Ginger is a delicious spice and easy to grow at home. However, it is easy to grow ginger all year round with tropical and subtropical gardens. Temperate gardens will be able to grow ginger during the warmer months or unless grown in a greenhouse or a similarly warm place to keep the plant growing healthy. So how to grow ginger effectively and what are the things to pay attention to when growing ginger, follow the article below with Coco Coir Global to know more about this useful plant.

Contents

What do you know about ginger?

The origin of ginger

Ginger is native to Asia, they were used to make spices since at least 4,400 years ago. Here, we can easily see ginger trees anywhere, even in the back garden. They were later introduced to European countries and became a spice if you wanted to add a little Asian flavor to your dishes.

Ginger: A superfood with many uses

Today, it can be assumed that ginger is a superfood due to the nutritional properties and benefits they bring.

Nutritional Benefits

In ginger, there is a high content of vitamin C, which allows tissues in the body to grow healthy, strengthen the immune system and prevent the formation of free radicals. It is also rich in vitamin B9 or folic acid, and minerals such as magnesium and potassium.

In addition, they contain many other vitamins and minerals such as vitamin E, other vitamins of group B (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6), calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, phosphorus, and sodium. It also contains essential oils, such as gingerol, which have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.

The powerful properties of ginger

Scientifically named Zingiber officinale Roscoe, ginger is a tuber with a thick stem, which can reach up to 3 feet in height. It is very similar to turmeric and is characterized by being very fragrant, bitter, spicy, and light yellow inside.

Ginger has been considered a medicinal plant in traditional medicine for centuries. And this is also recognized by many scientific research organizations because they bring many benefits to our health.

Besides, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized the effectiveness of ginger in digestive problems, as it supports the assimilation of fatty foods. They are also used in cases of relief of nausea and dizziness such as “motion sickness” symptoms, for example.

Another characteristic of this superfood is its anti-inflammatory ability. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have demonstrated ginger’s effectiveness in reducing muscle pain and inflammation.

One great thing ginger can apply to your daily life is that it is very effective in combating sore throats and other cold symptoms, such as nasal congestion and elevated body temperature. A cup of hot ginger tea with a little lemon and honey will help you feel much better than cold symptoms.

There are also many other uses and benefits of ginger, if you want to learn more about this plant, you can refer to more information here

Growing conditions: Things ginger likes and dislikes

Ginger prefers places with warm weather (thrives in the tropics and subtropics), sheltered places, moderate wet and shaded conditions, and moist, fertile soil.

What ginger cannot stand is frost, direct sunlight, strong winds, and soggy, waterlogged soil. So, in temperate gardens, it’s great to grow ginger in warm climates, but if the climate doesn’t allow it, greenhouses or indoor plants are great solutions if you want to grow ginger.

8 useful tips when starting to grow ginger

Grow ginger in moderately shaded places, moist soil
Choose to buy large and healthy ginger roots at nurseries or from ginger farmers.
There are 2 common ways of growing ginger, you can grow it directly in the garden or in a pot with soil or a sustainable growing medium to replace the soil.
If you are a temperate gardener, having a greenhouse is a great thing, but if not, you should grow ginger in pots so that you can easily move into the house on cold days.
If you grow ginger in the tropics, dig and harvest the roots when the leaves are yellow and the stems begin to fall. In colder regions, you should harvest all the ginger before the first freeze.
Digging roots and replanting will increase the harvest even more.
Mulch is good and necessary to retain soil moisture.
Stop watering when dead green stems are detected, and let the soil dry before harvesting.

