Ginger is just the thing for adding a burst of flavour to your meals and it’s packed with health benefits, too. The best news is ginger is super easy to grow at home! It thrives in warm coastal areas, and with a few tricks, you can also enjoy fresh, homegrown ginger in a cooler climate. With its lush tropical foliage, it’s perfect for adding a bit of green to your space whether you grow it in the garden or in a pot on your balcony.
Getting Started
- When to grow: Ginger grows best in the warmer months and is dormant during winter, re-sprouting once spring arrives. The ideal planting time is October to November
- What you need: Grab a fresh ginger root (rhizome) from your local grocer. Look for plump, undamaged pieces with plenty of ‘eyes’ or buds. This is where the shoots will form.
- Planting: Cut the rhizomes into smaller pieces (around 5-10cm each), ensuring each piece has at least one or two buds. Plant them about 30cm apart just under the surface in compost-rich, well-drained soil.
- Containers: If planting in pots, use a 40 cm wide pot filled with Pot Perfection. A 40cm pot can hold three rhizome pieces comfortably.
- Sun and shelter: Ginger thrives in full sun to partial shade. In tropical areas, a little shade protects them from the harsh summer sun.
Tips for growing ginger in cooler zones
In cool southern areas, grow your ginger in a black container, which will absorb the heat. To get your plants started in mid-spring, place your pots in a greenhouse or warm, bright room indoors. When conditions warm up (early summer), move your pot to a warm sunny spot outside such as a paved or concrete surface in front of an east or north-facing wall.
Growing and Harvesting Tips
- Watering: After planting your rhizome pieces, let the soil dry out between waterings to avoid rot. When shoots appear (which could take a month), start to water more frequently.
- Mulching: Cover the soil surface with sugar cane mulch, to help retain soil moisture and stop weeds.
- Feeding: For ginger planted in the ground, fertilise with organic fertiliser every 6-8 weeks to boost growth. For potted plants, sprinkle a little organic fertiliser on every month.
Harvesting: By late summer, you’ll likely have some ginger ready for harvest. Gently slice out a piece without disturbing the rest of the plant. For the largest harvest, wait until early winter, around eight months after planting.
Storing Your Harvest
- In-Ground Storage: The easiest way to store your harvest is to leave the rhizomes in the ground or pots, keeping them dry during their winter dormancy to prevent rot. Move pots under cover to avoid winter rainfall or place an upside-down pot over dormant garden-planted rhizomes when rain is expected.
- Fridge Storage: Freshly harvested rhizomes can be washed and stored in your fridge’s crisper for up to two months.
- Freezing: A good option for the long term is to freeze chunks in ziplock bags – these can be grated frozen as needed. Alternatively, grate fresh using a food processor and freeze in ice cubes trays ready for easy use in recipes.
- Drying: Another long-term storage option is to slice the rhizomes thinly, dry them in a low oven, and store the pieces in jars. These can be ground into fresh powder as needed!
