How To Plant And Grow Ginger In Your Home Garden

Planting Time

First, you’ll need to locate some ginger rhizomes. These can be simply purchased from your local grocery store or farmers market, or you can order them online via Amazon.

Ginger Root (Zingiber officinale)

Online retailers are particularly helpful if you want a cultivar other than standard culinary ginger.

If you are able to choose in person, select a root (or roots) that is on the large side and healthy, four to six inches long, with multiple “fingers” extending from it.

You’ll want to find a location that’s in full to partial shade with rich, loamy, and well-draining soil for planting. This is naturally an understory plant that thrives in hot and humid jungle-like conditions with dappled sunlight.

Ginger can be grown directly in the ground or in pots (more on that later).

To plant ginger:

1. Amend with compost or aged manure if your soil is lacking.
2. Plant in early spring if possible. If you live in a warmer climate, you can plant at any time.
3. Slice off the fingers, making sure each rhizome piece is one to two inches long with at least one bud.
4. Allow the pieces to dry for 24 to 48 hours before planting, as this helps to control for possible root rot.
5. Plant cut sections at least 12 inches apart no deeper than one inch. For commercial cultivation, ginger is usually planted in double rows one foot apart with a working path between rows.
6. Water well after planting.
7. Leaves will emerge after about one week.
8. Water sparingly but deeply after you see growth.

Your ginger will grow up to four feet tall and many of the roots will appear above ground, which is natural for this type of plant.

What About Colder Climates?

Have you ever tried growing this tasty item in your garden year-round?

According to the USDA Hardiness Zones map, if the answer is “yes” and you live in growing Zone 8 or lower, you were probably disappointed to find that your ginger didn’t sprout back up when you checked it in the spring.

What’s a “Hardiness” Zone?

These are designated, climate-dependent regional categories that help a gardener determine what he or she can or cannot grow.