Raising Ginger

Site Selection

• Ginger requires well-drained soil and partial shade to produce healthy growth. Beds with bright but indirect all-day sunlight or areas with morning sun and afternoon shade work well. You can grow it in a garden bed amended with a 2-inch layer of compost dug into the top 8 inches of soil, or in a pot that is overwintered indoors in cold winter areas. Pots must contain a drainage hole in the bottom so that excess moisture can drain freely. Any well-draining potting soil works well for growing ginger roots.

Planting

• The tuberous roots, or rhizomes, of ginger sprout quickly when sown in the garden in spring. Each root section must contain a growing node; the nodes are raised bumps along the top of the root. You can cut large roots into 2-inch-long sections as long as each section contains a node. Allow cut sections to dry for one to two days before planting, to minimize rot concerns. The top of the rhizome must sit just beneath the soil surface after planting. Space the rhizomes 12 inches apart in a garden bed, or plant one rhizome in a 12-inch-diameter pot.

Basic Needs

• The ginger rhizomes require only minimal watering so that the soil remains slightly dampened, until they send up active new growth. Once foliage appears, ginger needs 2 to 3 inches of water weekly. The top 6 to 8 inches of soil must remain moist at all times. A 2-inch layer of mulch helps conserve soil moisture. Ginger also benefits from monthly fertilization with a soluble fertilizer during the summer growing season. One tablespoon of 24-8-16 fertilizer dissolved in 1 gallon of water provides enough fertilizer solution for 10 square feet of the ginger bed. Ginger suffers from few problems if grown in well-drained soil.

Fall Care

• Ginger foliage usually dies back in late fall or early winter. You can cut back the leaves to the ground at this time. Potted plants should be brought indoors before temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. If you harvest the roots, dig carefully around the plant after the foliage dies, digging about 8 inches from the base of the ginger. Remove the roots from the outside of the root system, and leave the remaining rhizomes in place to grow next year. Replenishing the mulch layer over the outdoor-planted ginger provides some insulation from winter chill and prevents weeds from invading the garden bed.