Growing Ginger

Zingiber Officinale : Zingiberaceae / the ginger family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec

Not recommended for growing in USA - Zone 5a regions

  • Plant pieces of fresh root showing signs of shoots. Best planted at soil temperatures between 20°C and 30°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 15 cm apart
  • Harvest in approximately 25 weeks. Reduce water as plant dies back to encourage rhizome growth.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Grow in separate bed

Your comments and tips

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26 Aug 18, Marg (Australia - temperate climate)
I live on the sth coast nsw and my ginger was pot planted 2016. The spring of 2017 crop was not amazing so I used a little and replanted majority. Now Sept 2018 and I can feel the large clumps In the pot soil! Looking forward to harvest and repotting. Your site has been well presented. Many thanks.
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06 Sep 18, Peter (Australia - temperate climate)
I have been growing ginger in West Gippsland for a couple of years, but always in the hothouse! Same with Lemon Grass, Galangal, water chestnuts and Turmeric. Although I have seen others who manage these in warm corners of their verandah.
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27 Aug 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
They don't recommend planting ginger in the temperate zone on this website so you are doing well. It is a warm climate crop so just remember that, if you have a poor year - probably had cool/cold weather. For more info google how to grow ginger.
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19 Sep 18, Bron (Australia - temperate climate)
Temperate Hunter is sub tropical ish now
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29 Jul 18, Ann Pulley (USA - Zone 6b climate)
I was wondering if it can be grown in zone 6b, in southern Missouri? Does it need anything special in winter?
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26 May 20, Chris (USA - Zone 7b climate)
It is very frost-sensitive and can't survive the ground freezing. You can grow it in pots and bring it indoors.
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22 Jul 18, Ismail (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
Hi, can anyone help me to get some local ginger to plant at home. Just a few kg Thank you
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11 Jul 18, Sipho Stanford Monyai (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
When can I plant ginger in my area? Iam in the Letsitele area of Limpopo.
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13 Jul 18, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Ginger can be planted any time after frosts have finished if you have them. It really needs a good growing season so don't plant it in Autumn
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06 Jul 18, Pieter Wilken (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
Why does my Ginger have a fibrous or stringy center? The rhizomes are a decent size.
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Showing 261 - 270 of 494 comments
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Hi Sara, You can! I grew it for a couple of years in a pot when I lived in Panania (low-on-space-rental) and also the last few years in the Hawkesbury. It grows well in Sydney, we got a bumper crop from just 3 store bought pieces, harvested a year later. We would have gotten even more kgs if I have know it doesn't like direct sun, ours was a little sunburnt. We ended up making about 100 bottles of ginger beer and sharing them around :-) I'm going to plant again this weekend, close to a nice warm fence but out of direct sun. I'm also going to experiment with water loving herbs as a ground cover. I hope this will increase humidity and allow me a second crop for the space. Since ginger is upright, I can plant a companion ground-cover. Maybe strawberries or tarragon? Something that can handle lots of water. Cheers and happy gardening, Michelle

- Michelle

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