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 68°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 6 inches 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

02 May 18, Mike (Australia - temperate climate)
If you read the notes here there is no planting guide for temperate climate as Ginger is a warm weather crop. If you live in a warm temperate area it might be worth a go or as it says here grow in doors. Plant later in the year like sub tropical.
02 May 18, Hamsa (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
If you already have ginger roots, don’t buy them if you don’t have, put 1 root in each pot and put the pot under cover and keep watering, you have a higher chance of sprouting in spring
28 Apr 18, Anneliese (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
After digging ginger how do you store it until replanting and how long will it keep
22 Jul 18, Bernie (Australia - temperate climate)
I am just outside of Brisbane. I leave my ginger in an open area until the cut ends are well dried and then store them in a polystyrene box until I need them. I usually plant the new crop around mid to late October
30 Apr 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Also go on the internet and type in how to grow ginger in Qld (???).
30 Apr 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
From the notes on this website about growing ginger. "This perennial will die down in autumn. Remove the dead leaves. In spring lift the root clumps and break them up into smaller pieces to replant" LEAVE it in the ground if you haven't dug it up already. If dug up -probably best to store in a cool dry place over winter. .
20 Mar 18, Phil Akers (Australia - temperate climate)
I live very close to Mount Annan Botanical gardens in New South Wales and I grow Ginger every year in large pots very well. I am going to plant some in my garden next spring and don't see why it shouldn't grow just as well. I always use pelletised chicken manure, blood and bone meal and a good helping of compost and keep well watered.
20 Feb 18, JOE TURNBULL (Australia - temperate climate)
Can i grow all year around or can i leave in the ground and it will reshoot ?
02 Mar 18, Hamsa (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Harvest ginger once the leaves die that usually happens in winter and leave some with roots in the ground for next year harvest A gardener told me, if I needed ginger before harvest time, break the ginger from the side of the main plant
20 Feb 18, Mike (Australia - tropical climate)
I suggest you read the commenst here about growing and harvesting ginger - it has it all here.
Showing 121 - 130 of 254 comments

Eric, my ginger grew very well in the 5-gallon bucket and three additional shoots grew up, which I think means new root (rhizome) lobes have grown, and I've been leaving it alone during the winter to see how it does. We had minor frost a couple of nights in January and a lot of my more tropical / warm climate plants took some damage, including the ginger. As of today, the green growth has all died off, so I'll need to carefully check to see if the roots are still solid and not rotting from wet weather. My Taro root in a bucket next to the ginger also died down from the frost but has quickly recovered and is starting to grow some new leaves, so hopefully the ginger starts growing again soon.

- dz

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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