Ginger takes 10 months to mature and it doesn’t take frost. If you live in a place where it gets chilly in the winter, you’d be better off growing ginger in a pot indoors and bringing it outside in the summertime.
Ginger is one of those miraculous plants that grow well in partial to full shade. That makes it ideal for growing in your home, where most people don’t have full sun pouring on their windows all day long.
It is good because little bits of the ginger root can be removed while it continues to grow which can be used for herbal remedies, brewing tea or for cooking.
How to plant ginger?
You can plant ginger indoors by purchasing it from a seed catalog or garden center. If you can get ginger seed that was meant to be planted, you’ll be even luckier. Still, you should know that ginger can be hard to find.
You can use ginger purchased from the produce department of your local grocery store to grow a plant, but without any great results. Grocery store ginger is often sprayed with a growth inhibitor to keep it from sprouting before it’s purchased. That inhibitor also keeps it from sprouting when you stick it in a pot of soil.
Grocery store ginger also could be coated in fungicides and pesticides. There’s grocery store ginger growing just fine, and there’s also a type of ginger sitting in a pot forever and never budging. Soak it in water overnight if you do purchase your ginger from the grocery store, to remove as much growth inhibitor as you can.
Here, we’re offering you some helpful tips for growing ginger indoors:
Make sure the root you choose to plant isn’t old and shriveled, but plump with tight skin. It should have several eye buds on it (bumps that look like potato eyes) and even better, if they’re already a little green.
If your root has produced several eye buds, they can be cut and each bud can be placed in a separate pot to produce several plants.
Be sure to pick the perfect pot!
Ginger likes shallow, wide pots, unlike most other houseplants. The roots grow horizontally so be sure the pot you choose will accommodate its growth.
How to grow ginger indoors, step by step:
First, soak the ginger root overnight in warm water to get it ready for planting.
Fill your pot with well-draining but very rich potting soil.
With the eye bud pointing up stick the ginger root in the soil and cover it with 1 – 2 inches of soil. Water it well.
Put the ginger in a place that stays reasonably warm and doesn’t get a lot of bright sunlight.
Keep the soil moist or water it lightly using a spray bottle.
Ginger grows slowly. After several weeks, you should see some shoots popping up out of the soil. Keep the plant warm and continue to water the plant regularly by misting it with a spray bottle.
Harvesting ginger:
Fill your pot with well-draining but very rich potting soil.
With the eye bud pointing up stick the ginger root in the soil and cover it with 1 – 2 inches of soil. Water it well.
Put the ginger in a place that stays reasonably warm and doesn’t get a lot of bright sunlight.
Keep the soil moist or water it lightly using a spray bottle.
Ginger grows slowly. After several weeks, you should see some shoots popping up out of the soil. Keep the plant warm and continue to water the plant regularly by misting it with a spray bottle.
Harvesting ginger:
You can harvest small pieces of ginger 3 – 4 months after the growth begins can be harvested. Move aside some of the soil to the edges of the pot and you should be able to find some rhizomes beneath the surface. Cut the needed amount off a finger at the edge of the pot and then return the soil to its place.
Your ginger will continue to produce roots, and as long as it is well cared for, you can harvest it in this way endlessly. You can also uproot the entire plant and re – plant a few rhizomes to start the process over again, if you need a larger harvest. With the help of these tips, you’ll grow ginger indoors easily!
