Ginger is a popular seasoning in dishes and is also widely used to make tea. By planting a piece of the rhizome, you can grow your own ginger plant. Not only convenient to use, but also very fun to do.
Selecting a rhizome
To grow a ginger plant, you need a piece of the rhizome. These pieces can be purchased at the supermarket. Make sure that the piece of root looks nice and that it contains ‘fingers’ with ‘eyes’, small nodules on the root. It is from these nodules that growth originates. A large rhizome can be cut into pieces and grown separately or used in cooking. As long as the pieces you plant contain a finger with growth buds. Sometimes rhizomes are treated with a growth inhibitor, so an organic piece has the best chance of success.
Growing conditions
Ginger is a tropical plant and needs heat to grow. During warm summer months, the plant can be left outside, but generally conditions are more stable inside the house. Place the rhizome in water for several hours to soak and then plant it shallowly in potting soil with the eyes facing up. With a thin layer of soil on top, leaving just a little of the rhizome visible. The plant needs about 20 cm space to grow and its rhizome grows horizontally, so a wide, shallow pot with holes in the bottom is most suitable. Place it on a saucer or in an ornamental pot for easy watering. Moisten the soil well and keep it moist for the time after, without soaking the soil with water. Once leaves appear (this process can take several weeks), you can start watering a little less, but make sure the soil does not dry out. Once the growth is well established, give some extra plant food once a month.
Pre-germinate
A second method which can be applied is to let the rhizome germinate first. To do this, place it in a dish in a shallow layer of water and keep adding to it regularly. Place the dish in a warm place and wait until the nodules turn green. Not long after, the first shoots will appear and the rhizome can be potted as described above.
Harvesting Ginger
After about 9 months the green shoots will die and the larger root stock can be harvested. By cutting off another piece with eyes you can repeat the process again.