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Ginger is a delicious ingredient that can be used in a wide range of recipes. It can have a range of other uses too. You may be surprised to learn just how easy it can be to grow ginger at home.
The first thing to understand about ginger is that it is a tropical plant. As such, it will not usually be possible to grow it outside in cooler temperate climates.
With a little planning and preparation, however, it is easy enough to create a growing area with the right environment. You can grow ginger fairly easily in a heated greenhouse or polytunnel structure, or on a sunny windowsill inside your home.
You may be glad to hear that no matter where you live, you do not need to be a gardening expert to grow it. And you do not need to spend much to get started.
In this article, we’ll cover how to grow ginger in a temperate climate, as well as covering some suggestions for growing ginger in a tropical or subtropical garden. So, wherever you live, you should be able to give it a go.
What is Ginger?
Ginger is a plant known by the Latin name Zingiber officinale. It is a perennial herb which is generally grown for its swollen underground stems, or rhizome. This is usually between 1.5 and 2.5cm thick.
The plant grows to around 30-100cm in height, and in optimal conditions can grow to form clumps of around 1.5m x 1.5m.
It forms slender pseudostems (which are also sometimes harvested for stem ginger), and has long and narrow leaves. The influorescences have pale yellow and purple flowers and grow directly from the rhizome on separate shoots. (Though these are more rarely seen in temperate climates.)
Ginger belongs to the same plant family as turmeric, cardamom and galangal. It originated in Island Southeast Asia and was likely first domesticated around 5,000 years ago by the peoples of Pacific islands during the Austronesian expansion.
This is one of the first spices to have arrived in Europe from Asia with the spice trade and is now popular around the world. The roots are used fresh and dried in a wide range of recipes. They also have a long history of medicinal use.
Today, India is the country with the highest ginger production, followed by Nigeria, China, Indonesia and Nepal. However, this is a plant that can be grown in a wide range of different areas, even in containers, which can make it ideal for small-scale home growing. Interestingly, it is only found in cultivation and never growing wild.
Why Grow Ginger?
Growing your own ginger is a great way to reduce the food miles (and carbon footprint) of the food you eat. It is also an ideal crop to grow if you want to expand the range of flavours in your home-grown diet.
Ginger is not only an excellent spice for a range of curries and other recipes. It can also be used fresh and dried in a huge range of different ways. (More information on the various uses of ginger can be found towards the end of this article.)
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