Growing bulbs and rhizomes are not particularly complicated; nature provides everything, or almost everything, that a plant needs to grow. We just need to be careful about how we give them light and water, and in a short time, we can see little green shoots and realize that the roots have awakened.

Well, the rhizome, ginger, is no different from this story. Traditionally used in Oriental medicine, the root appears increasingly in many cuisines.

Many times, when you are picking out ginger roots at the grocery store, you have probably seen the shoots that are yellow at first and turn a little green at the end. Here, these are nothing but irrefutable proof that the little plant is about to be born. Bring them home immediately and start caring for them. With the right temperature and humidity, you will see long and very green leaves germinate, and in a few months, you can even think of picking up your first homemade harvest!

Let’s take a look at how to grow ginger at home.

Root Selection

Choosing organically grown roots that do not contain additives such as germination inhibitors, insecticides, or fungicides is advisable. Then, you need to check if there is a germinated top, the tiny yellow-green sprouts we talked about earlier. If this is not the case, you will have to stimulate it from the root. How do you do that? Place the ginger rhizome in an empty vase, bowl, paper bag, etc., avoiding excessive heat sources so that it gets enough light, humidity, and air. Even if the roots do not appear, they are still alive. After a while, the vegetative apex will appear. Now it’s time to move on to the next step of growing ginger.

Choose a Pot

Plastic or earthen pots are suitable containers for growing ginger roots. When choosing a vase, remember to make sure it is not too big or too heavy, as it will have to be placed in a sheltered area or inside the house during the winter. Most importantly, it should be deep enough to accommodate the soil you will be adding when growing the ginger.

Watering

Ginger is afraid of stagnation like all roots because otherwise, the root system itself will rot. For the soil at the bottom of the pot, use expanded clay, which can be found at garden centers for a few euros. The expanded clay allows for better drainage of the bottom, and mixed with a small amount of sand will prevent the soil from stagnating.

Planting

If you have chosen well-drained soil, you can lay the sprouts down facing upward and then cover them with a bit of soil. All you have to do is wait a while. Gradually, the green part of the plant will grow out, and there is no need to do anything else. Cover some of the green stems with new soil from time to time. By doing so, the plant will grow upwards, and the roots’ size will increase. Finally, always remember to wet the plants regularly, not excessively.

Harvesting

Harvesting can begin after two seasons, about eight months after the plant has finished its growth cycle, and the leaves start to become yellow and dry out. In this case, wear gardening gloves and carefully remove the rhizome from the ground using only your hands and no tools to avoid damaging the roots. Remove the dried leaves first, and then pull out the ginger roots. Remember that you will need to leave the roots in the soil for a new cycle if you want to continue growing the following year. You can cover the pots with fleece during winter or move the roots to a small greenhouse so they won’t freeze.

Let us know if these comments have helped you in the comments below!