True Ginger
Zingiber officinale hybrids (ZINGIBERACEAE)
Planting and Growing Ginger
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow true ginger in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, and root structure of true ginger
- Season of bloom and planting time for true ginger
- Plant hardiness and growing conditions for true ginger
- When, how deep, and where to plant true ginger
- How to plant true ginger
- Watering, fertilizing, care and pests or diseases of true ginger
- Landscape and indoor uses of true ginger
- Comments about true ginger and its features
Growing Ginger
Summer rhizome. Deciduous or evergreen. Stands to 20 in. (50 cm) tall. Lance-shaped, midlength green leaves in tiers along stalk.
Thai ginger, Alpinia galangal, is a closely related plant with similar care needs.
Ginger Planting and Care Guide
Flowers
Summer. Orange, pink, white, yellow, sometimes banded or edged with contrasts. Multiple trumpet-shaped, sometimes orchidlike flowers in upright or drooping spikes.
Best Climates
U.S.D.A. Plant Hardiness Zones 8–11; ground hardy, zones 9–11.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained soil. Fertility: Rich–average. 6.0–6.5 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Spring in open shade. Space 6–12 in. (15–30 cm) apart, 2–4 in. (50–100 mm) deep.
Proper Care
Moderate. Keep moist during growth. Fertilize during growth. Mulch. Protect from frost, zones 8–9. Propagate by division in spring.
Lifting and Storing
Dark, 60–65°F (16–18°C), in net bag or open basket of dry peat moss.
About This Species
Good choice for beds, borders, margins, massed plantings in tropical, woodland gardens, landscapes, and water features. Source of the cooking spice treasured for many dishes in Asian cuisine.