Re: ginger

From: "Robert Wagner" <robwagner at robwagner.seanet.com> on 1997.04.09 at 15:26:21(592) Yes, you can harvest Ginger roots. For fully ripened Ginger, you let it grow to the end of the growing season--maybe even let the first winter frost knock down the tops. Let it dry off just a bit, and store it in a cool spot. For young Ginger, you harvest it after it has grown some new rhizomes but before it is fully ripe and while the tops are still green. You probably have Zingiber officionalis--common culinary Ginger. It should have no trouble overwintering as long as the soil doesn't freeze--try giving it a bit of a mulch if that's a problem. Even hardier is Z. myoga, Japanese Ginger, which will probably overwinter in the Mid-Atlantic states. Like most Gingers, they like hot summers, rich, moist soil, and cool dry winters. Given these conditions you should easily be able to get them to harvestable size. Culinary Ginger is a shy bloomer, but the blossoms are cute. Most of its relations are more generous with their exotically beautiful flowers. You'll notice that the foliage is rather handsome, too. Robert +More (who was badly smitten by Gingers a few seasons ago and has a garden full of them) > > I'm not a botanist...just a gardner and I have a question... > > A freind went to the grocerty store and got a piece of ginger root...he > > roted it and gave me some. Now it is doing VERY well in my > > garden...growing and multiplying like crazy. I live in Upstate S. > > Carolina where it gets down to 5 degrees in the winter and up to 100 in > > the summers. > > > > Question: Can I harvest the roots for ginger? If so, how and when? > > > > Many thanks > > > > Mark Malmgren > > > > > Guanghua Zhu > Missouri Botanical Garden > P. O. Box 299 > St. Louis, MO 63166-0299, USA > Phone: (314)577-9454 > Fax: (314)577-9438 >

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