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

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12 Sep 14, Lee (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
Ginger from any grocery store can be used. I believe even old rhizomes are ok as they start to form sprouts as they mature. Try to get from a smaller veggie store as the larger ones put most of their veg in cold storage for awhile
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21 Aug 14, Calvin (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
Can a bag of grass compost mixed with chicken manure be used to plant ginger or is the mixture not compatable?
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04 Aug 14, Hannalie de Bruyn (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I am farming in the Highveld area with cold winters. Where can I buy ginger plants or seedlings in Gauteng area. Is it better to put up a tunnel for growing ginger in our area? Hannalie
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19 Feb 15, Jacques Jacobs (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
Good day Hannalie. It is always better to grow in a tunnel. "Tip" to heat the tunnel up in winter: build your compost pile inside the tunnel. The heat from the compost pile can increase the temperature of your tunnel with up to 10*C.
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30 Jul 14, John Smith (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
How many edible variiety of ginger is available in S.A and where to find them .I live in cape town I am also interested in tumeric tubers. Please advise Best regards JRM Smith's
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19 Mar 15, Helen Swan (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
I can get you turmeric
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28 Nov 16, marry (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Hi Helen Swan, I'm also looking for turmeric can you also help me please.
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22 Nov 18, Rudolph Snyman (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I have lots of tumeric plants I am from Kroonstad in the Freestate if you are interrested
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16 Feb 15, michael basson (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
Hi John I use quite a bit of ginger and am interested in growing it. Where you successful growing ginger in Cape town? We live in Darling and our climate should be the same Michael
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12 Jul 14, slabbie (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
Where can I buy ginger plants or seedlings in Gauteng area. I`m farming on Moloto north east of Pretoria in the Rust Der Winter area which is very hot and i`ve got more tha enough water. Thanx Slabbie
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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

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