Tart taste and spicy aroma. Anyone who has ever tried ginger knows that this plant cannot be confused with any other. It is not only very healthy, but also delicious. So that ginger is always at hand at the right time, it can be grown directly on the home windowsill. This article will tell you how to grow ginger at home .
Where is ginger used?
Ginger root has been successfully used in cooking for more than a decade. Real gourmets are able to appreciate how the dish changes its taste when ginger is present in it. The dried root of this plant is added to a variety of pastries, from ordinary bread to confectionery. For example, in winter ordinary gingerbread cookies with ginger create a certain holiday atmosphere. Chefs of higher cuisine, and ordinary housewives add ginger to various dishes to give a spicy note. Freshly squeezed juice from this plant is included in various sauces. Even ginger is added to drinks, whether it is ordinary water or mulled wine.
Pickled root as a separate snack can decorate any table. But the spectrum of application of this plant is much wider. Medicine has long noted its healing properties. It not only enhances immunity and strengthens the body, but also cures various diseases. With systematic use, ginger root dilutes the blood. Due to this, blood circulation throughout the body improves. More oxygen begins to flow into the brain cells. Ginger is used in the treatment of the stomach, as well as in liver diseases. The root of the plant helps increase potency in men, and women encourages passion. Ginger is also a natural sedative. Is it possible to grow ginger on my own? The answer to this question is in this article.
Popular varieties
Ginger has been cultivated for a long time. The first experiments were carried out at the beginning of the 15th century. All this time, breeders have been trying to develop a universal variety. It should be juicy and with a rich taste. Ginger roots are distinct from each other. Their flesh is greenish, brown, yellow, with a splash of blue. The smell is mainly citrus or herbal. However, there are also varieties whose roots do not smell as pleasant as everyone else. For example, kerosene. But the spicy taste and fragrant aroma is present in all, regardless of variety. Barbados black and Bengal white ginger are the most common and popular varieties. They differ from each other only in the brightness of taste: black is the most saturated and burning.
Breeding conditions
For successful breeding of ginger, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for it. It is worth remembering that this plant grows in the tropics. The climate is hot and humid. If you observe the following parameters, then growing ginger will not cause trouble:
- The optimum temperature for growing is from 15 to 32 degrees. If the temperature is lower, then ginger, instead of sprouting, will simply hibernate.
- Humidity should be high. It can be supported in two ways: by watering and spraying.
- Lighting. The light is necessarily bright, but diffused. If your windows do not give such illumination, then you can resort to using artificial lighting with lamps.
- The acidity of the soil does not exceed 6 pH. You can check the acidity with ordinary vinegar. Take a teaspoon of earth and pour a little vinegar into it. If a foaming reaction occurs, the soil acidity is neutral. And it is permissible for planting ginger.
Technology for growing ginger at home
How to grow ginger at home on the windowsill? This is not so difficult to do. It is enough to choose a good, smooth root without superfluous growths and darkening in the store. At home, divide it into several parts. It is necessary to do this so that each of them has kidneys or, as they are also called, "eyes". They are very similar to potato. How to grow ginger from the root? Before planting ginger in the soil, hold the pieces of rhizome in warm water. 2-4 hours is enough. From this, the kidneys are activated and begin to grow. After steeping, let the ginger slices dry a little. Do not forget that the cut-off places must be treated with potassium permanganate or an antifungal agent. Ordinary activated carbon can also be used. Simply crush it into crumbs and cover the slices.
Ginger is planted in separate pots with drainage holes. In addition, they must be wide and shallow so that ginger can grow more. The bottom of the pot must be additionally drained. To do this, sand, leaf humus and turf ground are mixed in equal proportions. The soil itself should consist of clay and peat in a ratio of 1: 3. The soil for vegetables has the same composition. Cut and processed parts of the root must be placed 1 cm into the soil. The kidney must be at the top. Abundantly water the ground with settling water and cover the pot with plastic wrap to create a greenhouse effect. You can use part of a plastic bottle. We put containers in a bright and warm place. Further, by watering, we maintain soil moisture. In about a month, small sprouts will appear. Remove the film or bottle immediately. But do not forget to maintain humidity.
