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

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17 Oct 19, (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Most ginger and also chilli and garlic bought in the shops are radiated for pests/diseases. This will also make the ginger/garlic/chilli seeds sterile.
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22 Sep 19, Palo Mphethi (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
How do i get ginger seed?
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12 Nov 19, Anon (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
You plant a knob of it. (One with a shoot helps)
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19 Aug 19, lyric (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
what is the cultivar of the edible ginger. what type of diseases and pest that affect ginger.
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17 Aug 19, Johanita (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
I live near Hartbeespoort, and bought fresh ginger at Jasmyn - I'm going to try if it will grow!
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17 Jun 19, Susan Du Plooy (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I want to start growing ginger .... near Bronkhorstspruit Gauteng
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21 Jan 19, Carl (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
Hi Rudolph The Ginger root may have been imported and that means the roots have been irradiated to kill off soil pathogens. Although edible the root will not grow ever. If you do buy root from a shop - try Woolies, they mark it when locally produced. Alternative is to look for a root with clear signs that it is starting to grow nodes (greenish horn like on the sides of the rhizome). If you cannot get any this way, go to Livingseeds and buy good quality when they do stock them - availability based on the season.
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04 Dec 18, Tessa (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
For those asking, subscribe to the livingseeds.co.za newsletter. They sell ginger, turmeric and galangal(starting feb '19) and the newsletter will inform you when they're in stock again. Livingseeds has always been high-quality and very informative.
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22 Nov 18, Rudolph Snyman (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
I planted ginger in spring and watered them maybe once a week sometimes every second week in well drained soil with compost and bonemeal and some guano pellets. All my rhizomes rot. I planted a second time and its a month later and still no sign of my ginger growing. Can somebody please tell me why? I bought my rhizomes from the local vegetable market
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12 Feb 19, Margs (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
I planted ginger from PnPay and put it in the ground which is mulched from the trees above it. I forgot about it for months until I saw this weird dark green shoot next to the baby palm. I was transplanting the palm and found my ginger! Maybe just don't water it if there's deep mulch above it? Winter rainfall area.
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We live in the Spencer Gulf area of South Australia, we have been growing Jarvanese Ginger for 5 years in a large 50ltre pot, in an acid potting mix. The ginger family has a large range, the familiar variety that is at the store when grown has a narrow leaf, where the curcumin, types have a broader leaf. The variety we have grown is known as SPECIES- Curcuma-Zanthorrhiza, FAMILY-Zingiberates,GENUS-Curcuma: Known as "Temulawak"-Jarvanese ginger it has broad leaves and grows 2 to 3 mitre in a pot, has a beautiful lavender flower when it blooms, requires high humidity and well shaded. We have it underneath banana palms in a pond area, plenty of water in the growing period, in a well draining pot. It has been in bloom since beginning of december. Once you have it growing well do not disturb it for at least 4 years, once the ginger plant dies down just keep the pot slightly moist until the shoots come through again at the begining of summer it is usually the last ginger plant to come through. To harvest just move the mulch to show the root and gently remove a piece, do not dig it up they do not like being disturbed, they live just below the surface under the top of the soil, they really are a pampered pet for us, as we live in a dry arid area, we keep it for its beauty not for eating it is too delicate. I hope thus helps you in your quest.

- Brenda Groffen

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