I am planning on planting ginger as my wife uses a lot of it in cooking and she says it has beautiful flowers. Does anybody know if it will grow in California? I always assumed that it was a tropical plant.
Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Chuck
Planting Ginger
u can grow ginger anywhere and every where, provided given the right environment. check this link and follow all recommended link - learn about ginger growing and who has grown them ... http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/376076/ i just did a search on DG. hope that help u.
MaVieRose,
Thanks! The only ginger root that I was familiar with was the rhizomes that Mitjo had all stuck together. So I can just go to the grocery market and choose rhizomes to plant? What do you look for in a healthy rhizome?
Will Miracle Gro Potting soil be rich enough and drain fast enough for ginger rhizomes? Also, what if soil temps drop to the low 40's during the winter. One of the main reasons I am growing ginger is to see the beautiful flowers my wife talks about and for homegrown ginger tea. Will I be able to do both without a container garden?
Thanks again,
Chuck
Chuck, on ur next trip to the produce section of any grocery, check for the rhizomes of ginger. u will see some are already broken apart, if not, don't hesitate to break one urself. a good matured rhizome would be one that has a very pungent taste and smell. do not hesitate to taste it either cuz it is the only way u will know. young rhizomes hardly have any pungency on them.
if u are lucky enough, a matured rhizomes will sometimes show signs of new growth at one end of the rhizomes. the outer skin would be somewhat brownish or tan in color. young rhizomes are very light in color, skin are very thin. scrape the skin with ur finger nails. old and matured rhizomes have thicker skin.
u do not need Miracle Gro potting soil. since i have done so much research on organic growing: i have learned that Miracle Grow or it's potting soil has so much salt in them that they tend to be not too environmentally friendly. some DG members has gathered out thoughts and experiences together to discuss some products and soil additives. do not hesitate to read cuz am sure u will learn a lot. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/618176/ to be successful in gardening, i have learned that doing some research does enlighten one to understand plants we grow. everything i know now, did not happen over night. almost my lifetime planting experiences and tons of researches on line and books i haul and borrowed from public libraries. i know it is too much reading, but in reading will reveal tons of things we never knew before, yet be surprise that gardening is not based on fertilizers but to prepare the soil to meet the needs of the plants.
all u need is sand or sandy soil. it has to be damp, but not soggy wet. during the winter months, allow the soil to somewhat dry in between watering. the cold and wet soil combination will rot ur ginger rhizome in the winter months.
to make it easy on myself, what i do is wrap the rhizome in newspaper, then in plastic to keep them dry. u have to check once in a while to check if the rhizomes need some moisture. mist spray if need be to prevent the rhizomes from completely drying. when u try to restore rhizome in the winter months. i take the rhizomes off the soil, brush off the dirt, wrap in newspaper.
ginger tea and honey is a must during the winter months to avoid cold and flu. in the culture i grew up from, ginger tea is a must to drink.
when u store rhizome, cut off all the stem to the base of the stem as close to the rhizome as possible. did u know that u can also use the stem in cooking and making ginger tea? in the orient, nothing is wasted.
growing ginger, is of personal preference. in ur area, u probably can grow them in the ground. i am not too familiar with ur area, i am basing what i am saying in the zone where u are, not the area. i do not even know where Perris is.
As far as I know edible ginger (Zingiber officinale) does not flower or produces insignificant flowers. There are many beautiful gingers but the one you eat will produce nice foliage but nothing showy. It is easy to grow on a pot or planted in the soil in your zone. However, most supermarkets treat the roots so they will not sprout so you might want to try an on-line source.
who says Zingober officinale does not bloom? check for urself.
http://www.sunnygardens.com/garden_plants/zingiber/zingiber_3068.php
http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Zing_off.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger_root
http://www.e-ssentialoils.com/essential_oils/zingiberofficinale.html
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=flower%20Zingiber%20officinale&btnG=Google+Search&sa=N&tab=wi
http://www.himalayadirect.com/shopcontent.asp?type=h_zingib
Not to get into an argument but I said "or produces insignificant flowers." Compare these blooms to other gingers and you'll see that they are not even close to the color and size of the others. I never got mine to bloom but didn't consider it a loss because I was growing it for the root. I hope you have better luck with yours.
i am not into any argument. i am merely showing thru different links that it does bloom. u probably are missing something which is why it does not bloom for u. if u be kind, pls follow some of the links to learn more about the plant and see the bloom on some of the links.
If I may, a friend planted grocery store ginger and his bloomed beautifully, I believe the hidden ginger. It had delightful yellow blooms tucked low in the stalk. Yes it will bloom but you won't know which one. If you want the beautiful butterfly ginger, (flowers smell wonderful) purchase or get starts. If you want eating ginger, grocery store shopping is fine. Pick ginger with green eyes starting to sprout. Just like potatoes. Do not cut ginger when you plant (if you do, let them dry first or they will rot). Plant horizontally and just under the soil, not real deep. The leaves will let you know when they want water. Mine has survived winter freezes so far....I am in a colder zone. Good Luck pod
Thanks to everybody!!
I have read everything about gingers that I could find on this link and associated links. I have checked the plant files. I wanted to say I wouldn't have known all this if I hadn't had good guidance.
MaVieRose,
Can ginger be planted in So Cal all year around? I am pretty sure that it needs shade so I am planting it between a juniper tree and a mountain mahogany shrub.
Our lowest winter temp for the past three winters has been 29 degrees F. Can the rhizomes survive this?
If not, can you tell me when you plant your ginger. If necessary, I will pot it and bring it in from outdoors. It is just that I love to plant outside and my wife loves the indoor plants.
Thanks again,
Chuck
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/576491/
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/409514/
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/398758/
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/616719/
i hope the above links will answer some of ur inquiry.
one advice though, not because another grower is the same zone as u are does not mean anything cuz there is still the altitude to consider and the type of soil u plant in.
u are better of to dig the rhizome in the winter. do not wash, just wrap with dry newspaper. 29ºF is definitely too cold for the rhizome.