From sprout to full root tuber
The stage of active growth in ginger begins in the spring and summer. For successful cultivation, it is necessary to provide the plant with sufficiently diffused light. To do this, you can place pots with ginger on the windowsill from the southwest or southeast side. In summer, ginger can be taken outside. At this time, the sprouts must be fertilized and watered with stagnant water. Drying of the soil is extremely unacceptable. Watering should be carried out strictly according to a certain schedule: we water the day from above, pour the water into the pan a day. You can start a special notebook with a schedule so as not to get confused. It is also necessary to give the root “breathe”. Loosening the earth will favorably affect the growth of the whole plant. Watering is carried out sparingly, otherwise the root may rot in waterlogged land. Soil saturation with water is the main criterion for increasing ginger productivity. 1-2 times a month, phosphorus fertilizers must be added to the soil. The plant is periodically sprayed when it is in the shade. This maintains the necessary moisture. It is forbidden to do this in the sun, otherwise ginger may get burns from drops of water.
Pest control
By spraying, the air is moistened, and it is also a good prevention of the appearance of a spider mite. A spider mite is a parasite that feeds on plant juice through leaves. If he wound up, then withdrawing it will be problematic. Therefore, when spraying, it is worthwhile to carefully examine the leaves. And if the web is visible, then the tick is already killing the plant. If ginger becomes pale, yellowish-brown spots appear on the leaves, increasing in size, then this also indicates the presence of a spider mite on the plant. Spraying the plant with special solutions and maintaining high humidity will help get rid of the parasite. At the end of summer, watering is gradually halted, and by October it should stop altogether. At this time, the tuber matures. In autumn, the leaves should begin to fade and turn yellow. This means it's time to harvest. If the grown ginger is not intended for eating, then it is transferred to a cool place with an air temperature of 10-15 degrees Celsius. Watering is necessary occasionally. At this time, the plant hibernates. But with the beginning of the new season, you can gradually resume watering, as well as do various fertilizing with potassium.
Ginger cultivation in the open ground
How to grow ginger in the country? Ginger can be grown in the ground. But perhaps this is only in the summer, when the air temperature at night does not drop below 15 degrees. To grow ginger in the open air, you must first sprout several tubers in pots, and then plant them in open ground. If you follow the basic rules below, then ginger will please a good harvest.
Disembarkation Rules:
- Choose a landing site with good lighting.
- Normalize the composition of the soil and its acidity.
- Provide temperature and humidity.
- Fertilize as needed.
Conditions for good growth. Reviews
How to grow ginger in the country? What conditions are necessary for growing this wonderful plant in open ground? If you believe the reviews, it is better to plant the plant in greenhouses. These will be the optimal conditions for ginger. He will not be under the scorching sun during the day and cool at night. In addition, the greenhouse holds moisture well. It is necessary to ensure that the soil is loose and without lumps. If water stagnates in the soil, then the root tubers can rot, so the wells are drained with sand, gravel or pebbles before planting. Before shoots appear, ginger is rarely watered, and in the phase of active growth, watering plants are increased. Between watering it is necessary to periodically allow the earth to dry, but it must not be dried. Once a week, weeds are weedy. Ginger can use both roots and leaves. But it should be borne in mind that cutting the ground part will slow the growth of the tuber.
Where is ginger grown?
The plant grows well in Asia. The homeland of ginger is considered China, India, Indonesia. You can find this plant in Australia, and even in South Africa. Ginger blooms rarely in our conditions. This plant came to us from warm countries. And until it adapted to our conditions. But if you create a climate close to tropical, then the ground part of ginger will please with its decorativeness both in the home interior and in landscape design. Therefore, if you want to bring the energy of the East into your home, it’s worthwhile to figure out how to grow ginger on the windowsill.