Turmeric’s health benefits are numerous and well known. It even has an anti-inflammatory effect that far exceeds that of the closely related and super-beneficial ginger. Like ginger, turmeric can be grown on your kitchen counter or outdoors in the summer. You can give it an extra head start by rooting it before you put it in the ground. And who doesn’t like a head start? You don’t know where to begin? No worries! In this article, we give you several tips on how to grow this superfood. Happy reading.
Tips for Growing Turmeric
- Buy organic turmeric to avoid toxins and germination inhibitors. Put it, along with some wet paper towels, in a half-closed plastic bag and forget about it for a week or so. That way, it gets moisture and light. You can splash a little water on it if it gets dry.
- After a few weeks, some of the buds start to swell. And, if they have been there for a long time, they also begin to take root and grow. Fill a pot with potting soil. Make sure the pot allows for growth across the width; the depth is not so important.
- Push the turmeric root horizontally under the soil, but leave some of the root protruding from the surface, preferably with a bud or growing sprout. Water and leave the pot in a warm place and try to keep the soil slightly moist.
- After a few weeks, the root ball will sprout and should be kept in a bright place, requiring a little more water and nutrients. In frost-free weather, the plant can be left outside; the foliage will be so lush and attractive. After a few more months, you will see that the root has grown, and you can carefully harvest. You can either push the soil back and cut or break off a small piece or wait until it has grown well and harvest a larger piece or all of it.
- As soon as you cut it, the yellow color comes out, so be careful with textiles and worktops/wooden boards so they don’t stain. You can grow ginger in the same way.
Useful in All Forms
If you have the urge to grow this goodness, that’s great, but if you don’t have this interest yet, learning the many benefits of turmeric might change your mind.
The curcumin in turmeric has been proven to fight inflammation in the body and chronic inflammation, which is, as you probably know, the cause of many of our wellness diseases. One of our recommendations is to add one tablespoon of dried ground turmeric in your meal per day if you don’t eat fresh turmeric. If you like curry, you’ll be eating a lot of turmeric, as it is one of the ingredients in this spice blend.
You can also use turmeric in any winter drink to keep you warm. Drinking this daily throughout the winter months is a great way to get these goodies in. You will notice a significant difference in your ability to resist the various illnesses, especially if you have children that get ill easily.
However, we know that some children will not relish those beverages. We recommend that you can try adding a bit of honey for more sweetness, which will be easier to drink for kids.
If you have any tips on how to get your kids to eat turmeric or ginger happily, please leave them in the comments. On a final note, growing it, on the other hand, is a very exciting process to follow.
From the little blob to the big leaves, we want to know how was your experience growing this superfood. Let us know how the process went by sharing in the section below.
