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 68°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 6 inches 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

09 Aug 15, Jess (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
My mum successfully grows it at Tweed
18 Jul 15, Asa-Marie (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi Daniel, yes we have up in Lillian Rock, it grows very well here. Good luck!
25 Jun 15, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I grow it in the Bellinger Valley, south of Coffs Harbour and near the coast, Daniel, it should be fine where you are.
03 Jun 15, Dolf weyers (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
Where can I buy ginger seeds
07 Jul 15, hennie Mulder (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Ginger are grown from the root you can buy at any green grocer just check that it has at least one bud at the tip if more than one bud is present them the root can be separated
21 May 15, kathy Lawrence (Australia - tropical climate)
We have just moved to Tully North Queensland and was thinking of putting in some Ginger on our acreage , would you think it could be too wet up here, and where could we purchase some
31 May 15, Joanne (Australia - tropical climate)
I'm in cairns and it grows pretty good here, as long as it has good drainage. I keep mine in a pot, and they say it doesn't like full sun but mine grows well in it. You should be able to grow it from a piece you buy at the supermarket:)
11 May 15, Karen van der Walt (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
I am also in Gauteng. Will it grow outside seeing that we get frost in the winter?
07 May 15, annette gideoni (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
what is the best way to store ginger for the next season
08 May 15, Kathy (Australia - arid climate)
Bury it and keep it in a small pot of dry or very slightly damp soil for everyday use. Always keeps fresh , never any waste and always a supply . A young Taiwanese couple showed us.
Showing 411 - 420 of 489 comments

Hi Sara, You can! I grew it for a couple of years in a pot when I lived in Panania (low-on-space-rental) and also the last few years in the Hawkesbury. It grows well in Sydney, we got a bumper crop from just 3 store bought pieces, harvested a year later. We would have gotten even more kgs if I have know it doesn't like direct sun, ours was a little sunburnt. We ended up making about 100 bottles of ginger beer and sharing them around :-) I'm going to plant again this weekend, close to a nice warm fence but out of direct sun. I'm also going to experiment with water loving herbs as a ground cover. I hope this will increase humidity and allow me a second crop for the space. Since ginger is upright, I can plant a companion ground-cover. Maybe strawberries or tarragon? Something that can handle lots of water. Cheers and happy gardening, Michelle

- Michelle

Please provide your email address if you are hoping for a reply


All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting will not appear immediately

Gardenate App

Put Gardenate in your pocket. Get our app for iPhone, iPad or Android to add your own plants and record your plantings and harvests

Planting Reminders

Join 60,000+ gardeners who already use Gardenate and subscribe to the free Gardenate planting reminders email newsletter.


Home | Vegetables and herbs to plant | Climate zones | About Gardenate | Contact us | Privacy Policy

This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
We cannot help if you are overrun by giant slugs.