Ginger and Turmeric

General Information

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and turmeric (Cucurma longa) are tropical plants that prefer warm, lightly shaded environments. The plant’s rhizome, which is a modified stem that grows underground, is typically used as a culinary spice and for its medicinal purposes. We will harvest and weigh the rhizomes to determine which conditions produce the best product.

We obtained tissue culture starter plants from AgriStarts in Florida. Because these plants are very sensitive when they are this young, they were grown in the greenhouse through the fall and winter and then transplanted outside in the spring.

Ginger starter plants.
Ginger starter plants.
Turmeric starter plants.
Turmeric starter plants.

Ginger has a spicy, peppery flavor and is typically a white-yellow color. It contains an antioxidant compound called gingerol that has anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric has a more earthy flavor and is typically a bright yellow-orange color due to a compound called curcumin. Both ginger and turmeric can aid in digestion and relieve nausea.

In addition to common ginger and orange turmeric, we are also growing several other varieties including black turmeric, blue turmeric, yellow turmeric, green turmeric, mild white turmeric (mango ginger), spicy white turmeric (Cucurma zedoaria), greater galangal, lesser galangal, shampoo ginger, and spiral ginger. Galangal is similar to ginger but has a more citrusy flavor. The flowers of shampoo ginger produce a soap-like substance and spiral ginger, which grows leaves in a spiral pattern, has edible flowers. We obtain these additional varieties from A Natural Farm in Florida.

Spiral ginger grows leaves in a spiral pattern and produces edible flowers.
Spiral ginger grows leaves in a spiral pattern and produces edible flowers.
Galangal is similar to ginger but has a more citrusy flavor.
Galangal is similar to ginger but has a more citrusy flavor.

 

Plant Health Management

Ginger and turmeric prefer well-draining soils, moderate irrigation, and frequent fertilizer applications. The part of the plant that is typically consumed is called the rhizome, which is a modified stem that grows underground.

We are testing two potting mixes: Sunshine Mix #4, a basic mix of peat, perlite, and dolomite lime that works well for plants that require adequate drainage and frequent fertilizer applications, and King's Mix from Royal Gold Soils, a well-aerated blend of peat and coco amended with several nutrient sources.

Because of the rhizome's horizontal growing habits, "hilling", the process of periodically adding more potting mix on top of the rhizome during the season, is a practice that has been shown to promote vertical growth of the rhizome. All ginger and turmeric plants will be fertigated weekly, but we will also be testing the effects of hilling or not hilling, as well as the addition of supplemental nutrients. Fertigation is the application of fertilizer through the irrigation system.

Pests and Diseases

Because ginger and turmeric have not widely been grown in Southern California, we are not sure what kinds of pests and pathogens will be present on these crops. We will be conducting weekly pest and disease surveys to establish guidelines on which pests and diseases to look out for and how best to manage them.