 >You might not know this fact, but the ginger is the perfect herb to grow indoors. It is a delightful, super- healthy spice, that is offered at a pretty hefty price at greengrocers,’ right? But you should know that you can grow endless supplies of ginger right at your home, practically at NO COST! Yes, there are many food-plants that you can regrow from scraps, and the ginger happens to be one of them. However, keep in mind that if you are into planting the ginger root plant, you are taking the plunge for the long haul! If you live in a rather cold climate, the ginger can take up to 10 months to mature after lodging! The ginger is one of those miraculous plants that can grow well in partial-to-full shade, which makes it ideal for growing in your home, where most people do not have full sun teeming on their windows all day long. Little bits of the ginger root can be removed while it continues to grow. And this little bit of ginger can go a long way in your kitchen pantry since these pieces can be used for all types of cooked dishes, brewed cups of tea, or for very efficient herbal remedies. And, most certainly, your fragile ginger plant needs to stay indoors during the cold and frosty winter months. Remember: If you live in a place where it gets chilly in the winter, you’d be better off growing the ginger in a pot indoors, and bringing it outside in the summertime. The ginger plant needs well-sheltered and wide pots, warm and sunny weather, and moist soil, that is lots of humidity. Provided that these growing conditions are present, the ginger will grow real fast on a sunny windowsill in a small greenhouse! Another thing to know is that when you are growing the ginger, you can use pieces of ginger root picked up at a grocery store, but we highly encourage you to pick up fresh seeds [or roots] from a local garden center. In such case, you will be increasing your chances for success. However, the ginger purchased from the produce department of your local grocery store can be used to grow a plant, but with spotty results. The grocery store ginger is often sprayed with a growth inhibitor to keep it from sprouting before it’s purchased. That inhibitor also keeps it from sprouting when you stick it in a pot of soil. Grocery-bought ginger could also be coated in pesticides and fungicides. The truth is, you have no idea what’s on it. You can have a grocery-bought ginger growing just fine, and one that is sitting in a pot ‘for ages’ and never budging! So, if you do purchase your ginger from the grocery store, be sure to soak it in water overnight to remove as much growth inhibitor as you can. Here’s how you plant the ginger root plant indoors in a paced action: Pace 1: Soak your ginger roots overnight in warm water to get it ready for planting. Pace 2: Fill a pot with rich, well-draining soil. Pace 3: Stick the ginger root into the soil with the eye bud sticking up out of the soil. Cover it with 1-2 inches of soil and water well. Pace 4: Place the pot in an area of the house that gets bright light [but not direct sunlight] and stays warm. Pace 5: Keep the soil moist but not soggy. You can achieve this with a daily misting from a spray bottle. Pace 6: The ginger is a slow grower. In a few weeks, you will notice some shoots popping out of the soil. Continue the watering regimen and keep it continuously warm. Ginger harvesting: As it is mentioned afore, the ginger root takes a while to harvest – on average, it takes 8-10 months. One thing you can do is simply cut off a piece of the root now and then as per need. Small pieces of ginger can be harvested 3-4 months after growth begins. Pull aside some of the soil at the edges of the pot to find some rhizomes beneath the surface. Cut the needed amount off a finger at the edge of the pot and then return the soil. If you need a larger harvest, you can uproot the entire plant and re-plant a few rhizomes to start the process over again. The ginger can be harvested in this way endlessly, and as long as it is well-cared for. Don’t worry, it’ll continually regenerate. Choose this method, or you can simply harvest the whole root after about 10 months. Here are some more helpful tips for growing the ginger inside: First and foremost, make sure to pick up the perfect pot! The root that you choose to plant should be plump with tight skin, not shriveled and old. It should have several eye-buds on it (bumps that look like potato eyes) and if they’re already a little green, so much the better! If your root has several eye-buds, it can be cut and each bud can be placed in a separate pot to produce several plants. Many will agree that the ginger is delicious! So, really, what’s not to love about growing ginger inside?  |
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