Growing ginger
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Jenny Green
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Yes, it can, though it's best to get a piece that has fresh shoots coming out of it, rather than one covered in dead skin.
I put some about an inch down in a pot of compost in a propagator until it sprouted green shoots, brought it out and grew it on until the roots filled the pot, then planted it in my greenhouse border.
It grew happily all summer, making quite an attractive plant with long leaves up to two feet high. Come the autumn it seemed to stop growing so I dug it up and the root of ginger had increased in size quite considerably. Unfortunately it was riddled with slug holes so inedible.
If I were to do it again I would keep it under cover as it's really quite a tender plant, but keep it in a pot.
I put some about an inch down in a pot of compost in a propagator until it sprouted green shoots, brought it out and grew it on until the roots filled the pot, then planted it in my greenhouse border.
It grew happily all summer, making quite an attractive plant with long leaves up to two feet high. Come the autumn it seemed to stop growing so I dug it up and the root of ginger had increased in size quite considerably. Unfortunately it was riddled with slug holes so inedible.
If I were to do it again I would keep it under cover as it's really quite a tender plant, but keep it in a pot.
(Formerly known as 'Organic Freak')
Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed.
Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed.
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carlseawolf
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Colin_M
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Good advice Jenny & Carlsea.
Some people will have seen this before but here are some of ours from last year:
I find that once going, they grow like the clappers (I've only ever kept them in our conservatory). The shoots are great to cook with, but eventually they seem to reach a stage when they stop growing, then apparantly die.
I kept one of the above 3 that had done that and left it in it's pot for a month or so. Slowly but surely it's started off again this year. Growing them indoors in pots means you don't get the bug/slug problem and you should end up with lots of shoots and/or roots.
Good luck, Colin
Some people will have seen this before but here are some of ours from last year:
I find that once going, they grow like the clappers (I've only ever kept them in our conservatory). The shoots are great to cook with, but eventually they seem to reach a stage when they stop growing, then apparantly die.
I kept one of the above 3 that had done that and left it in it's pot for a month or so. Slowly but surely it's started off again this year. Growing them indoors in pots means you don't get the bug/slug problem and you should end up with lots of shoots and/or roots.
Good luck, Colin
toffeeman wrote:Many thanks to all - I'll give it a go
I know this is an old post, but I'm at the stage you were at back in '07 - wondering whether to have a go at growing ginger.
I would love to know how you got on, and whether you think it is worth a try!
Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.
Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Colin_M wrote:Hi Mouse, yes still worth giving it a go.
Since then I have grown more ginger, plus Galangal and Tumeric from thr fresh roots.
Hi Colin,
So would you say it is worth it in terms of yield versus time and effort?
I was thinking about Toffeman's response about ginger being so readily available, and I must admit, it struck a chord with me.
The trouble is, at this time of year I am always eager to try new things, and growing ginger seems like a brilliant idea!
However, if the past is anything to go by, I know that my tiny greenhouse will be overflowing in a couple of months time and I will be wondering why I wasn't more realistic! I seem to remember that the past couple of summers, I have promised myself that in the future I will limit myself to the tried and tested (and always eaten) favourites.
On the other hand, I do like ginger ... .
Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.
Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Hi Mouse,
I haven't grown Ginger for some time now but did so for a good number of years. When the plants are multi-stemmed to me they are attractive enough to have as house plants.
If grown for the Ginger well you do get quite a lot and as it is fresh it is really tasty.
Like you I simply love Ginger in all it's forms but to grow it now for me I would get so much more than I need so sadly I buy it in. I am sure it is well worth you trying so do have a go even if to only try it.
JB.
I haven't grown Ginger for some time now but did so for a good number of years. When the plants are multi-stemmed to me they are attractive enough to have as house plants.
If grown for the Ginger well you do get quite a lot and as it is fresh it is really tasty.
Like you I simply love Ginger in all it's forms but to grow it now for me I would get so much more than I need so sadly I buy it in. I am sure it is well worth you trying so do have a go even if to only try it.
JB.
Johnboy wrote:Hi Mouse,
I haven't grown Ginger for some time now but did so for a good number of years. When the plants are multi-stemmed to me they are attractive enough to have as house plants.
If grown for the Ginger well you do get quite a lot and as it is fresh it is really tasty.
Like you I simply love Ginger in all it's forms but to grow it now for me I would get so much more than I need so sadly I buy it in. I am sure it is well worth you trying so do have a go even if to only try it.
JB.
Now I'm really in a dilemma!
You have just reminded me how much I like ginger. Add that to the fact that I am really hungry at this moment, and I start imagining ginger puddings, curries ...... .
On the other hand, you have reminded me that I would have to treat it like a house plant. I can grow anything in the garden or on the allotment, but I have an uncanny knack of being able to kill any houseplant that is unfortunate to fall into my hands. I can even kill spider plants!
But you never know - maybe ginger will be the exception.
Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.
Mark Twain
Mark Twain
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Colin_M
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Well, at the risk of contradicting JB (not something I ever do lightly) I was going to have said that I've always grown ginger because I enjoy it - however the yield would never have been enough to justify doing it.
However I'd be interested to know the approach JB used to get large quantities?
I've always grown it in pots and I think that restricted the quantity I was able to get (maybe in the border of a polytunnel, you'd do better). However the ability to get really fresh ginger, plus the green shoots would both be good reasons to grow your own.
However I'd be interested to know the approach JB used to get large quantities?
I've always grown it in pots and I think that restricted the quantity I was able to get (maybe in the border of a polytunnel, you'd do better). However the ability to get really fresh ginger, plus the green shoots would both be good reasons to grow your own.
Last edited by Colin_M on Mon Mar 22, 2010 3:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.
My OH has to go into Northampton today, so I've given him instructions to buy me some ginger. If he actually remembers / manages to finds any, I'm going to give it a go! (But with his memory, it's still only a 50/50 chance!) 
Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.
Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Hi Colin,
It looks to me that you are growing in 9cm round and maybe 10cm square pots which are too small for the job. The minimum size pot to me is two Litres and then I select the Ginger with the most potential growing points.
Sometimes the smaller pieces that seem to be in the bin are quite good.
In the tunnel I used to grow in quite shallow 15" square containers spaced at 4" centres approx. (16 to the container)
Ginger is quite a hungry crop and it was fed with liquid Comfrey concentrate. I used to have 6 of these containers, and although I never weighed it, come the end of the year there would be about half a pound of usable Ginger available from each container. I suppose looking at it the yield is not as great as you might think however it was an interesting crop to grow. You cannot expect the large pieces that you see in the supermarkets. I regret that I never kept any of my own crop for growing the following year.
JB.
It looks to me that you are growing in 9cm round and maybe 10cm square pots which are too small for the job. The minimum size pot to me is two Litres and then I select the Ginger with the most potential growing points.
Sometimes the smaller pieces that seem to be in the bin are quite good.
In the tunnel I used to grow in quite shallow 15" square containers spaced at 4" centres approx. (16 to the container)
Ginger is quite a hungry crop and it was fed with liquid Comfrey concentrate. I used to have 6 of these containers, and although I never weighed it, come the end of the year there would be about half a pound of usable Ginger available from each container. I suppose looking at it the yield is not as great as you might think however it was an interesting crop to grow. You cannot expect the large pieces that you see in the supermarkets. I regret that I never kept any of my own crop for growing the following year.
JB.