How to Grow Ginger Plant Indoors During the Winter

Mix equal parts sterile peat-based potting mix and compost to create a crumbly, fertile potting mix for the ginger. Do not use topsoil, as it contains microbes and potential diseases. Topsoil also compacts and hardens after a few cycles of watering to drying out.

Fill a container two-thirds full with the enriched potting mix. The container must have at least one drainage hole in the bottom and shouldn't be smaller than a 10-inch-diameter pot or hold less than 3 gallons of soil by volume. A black container is better in winter, as it will absorb more sunlight and keep the soil warmer.

Plant the ginger rhizome horizontally atop the soil, orienting it so the somewhat upward-facing bud-nodes or "eyes" also are facing upward. The rhizome may be planted upside down in regard to the bud-node orientation, it just slows the emergence of the leafy shoots. Backfill potting soil atop the planted rhizome and tamp it down with your hands. Leave a 1/2- to 1-inch rim at the top of the container above the soil line. This rim holds water you apply as it soaks into the soil.

Place the container next to a south-facing window. Although ginger grows in partial shade in the tropics, the winter sun in the United States is low-angled and weak. The more sunlight the ginger receives, the better and faster its growth.

Water the soil to keep it evenly moist, but never soggy. Allow water to fully drain from the container. Until the plant sprouts from the soil, there is increased risk of rot from overly wet soil. The warmer the soil, the better. Soil temperatures in the 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit range is ideal even in the winter.

Apply a water-soluble 10-10-10 fertilizer in tandem with a scheduled watering once a month after the ginger has sprouted from the soil. Follow label directions for dosage of fertilizer. Don't overfertilize, as the salts in the fertilizer can burn the root tissues.