Accurately called the home of ginger is difficult. Some researchers believe that its natural habitat is India, others - Southeast Asia. Moreover, it is difficult to say even where he came from in our lands: from the West or the East. Today it is actively used in medicine, cooking, but for breeding at home is not always taken. It is very difficult to achieve its flowering.
Is it possible to grow ginger at home
If we are talking about the plot, the cultivation of ginger at home is possible only in Indonesia, Australia and southeastern India. Actually, therefrom usually ginger root is supplied to domestic supermarkets. But in our latitudes, it can be grown in the open ground as an annual, and then in southern latitudes.
Did you know? Medicinal ginger is a tropical plant whose alternate elongated leaves give it a resemblance to grass. It belongs to the ginger family, which includes Japanese ginger, turmeric, cardamom, as well as a number of ornamental plants.
Nevertheless, gardeners and gardeners argue that it is possible to cultivate this plant at home. That's just need to grow ginger on the windowsill.
Ginger at home: conditions for successful growth
But even at home to grow it is not easy. You must adhere to a number of rules to achieve the desired result.
The choice of capacity for landing
Choosing a pot for planting, note that ginger grows in breadth. This means that it is suitable shallow capacity, but with a flat bottom. From below it should be covered with a drainage layer, and it should be at least 3 cm. The plant does not like stagnant moisture, although it requires frequent watering.
What should be the soil for planting
Knowing what kind of plant is ginger, it is necessary to choose the right soil mixture for it. Some flower growers recommend taking sheet humus, sand and sod land for its preparation in equal proportions. Others claim that you can use any land for planting. The main thing is that it is not solid, but rather loose. In any case, before planting, it is recommended to mix it with fertilizer for root crops with high phosphorus content.
Did you know? In the past, on gulf ships, ginger was grown in pots and used for food. So sailors fled from scurvy and other diseases. And the ancient Greeks valued the plant for a beautiful light yellow flower with a purple border.
What should be the place of cultivation of ginger
Under natural conditions, the growth of ginger takes place in warm conditions with a lot of light. If you plant it on the site, pick up a place with high humidity, shaded, but well lit. You can land in the open sunny area, but in the middle of the day you need to plant a plant. Ginger likes a lot of diffused light, but does not tolerate direct sunlight. The ideal place for its cultivation is the greenhouse.
Another question is how to plant ginger at home. In this case, it can be settled on a balcony or loggia, it will be good to feel himself in the summer on the terraces. But in this case it is necessary to ensure that the rays of the sun do not burn it.
Planting ginger at home
In its natural habitat, ginger grows year-round, occasionally releasing new flowers. Therefore, there is no special time frame for its landing. But if you want to grow ginger root in our strip, you need to know when and how to plant a plant in order to receive flowers or new tubers in the summer.
Planting dates ginger
In our region, crops are harvested in the fall. As the root grows and gains strength for at least six months, the best time for its planting will be the winter months.
How to choose and prepare ginger for planting
In order to succeed in the cultivation of ginger, it is important to select the planting material from the very beginning. You can buy it in any supermarket, the choice of the root must be approached carefully. It should have a smooth skin without damage, traces of rot or freezing. It is advisable that it is not very dry. Although some experts say that after soaking the root in warm water, this is no longer a problem.
The main thing is that it had escape buds. In their absence, the question of how to grow ginger, will become irrelevant - the root simply does not germinate. In fact, the root for planting is prepared by analogy with potato tubers. It should be cut so that each lobe had at least two such buds. Slices must be treated with activated charcoal, a solution of potassium permanganate or hardwood coal. Some gardeners are from division, immersing the root in water, leaving a small part of it on the surface.
Before planting, it is advisable to prepare the root for planting so that an awakened tuber is planted in the ground. This will increase the chances of success and accelerate the germination of the plant. To do this, the tuber is dipped for two to three hours in warm water, but do not forget about a large amount of light.
Planting ginger at home
So, with the question of whether it is possible to plant ginger at home, we figured it out. Now let's figure out how to do it right.
In the prepared substrate, the root is immersed with the eyes up to a depth of 3 cm. After that, it should be poured abundantly with water and put in a dry place, ensuring a temperature of about 15 ° C. Sprouts should appear in about two weeks.
How to care for ginger in a pot
When the first shoots appear, it is necessary to proceed to the following rules for growing a plant. Having studied the ginger plant and all about it, you should remember that He loves moisture, warmth and a lot of light. Accordingly, it should be placed in a penumbra in a warm place and organize frequent watering. At this stage of the growing season, it is important to ensure that the air temperature does not fall below 18 ° C, otherwise the root will go into "hibernation mode" and it will be difficult to wake it up again. The optimum temperature for normal plant development is 25 ° C.
Important! At home, when grown in a pot, ginger grows to 100 cm. All parts of the plant have a characteristic lemon scent.
How to water the plant
In the issue of watering the main thing is not to overdry the soil in which ginger grows, otherwise the plant will die. But at the same time, excess moisture is also destructive for him - the root simply rot. Therefore, watering is carried out gradually, but often. After each such event, the soil must be loosened for better circulation of moisture. An excellent plant will feel if it is periodically sprayed with a spray bottle.
Features feeding ginger
It is important to know not only how to plant ginger root, but also how to ensure its growth. To do this, it is recommended to conduct regular plant nutrition. Florists insist on regularity for normal vegetation of the plant. First advised to give organic fertilizers. At the stage of active growth it is necessary to use potash preparations, which will provide it with thick and beautiful greenery. When the plant is ready for flowering, it will require phosphate fertilizer.
Important! In our strip and Europe, ginger blooms rarely. But this can be achieved if all the conditions of its cultivation are strictly observed: adhere to high humidity, high temperatures and hide it from the direct rays of the sun. Then a flower of light yellow color with a purple edge will appear on a long basal stem. True, the first flowering can be expected only two or three years after planting.
Ginger harvesting and storage
The final stage of the cultivation of the plant becomes the harvest. If you figured out how to properly put ginger at home, take care to properly collect and preserve the results of their labor. To this end, they gradually begin to reduce watering in the fall, so that by the middle of autumn all the stems and leaves have dried up. Then you can dig up the root and prepare it for storage.
To do this, it must be cleaned from the ground, if necessary, washed and let dry in a fairly warm and well-ventilated room. Then it is sent for storage in a dark dry place with a temperature not exceeding 4 ° C. As a rule, it is a cellar. But you can store the harvest in the refrigerator, after wrapping it in parchment paper. Keep your roots dry. In the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator, it can be stored for about a month.
You can meet the advice to freeze the root and store it in the freezer. Of course, it is possible to follow it, but remember that at the same time the plant will lose most of its useful properties. You will have only spicy seasoning, which will give a pleasant taste to dishes, but not a medicinal plant.
To save the root for a longer period, it can be dried and stored at room temperature for about six months. However, before use, you will have to soak it for at least 6 hours in water.
Important! Dried ginger has a sharper taste and a harsh aroma.
Ginger root for storage can be soaked in water. To do this, fresh tubers are well cleaned, poured boiled water and put in the refrigerator. Keeping its taste and medicinal qualities, in this form it can be stored for about a month. You can pre-grind it. In this case, ginger is stored in a sealed package at a temperature not higher than 35 ° C.
Surprisingly, but ginger can be grown independently and in our latitudes. Even if the climate in your area is far from tropical, you can always plant a potted plant in your apartment. It is only important to provide him enough light, moisture and heat. Harvest can be collected and stored up to six months.
