Last year I wondered if I should buy pieces of ginger and plant them, whether they would extend and give me a crop – despite the fact I live in a cool temperate climate.  I didn’t try hard except to stick three rhizomes into potting soil in a deep pot and hope for success.

So I was pleasantly surprised when green leaves appeared. I hoped this meant that growth was happening out of sight below the soil surface.

Around this time I decided to research online to begin to learn whether what I had done might be successful, or what I should have done if the experiment was doomed to failure.

The Tropical Permaculture site was helpful.  What had I done correctly?  The pot was in a sheltered spot but it was in direct sun for much of the day and lacked constant warm weather. Often I didn’t water the pot so it lacked moisture and humidity.  The result was a short growth of leaves up top and the original rhizomes rotting in the ground when I pulled them.

So will I try again. Yes.  Later this year I will buy some ginger pieces with evident growing buds, then try growing them inside the house in a shallower pot with good composted soil, in the warmth of filtered sun light.  Because this is a dry climate and my house interior is warm and dry, I will create some sort of plastic tent around them so that, as I water, the humidity is created and kept around the plants without rotting the ginger.

My guide will be this instructive video. I will plant in mid-November using 4 cm long and 4 cm wide pieces of purchased ginger. After the new leaves appear I will make an effort to water, water and then water again while making sure the plant is as warm as it can be but protected when the temperature is in the late 30s and 40s.

Lifelong learning. That’s my aim.