Gauti's Balcony Blooms: Growing Ginger With Patience

So from my first experience unlike Garlic,Ginger is a super easy plant to grow in pots even if you are a beginner without any knowledge.

You just need to keep in mind few basics about Ginger.

The part of the ginger plant which you eat is called rhizome and its a tropical plant.

Ginger can be grown in india around march and would be ready for harvest around December.

Let’s now see what Ginger plant Loves and Hates.

Ginger plant loves,

1..Sheltered spot

2..Filtered sunlight

3..Warm/humid weather

4..Rich & moist soil.

Ginger plant hates.

1..Direct sun

2..Frost

3..Strong winds

4..Soggy, waterlogged soil

So to start just buy a few ginger rhizomes from nearby store.Make sure they are fresh and plump in size so that it will increase your chances of good & healthy harvest.

Most important steps.

1.Wash the ginger rhizomes very well so as to remove any chemicals or pesticides from the rhizome.

2.Cut the washed ginger rhizome into small pieces.Each piece can be planted in separate pots and each tiny piece will grow into a big rhizome.

3.Now keep this cut pieces in a dry area for 2-3 days to allow it to heal properly.After 2-3 days the cut surface/area will dry out and form a protective callus which prevents it from any infection or fungus when planted in soil.

Soil for ginger should be very porus and well draining.Hence take 50:50 mixture of regular garden soil + sand.The soil should not be loamy.

Ginger generally grows horizontally under the soil.So take a much wider pot rather than a deep one.A 12” or even a 8” pot will do.

Now bury these pieces about 2-3 inches deep in soil.

Bury only a single rhizome in each pot to prevent it from getting over crowded.

Water it well and place in a shaded but bright spot.

Just remember to water it daily.

Initally it requires well watering.

Ginger will take a long time to show initial Green shoots.So be patient.

Once the ginger plant gets going it will mostly take care of itself.

Once it reaches a height of about 2-3 feet(its max height)slow down on watering.

Water only when soil feels very dry.

Regarding fertilizer ,You can just add regular compost or cow manure every month.

Ginger plant takes almost 8-9 months to reach harvest stage.

When climate turns cold around winter the plant will start to die and all its foilage will dry out.

That's when u remove the entire plant and harvest rhizomes.

You can also dig the soil from sides carefully without damaging the roots and harvest few rhizomes after about 4 months.Then leave the plant to grow further.But its flavor will be very mild.

Wait till the plant dies completely to get a strong flavor.

A few snaps of my ginger plant and harvest.