Today ginger root can be purchased without problems. And how to grow ginger from the root at home? Is it possible to grow ginger from the root of a store bought? Has this question ever occurred to you? It turns out you can. You can on the windowsill, but you can in the garden.
Due to its medicinal properties and fat-burning effect, this useful spicy tuber has become incredibly popular, by the way, quite deservedly.
At home, ginger is planted in winter or early spring. Planting soil should be soft and loose so that the sprouts unhindered their way through it. At the initial stage of cultivation, you can feed the soil with potash fertilizers.
The pot should have a wide bottom, because the tuber grows predominantly in breadth. At the bottom of the tank you need to pour expanded clay drainage (4-5 cm), and then the soil. You can pre-purchase special soil for growing vegetables or in equal proportions mix the earth, turf, leafy humus and sand.
How to plant ginger root?
First you need to choose a quality planting material - a smooth and healthy, not over-dried root. Since ginger propagates by dividing the tuber, the planting root must have many shoot buds (“eyes”) on its surface. These sprouts are somewhat reminiscent of potato “eyes” and perform a similar function.
Choose plump roots for planting, without wrinkles, with a few “fingers”, with visible eyes at the end of the “fingers”. It would be ideal for these eyes to turn green, but, in general, this is not necessary.
Before you buy a root for planting, make sure that he has not been in the freezer.
In order for the kidneys to “wake up” and become active, you can soak the root in warm water for 3-4 hours, and then cut (cut by jumpers) into separate fragments. Some gardeners recommend soaking tubers in a not very strong solution of potassium permanganate. The cut area can be sprinkled with powdered charcoal (activated pharmacy or ash).
As mentioned above, ginger root is planted in early spring.
Ginger prefers partial shade or patches in which the sun is from morning to noon. The landing site should be protected from the wind, the soil moist and warm - somewhere from 22 ° to 25 ° C.
In the tropics in their homeland, ginger grows in complete shade, but, for example, in the middle band, a shady place may be too cold for him.
Ginger grows slowly, especially outside the tropics. If you're lucky, then the sprout may appear in a few days. But usually at least two weeks pass.
For full maturity, 8-10 months should pass, so by the onset of winter you can already reap the fruits of your own harvest.
In natural conditions, it is a perennial plant, but in the domesticated version it will be annual.
Ginger root should be deepened by about 3 cm, while the sprouts (eyes) should look up. After planting, sprinkle the tubers with earth and pour water. The pot itself should be placed where it will be cool (no more than + 15 ° C), dry and without direct sunlight.
The first shoots usually appear after 12-14 days, until this time it is not necessary to fill the soil too actively with water (so that the roots do not rot) - it should be slightly moist.
How to grow ginger from the root - care
Ginger root care during cultivation is regular, but moderate watering. Do not allow the soil to dry out, as well as too abundant moisture. During the growing season, the plant can be fertilized with mullein diluted in water (1 to 10), about 1 time in 3 weeks. After each watering, it is recommended to loosen the upper layer of soil, and if you irrigate the stem from the sprayer daily, ginger will say “thank you”.
Around the end of September, when the stems and leaves of the plant begin to turn yellow, dry out, the frequency of watering should be minimized, and irrigation should be stopped altogether.
By the time the ground part is completely dry, you can dig up the tubers. After extracting from the ground, ginger is cleaned of soil residues, subordinate roots are removed, dried in an open sunny place for several days.
If you have the opportunity to take out pots on the street (cottage, courtyard of a private house), then the shaded area, for example, the shadow of a tree or a spreading bush, will be the best place for the plant. Ginger is a photophilous plant, but at the same time, direct rays of the sun are destructive for it.
When growing ginger in the manner described above, you will not see it blooming. It blooms in the second year, if at least part of the root was left in the ground for the winter. It is unlikely that he will survive in the middle latitudes. I think that only residents of the southern regions, for example, the Black Sea coast, can see ginger blossoming. But even they should cover the roots left for the winter with mulch.
Below you can watch a video from a photo of flowering ginger.
Growing this crop will not bring you any particular difficulties. Like any plant, ginger needs care and attention. Therefore, any gardener, both beginner and experienced, can grow ginger from the root. If you love this spicy and healing tuber, then do not miss this opportunity.