Ginger: grow guide

If you like the spicy flavor you cannot stop trying the ginger in a restaurant or, better yet, at home, picking the root from your own garden. Its cultivation is simple, since it is very adaptable and resistant, in addition to having a fairly fast growth rate.

In addition, it has multiple uses, both in the kitchen and therapeutic. Do you feel like growing it? Here you have a guide with all its cares.

Ginger characteristics

It is a rhizomatous herb whose scientific name is Zingiber officinale known as ginger, kion or quion native to Southeast Asia. It belongs to the botanical family Zingiberaceae. It grows up to 120cm in height, with leaves up to 25cm long and 1 to 3cm thin, with a sharp, glabrous apex.. The flowers are grouped in yellow and violet inflorescences in the form of a basal raceme, and the fruit is a subglobose to ellipsoid capsule with black seeds.

Its cultivation and maintenance is very easy, so much so that if you have just entered the world of gardening this plant is a very good candidate to be the first.

How is it grown?

In order to taste it, it is important to acquire seeds or rhizomes in spring. The ginger plant needs heat -but not excessively- to be able to sprout, so the best time to start growing it will be when the temperature begins to rise above 15ºC. Once we have them, we have to proceed as follows:

Seeds

1. The first thing is to fill the seedbed (pots, plastic trays, yogurt cups, ...) with universal culture substrate.
2. Next, we will place the seed on the surface, and we will bury it only a little, just enough so that it cannot be blown away by the wind.
3. After. we water well, conscientiously, so that the earth is well soaked.
4. Finally, we place the seedbed in an area where it gets direct sunlight.

Rhizomes

Rhizomes they can be planted in a pot or in the garden. Being a rather small plant, with a non-invasive root system, we can have it in the place we prefer.

Potted

1. We will take a pot that is at least 30cm in diameter.
2. We fill it more or less halfway with universal growing substrate.
3. We introduce the rhizome. This should be about 3cm below the edge of the pot.
4. We finish filling with substrate.
5. And finally we water.

In the garden

1. The first thing to do is prepare the ground: remove weeds and stones, put a 3cm layer of manure and rake so that the soil is level.
2. Afterwards, we will proceed to dig trenches 10cm deep. They must be 60cm apart.
3. Next, we will plant the rhizomes, leaving a distance of 50cm between them. They should be about 3cm below ground level.
4. Finally, we will water.

Maintenance and collection

Ginger is an all-rounder plant. It is very adaptable, so much so that It will be enough to water it every 2-3 days and fertilize it every 15-20 days by adding a layer of about 3cm of organic fertilizer.. Thus, we can collect its rhizome five or six months after having planted it.

Ginger pests and diseases

Although it does not usually have problems, if we make a mistake in the cultivation it can be affected by:

• Mushrooms: of the genus Erwinia and Fusarium. These microorganisms appear when the soil is wet for a long time. When the rhizome is harvested, it has black spots and may feel soft, as if it were rotten.
  To avoid this, you have to control the watering and let the soil dry a little before watering again. You can also do preventive treatments with sulfur or copper in spring.
• Nematodes: these are microscopic worms that measure about 0,2 millimeters. They cause damage to the roots of plants, as they enter them and feed on their juice. The most common symptoms are: pale green or yellow leaves, weakening, stunted growth, rickets.
  They can be fought with Etoprofos or Daxomet, following the indications specified on the package.

Uses and Properties

Culinary

Due to its peculiar flavor it is used, both dry and powdered, to disguise other stronger aromas or flavors, like the seafood. Too It is used to make candies, gingerbread, and also to flavor cookies or drinks.

Its nutritional value is as follows:

• Carbohydrates: 71,62g (of which 14,1g are fiber, and 3,39g are sugars)
• Fat: 4,24g
• Proteins: 8,98g
• Water: 9,94g
• Vitamin B1: 0,046mg
• Vitamin B2: 0,17mg
• Vitamin B5: 0,477mg
• Vitamin B6: 0,626mg
• Vitamin C: 0,7mg
• Calcium: 114mg
• Iron: 19,8mg
• Magnesium: 214mg
• Manganese: 33,3mg
• Phosphorus: 168mg
• Potassium: 1320mg
• Sodium: 27mg
• Zinc: 3,64mg

Medicinal

Ginger has many medicinal properties. In poultice form used to relieve headaches (headaches) and mouth pain, and if we cook the rhizomes they will serve us treat colic, diarrhea, respiratory diseases (flu, colds, cough, hoarseness), malaria, gout, rheumatism, dysmenorrhea.

Learn how to prepare a ginger infusion

Ingredients

To make our infusion, we need:

• 10g fresh ginger root
• Plant rhizome
• Water
• Saucepan

Preparation mode

1. We cut the root and rhizome into slices.
2. We put water to boil.
3. Before it boils, add the ginger and turn off the heat.
4. Cover the saucepan and let it rest for 8-10 minutes.

Do you prefer cookies? This is how they prepare ...

Ingredients

• 260g flour
• 150g butter
• 100g of brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 5g baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 pinch of salt

Preparation mode

1. In a bowl we sift the flour, brown sugar, bicarbonate, cinnamon, ginger and add a pinch of salt.
2. Then we add butter and mix everything well.
3. Now, on a smooth surface we add a little flour and place the dough.
4. With a roller, we will stretch it well until it is half a centimeter thick.
5. Now, we can cut the dough with the molds that we like the most, and we will place them on a tray lined with baking paper inside it at 180ºC for 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Finally it will only be left to cool and serve.

And with this we are done. What did you think of the ginger?