Ginger plants require warm soil, room to grow and plenty of fertilizer. Ginger can be grown in the ground or in containers.
KEYS TO SUCCESS:
- Do not plant outdoors until soil temperatures are at least 55 degrees F and the air temperature is warming into the 70’s.
- Ginger requires the soil to be hilled up around the base of the stem three or four times during the growing season.
- Ginger does not like any weed competition!
- Ginger requires three to four fertilizer applications during the growing season (see "FERTILIZING" below).
- Ginger plants can grow 3 feet to 4 feet tall and the rhizome can spread up to one foot. Give in-ground plants plenty of room a use large containers or flexible grow bags for container grown plants.
- Ginger likes plenty of moisture but does not like wet feet. Make sure your soil, whether in the ground or in a container, is well-drained.
PLANTING IN THE GROUND:
- Plant in rows or beds three feet apart
- Dig a trench a minimum of 6 inches deep and mix fertilizers/compost in the bottom of the trench
- Place pre-sprouted ginger seed 5 inches apart in the trench
- Cover with approximately 2 inches of soil
- See “HILLING” below
PLANTING IN CONTAINERS:
- Use well-drained, soilless media in containers. We recommend using a good quality, low-salt cocopeat (also called "coir").
- Use flexible grow bags or large pots to allow the rhizomes to grow up and out and to allow enough room for hilling.
- To plant, fill the bag or pot with 4 to 6 inches of soilless media and mix in fertilizer. Cover with approximately 2 inches of media.
- See “HILLING” below.
SUN REQUIREMENTS:
Ginger enjoys partial sun – strong morning sunlight and afternoon shade or dappled shade all day. Ginger can be grown in full sun, but make sure the soil temperatures do not get above 90 degrees F in the summer.
WATERING:
Ginger needs plenty of moisture, but does not like to sit in wet soil. Amend heavy clay soils to allow good drainage. Water plants enough to keep evenly moist without drying out.
FERTILIZING:
- Use a mild, balanced fertilizer (such as a 5-5-5 or 4-6-4 - Compost Complete for Ginger & Turmeric is perfect!) at planting time and at each hilling.
- Well-aged compost is beneficial, but do not add materials that are actively decomposing. Decomposing materials will use nutrients in the soil and may cause soil to heat up.
- Apply fertilizer at a rate of 6 oz. per planting row foot.
HILLING GINGER:
- In approximately 4 to 6 weeks after planting, check the base of the ginger shoots. When a bright pink color is observed at the stem base, hill the plant with 4 inches of soil and apply fertilizer.
- Every 2 to 4 weeks, repeat hilling and fertilizing.
HARVESTING:
- Beginning in late September and/or with cooler weather, the ginger tops will begin to die back. For baby ginger, harvest the rhizomes by loosening the soil approximately 12 inches from the base of the plant with a shovel or garden fork, then grasp the stems near the ground and pull the entire plant from the ground or container.
- Rhizomes left in the ground after the tops have died back will start to form a thick brown skin.
- Harvest yields depend on fertility, water, hilling, competition with weeds, and temperatures. Harvests can range from 1/4 lb. to 4 lbs. per seed, depending on growing conditions.
|