Ginger is a tropical plant, its homeland is Asian countries. Since ancient times in China, the root of this plant has been used for the preparation of medicinal balms and tinctures. It is still widely used in Indian and Chinese cuisine as a spice, and also added fresh to salads.
Ginger can be grown in Russia at home, as well as outdoors in the summer. The growth period of ginger is 8-10 months, so the root of the plant is first planted in a pot filled with fertile soil. Ginger planting is carried out in January-February, then to plant seedlings on the site in May-June.
Choosing a Ginger Root to Plant
Choosing a ginger root to plant is very simple. The main condition is the presence at the root of growth points that are similar to the "potato eyes." They are root segments with small rings similar to the rings of a tree trunk.
Ginger Root with Growth Point
If brown spots are visible on the root, then such ginger is not suitable for planting in the ground. The three-year-old ginger root is old. It will not grow, but will rot in the soil, since it does not have the energy to grow.
A root with gray spots is also not suitable for planting. It is affected by fungal diseases and will rot in the soil before it begins to grow. All gray spots seen on such a root should be cut with a sharp knife, and the sections should be treated with garden var or charcoal to disinfect them.
A young root with several growth points can be divided into segments, and plant several plants in separate pots to get more seedlings.
How to plant ginger.
Soil composition
Not all gardeners know how to plant ginger properly. The root of the plant needs to be prepared for planting. It is placed for eight to ten hours in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate. Then the ginger root is planted in a pot with drainage holes filled with fertile soil.
The homeland of ginger is considered the eastern part of India, where tropical forests predominate. Therefore, the soil for planting the root should be peaty. Such soil is fertile enough for its growth, as it contains a large amount of nitrogen and potassium.
Ginger does not tolerate stagnation of water. Peat soil does not absorb moisture well, so an equal part of the sheet soil is added to it. Sand is also added to the ground to provide drainage.
In loose soil, ginger root will develop well. In order to avoid infection of the plant with fungal diseases, the soil is watered with fungicides and mulched. As an antibacterial layer, you can use:
Garden perlite;
Vermiculitis
· Volcanic soil of large fraction.
Such mulching material will not allow the development of spores of gray rot, which often affect young ginger sprouts.
Neutral or alkaline soils are suitable for growing ginger. If you use horse peat in the preparation of the soil mixture, add dolomite flour to its composition to normalize the acid-base balance.
Ginger root is planted to a depth of 5-10 cm. Growth points should be directed upwards, they can be left above the soil surface. If you are planting several root segments in one pot, then the distance between them should be 8-10 cm. The growth points of the segments should look in different directions or vertically upwards, so that the plants have enough space for development.
Ginger growth and seedling care
After planting, ginger root must be poured with warm water so that the plant's buds wake up. For intensive growth of ginger in the winter, a pot with a root is placed on the windowsill of the southern window, and also provide additional artificial lighting.
In spring and summer, ginger should be rearranged on the windowsill of the north or north-west window. From direct sunlight, young shoots of the plant get burns and stop their growth.
In the fifth or sixth month after planting ginger in a pot, seedlings can be planted in open ground to increase yield. Weak plants that received sunburn in the spring or summer will not be suitable for planting in open ground. It is better to dig up such plants, and use their roots for cooking.
How to prepare seedlings for planting in open ground
For planting in open ground, only strong seedlings with a large number of subordinate roots are suitable. By the time of planting in open ground, ginger seedlings will grow to 10 cm. The shoot will form a third growth point and up to five true leaves.
When transplanting ginger, inspect the root system of the plant. The base of the shoots of ginger is pink, and the accessory roots are long. They develop deep into the soil up to 15 cm.
Roots suitable for transplanting in open ground
The root segment that you planted in the pot should rot by the time the ginger is planted in the open ground. From the planting material, only the peel will remain. This growth method is a bit like potato growth. The rotten ginger root must be separated from the root system of the plant.
How to plant ginger in open ground
Ginger is planted in open ground when the seedlings grow to 10 cm in height, and the threat of spring frosts passes. If you took good care of the seedlings in the winter, and it grew strong and strong, then you can plant ginger in the open ground at the end of May.
In order for the plant to take root in the open ground, you must follow the rules for planting ginger:
· Choose the right place for landing;
· Prepare beds for planting;
· Cultivate the soil from pests, in particular from the May bug.
A suitable area for planting ginger should be well lit, but at the same time protected from direct sunlight. An ideal place to grow ginger is close to young fruit trees with a sparse crown or ornamental shrubs.
The soil for the growth of ginger should be loose. If loam prevails in your area, dig holes and fill them with a soil mixture that consists of:
From humus;
· Sand;
· Sheet land;
Garden perlite.
All components are mixed in equal proportions. Instead of leafy land, you can use horse peat. In this case, slaked lime or dolomite flour must be added to the soil mixture.
Ginger is planted in wells filled with the prepared mixture. Then the wells are watered with a hot (70 ° C) solution of potassium permanganate. Thus, the soil is heated to a temperature of approximately 23 ° C and disinfected from pests.
After the solution is absorbed into the soil, ginger seedlings are carefully removed from the container and transplanted into the prepared hole using the “transfer method”. It is covered with dry sand or a soil mixture.
After transplanting into open ground, ginger must be mulched. For this, garden perlite or vermiculite is suitable. Hay, spruce branches or pebbles cannot be used. Such material passes moisture and holds it in the soil, so the risk of decay of ginger roots is very high.
Perlite or vermiculite absorbs moisture and gradually gives it to the roots, so there will be no stagnation of water. Using such a mulching material, ginger irrigation can be reduced, which will additionally protect the roots of the plant from decay.
In August, ginger must be transplanted into a pot and rearranged on a windowsill. With this growing technology, it will bloom in its third year. A month after the first flowering, the roots of the plant will begin to rot, so the crop is harvested immediately after flowering. You can dig out ginger earlier, but the yield will be less.
Harvested Ginger
Now you know how to plant ginger in open ground, so you will collect up to 3 kg of root from each plant.
