Growing Ginger

GROW YOUR OWN GINGER

Ginger is a perennial herb native to Asia. Ginger's culinary qualities are a delight, but its health benefits are simply stunning. It has been shown to be more effective against bacterial staph infections than antibiotics.Fresh ginger is a great addition to stir-fry cooking and is also useful for a variety of home-made remedies.Ginger is so easy to grow that anyone can do it.Let’s take a look at how to grow ginger root in your garden.

Planting And Growing Ginger

• Purchase some fresh ginger root (actually a rhizome, not a root)from the supermarket.Choose fingers which have a shoot bud developing.
• If you will be planting ginger in the ground, it is a good idea to add lots of compost or rotted manure to the chosen spot. If you will be growing ginger in containers, using potting soil is a must.
• Plant your ginger root in the early spring, after all chances of frost have passed. 
• The next step in growing ginger plants is to break or cut off a finger and make sure the section is at least 1-2 inches long as has at least one of the buds (looks like a rounded point) on it. To help prevent rot in the ginger root, allow the cut pieces to dry for a day or two in a warm dry place before putting them in the ground.
• Plant the ginger sections in a shallow trench. You should not be planting the ginger root sections any deeper than 1 inch. You may find as your ginger plant grows that the root pushes back up through the top of the soil. This is ok and is common for the plant to have roots above soil.
• Plant one ginger plant per square foot. Once the ginger root is planted, water it thoroughly. In a week or two you will see the leaves of the ginger plant emerge. Once the leaves emerge, water sparingly, but when you water the ginger root plant, water it deeply.
• The leaves on the ginger plant will get to be up to 4 feet tall and are susceptible to wind damage. Continue to care for your plant over the winter.

Growing In Containers

• Use a good potting mix and fill your container nearly full. Plant the ginger just an inch or two beneath the soil, making sure the eye buds are pointing upward.
• Cover the root and water. A 12 inch pot can probably handle two roots, larger containers can handle another one or two. Plastic is best.
• Make sure you keep the rhizomes moist, out of bright direct sun and wind. They will eventually reach a height of 2 feet or more in a container.Once the ginger has started to grow, feed every two to three weeks with a general pot-plant feed.

Harvesting And Storage

• Gingers are harvested about 8 months after planting, when the leaves have yellowed or died. 
• It is possible for the home gardener to just dig carefully at the side of a clump and remove rhizomes as needed rather than harvesting the whole clump.
• They are sold dry, powdered, preserved in syrup or crystallised. 
• Very young rhizomes, known as stem ginger or green ginger, are peeled and eaten raw in salads, pickled or cooked in syrup. 
• Young, slightly spicy shoots can be used as a vegetable.

Few Health Benefits Of Ginger

• Morning Sickness- A review of several studies has concluded that ginger is just as effective as vitamin B6 in the treatment of morning sickness.
• Migraine Relief- Research has shown that ginger may provide migraine relief due to its ability to stop prostaglandins from causing pain and inflammation in blood vessels.
• Cold and Flu Prevention and Treatment- Ginger has long been used as a natural treatment for colds and the flu. Many people also find ginger to be helpful in the case of stomach flus or food poisoning, which is not surprising given the positive effects ginger has upon the digestive tract.
• Motion Sickness Remedy- Ginger has been shown to be an effective remedy for the nausea associated with motion sickness.
• Menstrual Cramp Relief- Ginger tea with brown sugar is used in the treatment of menstrual cramps.

Chicken Ginger And Sprouts Stir Fry Recipe

Ingredients

• 100 gms Soya Bean Shoots
• 50 gms Ginger Root
• 50 gms Celery
• 50 gms Spring Onions
• 1 Teaspoon Chopped Coriander Leaves
• 4 Shitake Mushroom (Soak for 10 minutes in water if dried)
• 50 gms Chicken Ball
• 2 Tablespoons Light Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Oyster Sauce
• 2 Teaspoons Maggi Sauce
• 1 Teaspoon Sugar
• 1/4 Teaspoon White Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Oil

Preparation

• Chop the spring onion and chicken balls into half.
• The chicken balls are already cooked and only need to be warmed through.
• Fry the chicken ball and onion the pan with oil for seconds.
• Chop the ginger root, celery, and shitake mushrooms and add to the pan.
• Add the light soy sauce, sugar, Maggi sauce, oyster sauce and white pepper and frying for 30 seconds.
• When serving garnish with a little chopped coriander leaves.