian (Canada - Zone 4b Temperate Warm Summer climate)
Have you any advice on soil pH for ginger?
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01 Aug 19, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
A pH of 6.5 should be good for ginger
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22 Jul 19, Stephen (Australia - temperate climate)
I live in the Mildura area, can I grow ginger in a hot house and when would I plant it? Thanks
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25 Jul 19, (Australia - temperate climate)
Think of sub tropical and plant when they plant. You can only try.
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28 Jul 19, Stephen (Australia - temperate climate)
Why didn't I think of that, Thanks
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02 Jul 19, Jane (Canada - Zone 8a Mild Temperate climate)
I have a healthy piece of ginger and I want to plant it. I suspect my question is really stupid but here goes. On one piece I have a healthy green shoot about 2 inches. Do I plant this with the green shoot facing up or down?
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15 Jul 19, Gordon (Canada - Zone 6a Temperate Warm Summer climate)
Hi Jane, For most root tuber, the shoots will be reaching upwards to get above the soil to start gathering light energy while using the stored energy in the root. You probably see that the shoot is green so it already has the chlorophyl ready to start working. After the root tuber starts seeing some sucess from light harvest and finds itself in damp soil-lke conditions it will likely start generating the root hairs and larger branching roots to pull in new moisture and nutrients as the plant grows. So plant the ginger with the shoot facing upwards and it should have less work to reorient itself. Whether your root piece is just a finger shaped log or has multiple branches, just dig a shallow wide hole to lay the root down in. ( Like a hotdog or a cookie laying on a plate.) Not a deep narrow hole. The whole root should only be about 2-4 inches deep. Have fun, Gordon
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Showing 201 - 210 of 489 comments
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You didn't say when you did this, but disturbing the ginger before it died off in winter was your problem. At the moment all its energy is going into maintaining the leaves. I would chop them off or at least by half if some are still good and it will then try to save it's roots and ,maintain the ginger corm. It should then send up new leaves when ready. Keep it moist but not wet so,it doesn't rot. If by winter nothing has happened, dig it up and check the corms are healthy, split if big and replant. Edible ginger is better every two years as bigger corms form, which is when I divide. It freezes in alfoil also. Fresh ginger can be harvested carefully anytime from side.Hope this helps.

- Chris

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