Ginger

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Ginger (lat. Zingiber) - a genus of perennial herbaceous plants of the Ginger family. The popular name is white root. The homeland of the plant is South Asia. Today ginger is grown in West Africa, Australia, Indonesia, India, China, Barbados and Jamaica. The genus includes about 80 species, distributed from tropical Asia to Northern Australia.

Characteristics of culture

Ginger is a herbaceous plant with stems up to 50 cm high. Leaves are elliptical or narrow lanceolate, vaginal, up to 20 cm long, tightly covering the stem. Tuberous-dissected rhizome, developing horizontally in the kidney, equipped with basal scales. The flowers are medium in size, collected in apical spicate inflorescences, located in the axils of the bracts.

Growing conditions

In temperate climates, it is recommended to grow ginger in greenhouses or greenhouses, since this exotic plant needs abundant moisture and high air temperature to fully ripen. The soil for the culture is preferable to be loose, nutritious, with the addition of coarse sand or gravel in a small amount.

The best option is structural turf soil, leaf humus and river sand in a ratio of 1: 2: 1. Direct sunlight is contraindicated; wind protection is desirable. It is necessary to create conditions for plants that are as close to natural as possible, because the homeland of ginger is South Asia. You can grow ginger indoors.

Landing

As a planting material, ginger root with live buds, purchased in a regular store, is used. Before planting, the roots are soaked in water for 2 days, and then planted in a large wide pot or container horizontally, buds up. It is important to provide high-quality drainage at the bottom of the pot or any other container, it can be coarse sand or fine gravel.

I plant the root so that it is 2 cm below the surface of the soil. After planting, the soil is abundantly moistened. Seedlings will appear in 1, 5-2 weeks. Young shoots develop very quickly, by the end of spring the plants form a powerful green mass. A pot or container of ginger is put out in the garden or greenhouse for the summer.

Care

Top dressing for the culture is very important, they are carried out from the time of germination to the end of August. As a fertilizer, it is recommended to use mullein diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. In early August, organic fertilizing alternates with fertilizing with potash fertilizers. This approach will allow the formation of larger tubers.

In addition to watering, regular spraying is carried out, it is better not to allow the leaves to dry out. Spraying is carried out in the evening or during the day in cloudy weather. Loosening of the soil in the near-stem zone has a beneficial effect on the growth of the aboveground part and rhizomes. The optimum loosening depth is 1 cm. By the end of September, the ginger foliage is no longer sprayed and watering is significantly reduced.

Harvesting and storage

Ginger is harvested after yellowing and the beginning of the fall of the foliage. Rhizomes are dug up, cleaned of an earthen coma, adventitious roots are removed and dried. Ginger tubers are stored in the basement or cellar at a temperature of 2-4C. You can store ginger in a paper bag in the refrigerator.

Usage

Ginger root is widely used in cooking as a spice for preparing drinks and any other first and second courses. Ginger is also used in its pure form (pickled, with salt or lemon). In Russia, ginger root is used in the production of gingerbreads, buns and gingerbread, as well as kvass, liqueurs and liqueurs.

Ginger is also used in folk medicine. The spectrum of its action is wide. It is useful for diseases of the liver, gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system. Ginger improves memory, oxygenates the brain and boosts immunity.