Botanical name of Ginger is Zingiber officinale; it belongs to family Zingiberaceae, the same family of other famous Indian spices Turmeric and cardamom. Ginger is commercially cultivated in India on a large scale; however, a ginger plant growing in your home kitchen garden will always come in handy for your regular supply of fresh aromatic ginger-roots. Ginger can be grown in raised beds or trenches on ground. It is possible to grow Ginger in pots and containers.
The ginger root that we use in our regular kitchen preparations is a modified stem called as the rhizome. Ginger rhizomes are the underground prostrate system of the plant while long aerial shoots and leaves are erect systems.
Indian cuisine is incomplete without ginger. The Ginger-garlic masala paste is freely used as the base of most of the Indian curries and gravies. Lots of hot and sweet food is prepared from the unique spice of ginger. Ginger is a key ingredient of famous Indian ‘Masala Chai’.
Medicinal uses of ginger are well known in traditional Ayurvedic practices, and it is regularly used in Indian household as a remedy for a cough, cold, throat irritation, indigestion and stomach ache. The dry ginger powder is also used for the same.
Steps to grow ginger in pots
* Container for the ginger plant
Ginger rhizomes grow profusely and spread horizontally. The ginger plant should be grown in a minimum 15-inch wide container with variable depth.
*Sunlight requirement for the ginger plant
The ginger plant would prefer open sunny location; however, it can also grow under partial outdoor shade. Place your containers accordingly.
*Soil and fertilizer requirement for ginger
The ginger plant needs loose well-drained soil if it has to develop big sized rhizomes. Add good quality potting mixture with plenty of extra added compost. Ginger loves organic manures like bio-compost or Vermicompost.
How to plant ginger in pots
New Ginger plant is grown by sowing a piece of a Ginger rhizome in container soil. Direct planting of rhizome works when your ginger is fresh. It may take anything between 2 weeks to 4 weeks for ginger sprouts to come out. You can also use the soaking method when dry ginger rhizomes are immersed in a bowl of water for 3 hours before plantation.
* Watering ginger plants
The ginger plant requires adequate watering. The container should be watered in the form of the shower by watering can.
*How long does it take to grow ginger?
It takes 5 to 6 months after implantation before the first harvesting can be done. By the time plants have attained the height of at least 3-4 feet, ginger rhizomes should be ready to harvest.
*How to harvest ginger
Loosen the topsoil and use the shovel to uproot the ginger rhizome. Be careful that you don’t pull the entire plant out. Break the rhizome at one place and ginger should come out fairly quickly. You can keep harvesting a little bit of ginger time to time and let the rest of it grow.
Love the Garden
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