How to grow ginger at home effectively

Need to prepare

To grow ginger at home, choose and buy ginger with fresh, plump rhizomes at a nursery, store, or ginger farmer. Double-check the root, and pay attention to choosing ginger root with ‘eyes’, which are growing ginger stems.
Choosing a filtered sunlight area, away from direct sunlight in your garden, being able to plant them under the shade of a tree or under a shading cloth or growing ginger in a greenhouse in temperate zones is ideal.
If you want the ease of movement, prepare pots for growing ginger.
Enrich the soil with organic matter before planting by mixing it with fertilizer or potting soil, potting mix if you grow in a pot.
Whether grown in a garden or in a pot, the soil should be moist and well-drained. Soggy soil will easily cause rhizomes to rot. You can choose coco coir growing medium to grow ginger as an alternative to soil because they have very good drainage and aeration, and help moisturize the roots effectively.

You can learn more about the outstanding benefits of coco coir for growing plants here

How to grow ginger in the garden

Step 1

Choose a sheltered or moderately shaded place in your garden with well-drained soil or planting substrates.

Step 2

Cut the ginger rhizome into small pieces about 3cm long, ensuring that each piece has a growing point or “eye”.

Step 3

Leave the cut pieces exposed to air for several days to dry before planting.

Step 4

Plant pieces 5 to 10 centimeters deep, each rhizome about 20 centimeters apart to leave room for them to spread. Water lightly and check daily to make sure the soil is not dry or soggy.

Step 5

Lightly mulch the mulching after they’ve sprouted to retain moisture.

Step 6

Care and harvesting

How to grow ginger in a pot

Step 1

Choose pots that are at least 300mm wide and deep and placed them in a cool place. Start planting rhizomes in pots filled with potting mix, soil, or coir growing medium for plants.

Step 2

You can put a whole piece of ginger in a pot or cut it into several pieces and make sure each cut has at least one ‘eye’ to grow buds. Each cut is at least 3cm wide.

Step 3

If cutting ginger, let the cut pieces exposed to air for a few days to dry before planting.

Step 4

Growing ginger one piece per pot, a depth of 10-15cm is suitable. Ginger’s eyes pointed upwards. Water lightly and check daily to make sure the soil is not dry or wet.

Step 5

After germination, you can mix more compost into the soil or substrate for better plant growth.

Step 6

Harvest

How to harvest ginger

There are two ways to harvest ginger

A common way: is just to dig it up. Rinse the soil, and dirt with cold water and continue using. With this method of harvesting, you need to plant many plants, and for the next crop you will start over with a new rhizome.
Keep part of the live rhizome: Lightly break the outer rhizome with your hands and leave the rest for them to continue growing.

Things to pay attention to when growing ginger

How much water does ginger need?

Ginger needs a lot of moisture to grow well. Therefore, it is necessary to keep the soil from drying out. However, do not water too much as this will cause the plant to become waterlogged as well as when the water comes out it will wash away nutrients.

Regular misting can help with ginger growing if you have dry air problems. This often happens to people trying to grow ginger outside of its growing conditions or indoors. A wet, sheltered place and a warm climate will provide enough moisture for the plant.

If you are growing ginger in the ground, cover it with mulch to maintain a steady moisture level for the plant, provide nutrients for the ginger when the mulch is broken, as well as keep pests out and prevent weeds.

What to do when the weather gets colder?

If you’ve grown ginger in a Greenhouse or Poly-house, that’s great because they’ve protected your ginger plants to grow well. If not, plant ginger in a pot so you can easily move it to a new and warmer location.

Soil type is important

Whether growing ginger in a garden or in a pot, the most suitable soil is one that is wet, rich in humus, and can absorb water well while also draining well so as not to get soggy.

With the above characteristics, you can use coir substrates as an alternative to soil, as they have all the characteristics of the soil that ginger needs.

How to care for ginger seedlings

Caring for ginger is surprisingly easy when there are suitable growing conditions. You only need to feed your plants annually with fertilizer – ideally, the one fortified with organic matter or planted with a sustainable organic substrate, which doesn’t make you take too much care as they have a good ability to absorb nutrients.

Mulch your plants with good compost or mulch to keep your plants well covered to avoid drying out in hot weather and avoid pests and weed attacks.

Have fun gardening and have a successful crop!