Description
This perennial herb produces one of the most widely used spices in the world.
This herb is widely cultivated for its fleshy rhizomes or roots which are used to flavour food and medicine.
Climate: Grows well and is productive in moderately humid to very humid subtropical and tropical lowland to mid-elevation climates, generally in areas with annual lows of 16 to 25 °C, annual highs of 25 to 33 °C, annual rainfall of 1500 to 5000 mm and a dry season of 3 months or less.
Growing: New plants are usually grown from fresh pieces of rhizome. The best time to plant is spring in subtropical area and autumn to spring in tropical areas. Performs best in rich, moist free-draining clay and loam soils of a moderately acid to neutral nature, generally with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0 and on sites with full to partial sun exposure.
Home gardeners and other non-commercial growers are best to grow ginger in large containers, where any water is quickly drained away and the roots and rhizomes can be kept moist but not wet, or left sitting in water for too long.
The mature rhizomes are harvested at around six to ten months after planting, when the plant tops have died back. Due to