Skip to main content
Edible Roots: Ginger

Edible Roots: Ginger

Ginger is surprisingly easy to grow and the most wonderful when it is dug up fresh from your garden

A spicy, zesty, pungent root that is best known for its healing and soothing abilities, ginger is native to south eastern Asia and is still used today for medicinal purposes as well as a flavourful spice for food. 

You can either buy ginger from a nursery or wait till one of your old pieces to grow "eyes" or growth buds. The buds look like little horns at the end of a piece. Try and use organic ginger if you can. You can cut or break up the ginger rhizomes in little pieces with a couple of growing buds each. Plant your pieces 5 to 10 cm apart and about 5 cm deep, with the growing bud horns facing up.

The best planting time is late winter/early spring and you'll need to find a location that's in full to partial shade with rich, loamy, and very well-draining soil for planting. Ginger is a tropical and understory plant that thrives in hot and humid jungle-like conditions with dappled sunlight.You will need to keep it moist and mulch it thickly. 

Ginger contains calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, carbohydrates, fatty acids, amino acids, sodium, minerals and fibre.

Ginger clears sinuses, strengthens immunity, improves circulation, soothes digestive problems, cures motion sickness, relieves pain, manages glucose levels, relieves muscle soreness, opens airway passages for asthma sufferers and freshens breath. 

Zesty, flavourful ginger can be added to your daily diet in a variety of ways. A common way is to make ginger tea by adding a small slice of fresh ginger to a hot cup of water. You can also add ginger to fruit juices and lemonade. Ginger can also be added to a variety of baked goods including cookies, cakes, muffins and pies. Ginger is a common ingredient in many Asian recipes - added to vegetable, meat, fish and poultry dishes.

Image: Shipards Herb Farm
Something incorrect here? Suggest an update below:
Simone N
Member

Awesome! Adding this to my mother’s garden plan :-) Does it grow in cooler climates or just temperate to tropical? Friday, 24 April 2020

Simone N
Member

Awesome! Adding this to my mother’s garden plan :-) Does it grow in cooler climates or just temperate to tropical? Friday, 24 April 2020