Few people were able to see blooming ginger. A plant whose root is almost as valuable as ginseng is hard to find in the wild.
Now it is mainly grown for industrial purposes, since the beneficial properties of the rhizome and the spice obtained from it are known for a long time and are popular in many countries.
Ground Ginger Root add to sauces to meat and fish dishesWithout the original taste of ginger, it is impossible to imagine Christmas cookies and cupcakes.
It is interesting! Southeast Asia and India are considered the birthplace of ginger, and from there its glory came. They used the rhizome of the plant to flavor dishes, but soon the healing properties of ginger made it more significant.
More information about the beneficial properties and contraindications of ginger root can be found here.
Blood thinning, facilitating digestion, immunity enhancing ginger was very expensive, because it was attributed to almost magical properties.
It was believed that he kindles passion in women, helps to keep to old age masculinity to men. A powder or a piece of ginger root took with them on a long journey to ward off evil spirits.
Since it became possible to buy not only powdered ginger, but the whole rhizome, the secret of the plant has become available. Now it is grown almost on all continents. And not only for industrial purposes.
Lovers of the exotic decide to experiment out of curiosity and ask themselves a question: is it possible to grow ginger at home? Yes, because in order to grow ginger at home, it is enough to purchase the root in a store or on the market.
Ginger is grown at home most often as an ornamental annual plant. Planting material is rhizome.
In the photo you can see how ginger grows and blooms:
Purchase
Choosing a root for planting, pay attention to its condition. No matter where you buy it, in a specialty store, on the market or in the vegetable department of the supermarket, the only condition ginger root should be fresh.
Consider the following signs:
- skin should be flat and smooth;
- the root itself must not be damaged;
- wrinkled and fibrous piece of rhizome is unlikely to germinate;
- you can not take frozen ginger;
- At the root there should be several living buds, similar to the eyes of a potato.
Important! To grow ginger from the root at home before planting, place it for several hours in warm water.
If you have acquired a large enough piece of rhizome with several buds and lintels, you can carefully divide it and try to grow several plants.
Ground and landing
An important condition for success is the ground. For tropical plants, which is ginger, suitable soil mixture, where foliar humus, sand and black soil are mixed in equal proportions.
For planting it is not necessary to acquire deep pots, suitable shallow wide containerswhere the drainage is placed, and then pochvosmes.
How to plant?
This section describes how to plant ginger at home. Place the root or parts of it in the prepared soil mixture horizontally up by the kidneys. There is no need to deepen the planting material, it is enough to cover the kidneys with a layer from 3 to 5 cm.
Liberally pour. And then place a container of ginger in a cool room with low humidity. Watering, do not forget that this plant dislike stagnant moisture - you need to water often, but not very plentifully.
The first shoots may appear already after 3 weeks.
How does the root grow?
So how does ginger grow? Seeing the long-awaited sprouts, change the scheme of plant care. Frequent, 5 times per week, watering will ensure good growth of shoots.
Temperature up to 25 degrees and the lack of drafts will add to your pet a chance for successful development.
Mineral top dressing Once a week and fertilizing with high potassium organic matter will support adaptation.
Ginger does not tolerate lowering the temperature to 15 degrees, it can also be ruined by the lack of moisture. Do not overdry the soil, if the shoots die, the plant does not revive.
Care
Maintaining high temperatures and regular watering will help you succeed in growing ginger as an indoor plant.
If your goal is getting a useful root, then in the autumn, when the leaves begin to turn yellow and fade, stop watering and cut the plant stems:
- Remove the rhizome from the ground, clean it from the ground.
- White young shoots can be stored in a refrigerator or in a dry ventilated area, in order to plant them again in January in the soil to grow a new crop.
- The rhizome for which you grew ginger for 9 months can be used as a medicine in fresh or frozen form.
Suitable for flavoring well dried and chopped root. Place the crop, cut it into slices, in a dry well-ventilated room for two to three months, and then chop thoroughly.
Growing ginger at home
If the goal of your experience is not to obtain a healthy root at home, then at the beginning of the withering of the leaves, provide ginger with peace by reducing watering. Put the container with cool dark place. Regularly moisten the soil. In the spring, when it comes time to "wake up" a flower, start abundant watering and fertilizing.
In the video you can see how to grow ginger from the root of the house:
Be patient. Even in very good conditions, ginger begins to bloom after 3 - 4 years. But the ginger grown by you from the usual root will delight and amaze you and your guests with original bamboo-like pseudostem from folded leaves up to 1 meter tall and bright original foliage, similar to sedge.
It is interesting! Your house will be filled citrus scent - so all parts of the plant smell. Allocated substances with aroma also provide protection from germs and bacteria.
The flowering of ginger is really unique: its bright orange, rich yellow or brown inflorescences are collected in the likeness of an ear at the top of the shoot, decorating the leaf axils.
Outdoor cultivation
If you are a happy owner of several acres, then you can try to grow ginger in the open field. It needs to be planted in the greenhouseto avoid the risk of freezing the gentle southerner.
The rest of the growing technology is not too different from growing in an apartment:
- Having provided drainage and soil mixture suitable for root crops, regularly water and spray the ground part of the plant.
- Do not forget about top dressing: well manured soil, potash fertilizers will help to grow a large rhizome with a lot of young roots, which will become suitable planting material in the next season.
- In our climate, ginger will need to be removed in the middle or end of August.
- One week before harvesting, stop watering.
- Cut fading stems.
- The expanded rhizome immediately divide into parts, separating those that are intended for planting and sending them to storage.
- Freeze or dry the parts to be used in a well-ventilated area.
Important! Ginger does not like direct sunlight and very high temperatures. If you take a houseplant on the street, provide him with a shade so as not to burn the tender leaves.
If ginger is planted in a greenhouse, make sure that taller plants grow nearby or make an awning that will protect your southerner from burns.
Seed propagation
To buy ginger seeds in stores is very difficult. If you're lucky, put the seeds in light soil, but don't deepen them. Cover the container with plastic or glass, creating a greenhouse effect.
Daily water and air. Shoots will appear in a few days. When the first leaf appears, ginger can be planted in separate pots. The first year is the most difficult, this delicate plant is required. diffused light, high temperature and humidity.
After 3 - 4 years you can dig and divide first rhizome. The process is time consuming, so few people grow this plant from seed.
Scientific name
Ginger is a perennial herb that belongs to the ginger family. In addition to the well-known to us Healing, there is even more 140 species ginger
The horned root is the second name of ginger, in scientific literature it bears the name Zingiber officinale. Of all the species, this one - the healing one - is best known.
Diseases and pests
Thanks to its properties ginger resistant to most diseases. Of the pests it is dangerous only spider mite, the struggle with which is not difficult: regularly spray the plant, rub the leaves - and the tick will not come close to your pet.
Root rotting, yellowing leaves, spots on them may be associated with impaired care for ginger. Carefully follow all preventive measures, water and loosen the soil after each watering, avoid stagnation of water - and your pet will feel good.
Growing ginger at home or in the country - the task is not too complicated, but very interesting. And you get a lot of positive emotions, trying to "tame" oriental spice.
