Grow Your Own Ginger

If you like ginger you really should grow your own.  It couldn’t be easier.  The best time to plant is late winter to early spring.  I planted mine late winter two years ago and harvested my first crop this year.  You can actually start harvesting small amounts from the outer edge after 4 months but I opted not to since I had just gotten some and frozen it for future use.

1. Purchase several small pieces of ginger root from the grocery store unless you know someone that has been growing their own.  Look for chubby pieces with nodules (eyes or growth buds) on them.
2. Soak them overnight if you get them from the grocer.  This helps if they have been treated with a growth retardant.
3. Choose your container if you are not going to plant in the ground.  It must stay above freezing in order to plant in the ground which does not work for me so I chose a long shallow container (approximately 12 x 24 with a depth of about 12 inches) and it has worked perfectly.  I mixed a little sand, some peat moss and potting soil.  Ginger does not like to stay moist.  To do so would cause the root to rot.
4. Plant them about 2 inches deep with the buds pointing up.
5. They don’t really care for direct sunlight and need to be protected from wind.  Mine got about 2 – 3 feet tall and were a pretty addition to my side patio.
6. Now…just wait.  Like I said earlier, you can steal little pieces after about four months BUT the best time is after the leaves have started dying (as in this photo).  This usually take about eight to ten months.

I harvested mine today by tipping the planter over…super simple to do. I then chose several pieces with healthy eyes and replanted them so I will be able to harvest fresh ginger again next year.  Of course, I will have to bring them in to avoid freezing temperatures this winter and set them back outside in the spring.

The next step is to wash them off and let them dry.  I store them by wrapping them individually in saran wrap and putting them in the freezer.  When I need ginger, I just take one out of the freezer and grate or slice off what I need.  That is all there is to it~

Simple and satisfying…another crazy good ‘garden’ creation!