Q&A for How to Grow a Ginger Plant

The first step is to know the fertility/needs of your soil. When planting outdoors, you can mix in a slow-release organic fertilizer at initial planting, and either top-dress with compost or use a liquid fertilizer ever few weeks.

They prefer partial shade. They are likely getting sunburned. They also need moist, but in well-draining soil. Transplant to a location that gets some shade, and make sure you aren't over-watering. Take a small amount of soil and squeeze it in your hand. It should hold its shape when you open your hand, but break easily when poked. If it doesn't hold its shape, the soil it too dry, but if it sticks to your hand like mud, it's too wet.

Yes, it is possible to grow ginger this way.

Yes. Grow indoors during the harsh winter months, then follow instructions above to get the best chance of success.

Soak them first, then cut and dry if you want to. If you do it the other way around, the protective calluses may be softened.

Ginger cannot be grow from stems; you have to have the rhizomes (roots).

It is planted in summer-spring and harvested in winter. It takes 8 to 10 months to mature. In winter when the leaves starts dying, harvest ginger. It can also be grown indoors, where the plant isn't so season dependent.

For a desert climate, ginger will not tolerant the temperature. You will need to provide shade and watering according to the plant and soil.

You can't from stem cuttings, but the rhizomes can be broken/divided and potted as smaller plants. Be sure to cut with a clean knife, and dust the cut wounds with an organic fungicide prior to planting to prevent rot.

You can intermix ginger plants and okra. They help each other. Plant one ginger eye next to each okra seed/plant, on the opposite side of the sun.

Yes. We have chopped leaves into tiny pieces with scissors. The flavor is more mild than the root.

Yes, you can, provided it is brought inside during the harsher winter months (unless your balcony is enclosed for winter). The only trick is finding organic/unsprayed ginger roots to sprout, as many commercial varieties are sprayed to prevent sprouting. Sprouting can take a while, so be patient and watch those little nubs for signs of green.

Yes. I live in far north Dallas and put two pieces of ginger in a pot in April or May. I put in a bag of soil which had a 5-1-1 ratio, watered the soil every morning to keep it moist, and by the end of September we had seven stalks, the first is about 3 feet tall.

Yes, a two year growing period works fine and gives a bumper crop. Make sure you bring it indoors during cold months. Apart from keeping the compost moist you can virtually forget about it.

It depends on a number of factors, namely crop yield, overhead costs, labor fees, market price of ginger, and amount of time invested.

No. Plant each piece of ginger 2–4 inches (5–10 cm) below loose soil, with the buds pointing upward.

Yes, but try not to damage the main stem/where it is growing from. Also, try not to cut a lot of the leaves.

If all of the plant's needs are met, like well-draining soil, water, sunlight, manures/fertilizers, etc., then a healthy ginger plant would flower in 5 to 12 months.

Yes, as long as the plant is provided with its requirements (proper temperature, light and nutrients).

Ginger thrives on high-quality, well-draining soil. Mixing garden soil with an equal amount of well-rotted compost should do the trick. If your soil is poor quality or heavy in clay, purchase rich potting soil instead.

Ginger is a tropical plant, but you can grow it in a continental climate as long as you reposition the plant indoor or mulch it before frost season.

Apparently, red soils can have a texture of clay, sand, or loam. Ginger needs to be fertilized and the texture of loam should work. Clay will not. I have no idea about sand. It grows well in compost.

Feel around the base of the shoots and if there are roots tease the soil around them and pull them up at the same time.

Technically ginger is a rhizome, which is an underground stem. However, it's typically referred to as a root.

You must make sure not to shock the plant; sudden changes in the environment can harm it.

They only grow straight up and down. If you cut off the top of the stem it will not grow back, but die.

You'll need a deep pot. Soak the ginger root over night, plant it eyes facing up, and put soil on top of it (don't pack it tight). Put it in a shaded area until the shoots come out. My ginger in a pot has grown, but I've never gotten edible sized ginger from it.

If you leave it, it will simply re-shoot once more as soon as the weather warms up. So long as the winter is not too cold and wet, as the ginger will rot under those conditions.

Yes, I harvest twice a year, I plant in September to harvest in late Feb then plant immediately to harvest in August. I live in the Tropics in Cairns Australia. Right now we are having 38 degree Celsius days and the Ginger is loving it.

Yes, if it has eyes on the rhizome and it is not dried out and wrinkly. I have even had success with ginger rhizomes that got accidentally left in a pot with old soil for nearly a year. When I took them out, they still had a few of the little green nubs (eyes). You can see if it will start putting out roots by soaking it in a shallow pan of water (do not cover entirely with water, just halfway) in a sunny spot, and watch for it to start growing. Transplant it soon after it starts growing shoots; they don't like their feet wet and eventually it will rot. Some people don't like to start them in a pan of water, but it has worked for me okay.