Growing your own ginger

Ginger plants can be propagated from the rhizome (root) you would buy at the grocery store or you can find somewhere to purchase online. If using store bought root, you should soak the root in water for 24 hours before planting as sometimes the roots are sprayed with an anti-sprouting agent before they go on sale.

Ginger is vegetatively propagated from small sections of the rhizome, called sets (see https://www.plantvillage.com/topics/g...). Sets are produced by cutting a small 3–6 cm (1-2 in) section from the rhizome ensuring that each has at least one bud, which will produce the shoot. Air drying the set before propagation will help prevent fungal diseases.

If you wish to plant in the garden you can either plant directly or, if you live in a cooler climate, start the root indoors and produce transplants. This can be achieved by covering the sets with potting soil, manure or sawdust and keeping moist until the shoots of the new plants are 1-2 cm when they are ready to be moved into the garden.

Ginger can also be successfully grown in containers either indoors or out. You should plant the sets in a container that is at least 16 in wide and 12 in deep that has been filled with a good quality potting soil. Press the sets into the soil and lightly cover. It is important that the soil (and container) provide good drainage and you should keep the soil moist but not waterlogged and not let it it dry out.

Finally, ginger plants do not like direct sunlight so place the container in a partly shaded area.