You can plant ginger in a warm and bright place in early spring. We explain how to do it and what you should pay attention to when caring for your ginger plants.
Spring, when the sun shines brighter again, is the ideal time to plant ginger. If you have a place next to a bright and warm window without direct sun, you can even grow it in winter.
PLANTING GINGER IN THE GARDEN OR ON THE BALCONY?
As ginger is native to the tropics, it needs a stable climate with high humidity. The ambient temperature of interiors is ideal for plants, which is why ginger thrives best indoors or in the greenhouse.
In the summer months, when temperatures exceed 20 ºC even at night, you can place ginger perfectly on the balcony or terrace. WHAT GINGER TO PLANT
To grow your own ginger, you need to buy organic ginger. Look for fresh and firm rhizomes. If you grow fresh ginger without treating, it will work much better.
The rhizome of ginger may have small green “eyes” or shoots, which are the beginning of a new plant.
PLANTING GINGER, STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- Soak a fresh rhizome with well-developed “eyes” in warm water overnight.
- The next day, cut the rhizome into pieces with three to four knots each.
- Fill two-thirds of one or more medium pots with nutrient-rich soil.
- Coloca the pieces of ginger in the ground with the side cut down.
- Cover the rhizomes with a layer of soil or humus about 3.5 cm thick.
- Wet the soil daily with sprayer.
- You can also cover the pots with cling film to ensure optimal moisture.
- After two to four weeks, the first shoots should be visible.
HOW TO CARE FOR GINGER PLANTS
THE RIGHT HUMIDITY
Always keep the soil of the pots slightly moist, but you should definitely avoid waterlogging, otherwise the roots could rot.
Be sure to water ginger plants with limeless water. You can filter tap water or use rainwater. While the plant has not developed, water use a spray bottle and occasionally spray the leaves. When the seedlings are a little larger, you will be able to water the plants normally.
IDEAL LOCATION
Plants like heat: they grow best at about 24 ºC. That is why ginger thrives best on the windowsill.
When the first shoots can be seen, you can place the ginger plants in a slightly sunny or partially shaded place.
Ginger can exceed one meter in height. In order for the roots to have enough room to thrive, you need to transplant them into a larger pot after about two to three months. With the additional fresh soil, the plants also receive new nutrients.
When spring is over and temperatures are high enough towards the end of May, you can leave ginger plants indoors or place them in a warm, sheltered, slightly sunny or partially shaded place in the garden or on the balcony. Towards the end of summer, when the leaves turn yellow, consider keeping the plants a little drier.
APPEARANCE AND FLOWERING OF THE GINGER PLANT
The plant forms long, sessile leaves (without petiole) on a single thick stem. This gives it a cane-like appearance. The flowers sprout as stem cones and reach a length of up to 25 cm. The flowers range from red to violet and exude a sweet and pleasant aroma.
WHEN AND HOW TO HARVEST GINGER?
The first green rhizomes of home cultivation can be harvested after about eight to ten months. The harvest usually occurs in late summer.
At the latest, when the leaves have died in autumn it is time to harvest the rhizomes, as they will have developed their characteristic spicy flavor.
To harvest it, you can cut the dried stems and dig up the rhizomes. It is also possible to cut only a piece of the rhizome if you want to continue growing the plant.
STORE RHIZOMES CORRECTLY
You should store the harvested rhizomes in a cool, dry place. A good place is the vegetable compartment or the fridge door.
GINGER PLANTS “HIBERNATE”
Ginger enters a resting phase during the winter, but does not hibernate itself. In areas where minimum temperatures do not fall below 10°C, ginger remains dormant during the winter months. During this resting phase, the plant can lose its leaves and go dormant.
If you want the ginger plant to overwinter, you can simply leave it in the pot as it is. Place it in a cool and dark place, with temperatures of around 10 ºC. During this time, you should not water the plant, as it is in hibernation. In spring, when the vegetation phase begins again, you can transplant the plants and water them again.