Description
Zingiber officinale.
The fleshy rhizomes of this lush perennial have many culinary uses.
The plant has white and pink buds that open to yellow flowers.
Ginger enjoys a warm, humid, part shade position in fertile, moist (not wet), well draining soil.
Ginger is a tropical plant, requiring regular watering and a good supply of nutrients.
It should grow to about 1m high by 1.5m wide.
Let plants become well established before harvesting (it is often best to wait until the second growing season).
You can harvest the roots after the plant dies down in winter. Cut off a piece of the older roots as the young roots with shoots are the actively growing plant and they should be left to reshoot. You can cut off pieces of the older roots during the growing season but just be careful not to disturb the rest of the plant too much.
In spring, you can break up the root clumps into smaller pieces and replant them.
If you have ginger growing already, make sure it’s edible ginger. Decorative varieties, often sold in nurseries, are not suitable for eating.
