Growing Ginger

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02 Jul 19 Jane (Canada - Zone 8a Mild Temperate climate)
I have a healthy piece of ginger and I want to plant it. I suspect my question is really stupid but here goes. On one piece I have a healthy green shoot about 2 inches. Do I plant this with the green shoot facing up or down?
Reply
15 Jul 19 Gordon (Canada - Zone 6a Temperate Warm Summer climate)
Hi Jane, For most root tuber, the shoots will be reaching upwards to get above the soil to start gathering light energy while using the stored energy in the root. You probably see that the shoot is green so it already has the chlorophyl ready to start working. After the root tuber starts seeing some sucess from light harvest and finds itself in damp soil-lke conditions it will likely start generating the root hairs and larger branching roots to pull in new moisture and nutrients as the plant grows. So plant the ginger with the shoot facing upwards and it should have less work to reorient itself. Whether your root piece is just a finger shaped log or has multiple branches, just dig a shallow wide hole to lay the root down in. ( Like a hotdog or a cookie laying on a plate.) Not a deep narrow hole. The whole root should only be about 2-4 inches deep. Have fun, Gordon

Hi Jane, For most root tuber, the shoots will be reaching upwards to get above the soil to start gathering light energy while using the stored energy in the root. You probably see that the shoot is green so it already has the chlorophyl ready to start working. After the root tuber starts seeing some sucess from light harvest and finds itself in damp soil-lke conditions it will likely start generating the root hairs and larger branching roots to pull in new moisture and nutrients as the plant grows. So plant the ginger with the shoot facing upwards and it should have less work to reorient itself. Whether your root piece is just a finger shaped log or has multiple branches, just dig a shallow wide hole to lay the root down in. ( Like a hotdog or a cookie laying on a plate.) Not a deep narrow hole. The whole root should only be about 2-4 inches deep. Have fun, Gordon

- Gordon

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