Growing Ginger

Zingiber Officinale : Zingiberaceae / the ginger family

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

(Best months for growing Ginger in Australia - sub-tropical regions)

  • P = Plant root
  • 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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09 Aug 15, Jess (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
My mum successfully grows it at Tweed
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18 Jul 15, Asa-Marie (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi Daniel, yes we have up in Lillian Rock, it grows very well here. Good luck!
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25 Jun 15, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I grow it in the Bellinger Valley, south of Coffs Harbour and near the coast, Daniel, it should be fine where you are.
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21 May 15, kathy Lawrence (Australia - tropical climate)
We have just moved to Tully North Queensland and was thinking of putting in some Ginger on our acreage , would you think it could be too wet up here, and where could we purchase some
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31 May 15, Joanne (Australia - tropical climate)
I'm in cairns and it grows pretty good here, as long as it has good drainage. I keep mine in a pot, and they say it doesn't like full sun but mine grows well in it. You should be able to grow it from a piece you buy at the supermarket:)
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29 Apr 15, alan (Australia - temperate climate)
after a couple of weeks a piece of ginger i bought from a green grocer has just sprouted. i have it in a small pot inside a homemade 'hot box' i made. the hot box is about 1 m cube with a 25w light bulb inside to keep it warm [approx 25 deg c]. i initially made the box to keep my ginger beer plant 'alive' to make ginger beer throughout winter - my family loves the stuff!
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15 Apr 15, Joyce (Australia - temperate climate)
Can I grow eating ginger in Adelaide, South Australia?
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20 Nov 14, Edna Sabile (Australia - tropical climate)
I'm looking for galagal where can I get or buy to plant?
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06 Dec 14, Leonie (Australia - temperate climate)
Daley's Fruit tree Nursery have galangal, although is listed as out of stock now so you may have to wait for next year.
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13 Sep 14, Olivia (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi there, a friend gave me a ginger plant but I've found different suggestions on the net wether to plant it in full sun or shade. Its a huge rhizome and app. 90 cm long green leafy stems. Should the whole root be covered by earth? I'm located in the Upper Hunter Valley, NSW. Thanks Olivia
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Showing 221 - 230 of 254 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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