How to grow ginger on the windowsill

Ginger has long been not exotic at our table, with it being treated from the cold, make a wonderful tea and add this spice in food. It is grown in its homeland in South-East Asia, plus in other regions with a suitable climate. However, even inhabitants of temperate latitudes can try to tame it by growing in a heated greenhouse, Conservatory or on the windowsill.

How to choose planting material

Ginger is sold all year round, but it is better to plant it in February, to grow it until the end of autumn and the beginning of cold weather you could enjoy a warming tea. The period of complete maturation of the root is from eight to ten months. Need to planting material had the following characteristics:

• the smoothness and density to the touch;

• a minimum of fibers;

• a small age;

• availability of a viable kidney.

Germination

To awaken the kidneys, you need to put ginger root in warm water with a weak solution of potassium permanganate for two hours. After this time you need to dry the tubers and Packed in plastic bag, until the eyes sprout. The big piece is cut into several small, making sure each were the kidney, and open spaces are treated with charcoal.

The characteristics of the soil and planting

Capacity for planting should be broad and shallow. For drainage the bottom poured a layer of pebbles of one inch. On top of it is covered by the same layer of river sand. It was the turn of soil in the proportion of one part of the turf, the same amount of compost and half sand. Turn out to be loose earth, and put the prepared stub, positioning it horizontally, buds up. Left sprinkle on top of the ground to its thickness was no more than two inches, and abundantly watered.

Care shoots and dressing

Moisten the soil must be regularly, continuously basting with water as the drying of the top layer. The first sprouts have to wait about a month or two. Fertilizing with organics and minerals is carried out in the period of active growth every two weeks. If the weather is nice in the hot season, you can put a plant on the balcony or just in the open air. Height of stem ginger can reach up to meters.

Harvesting and storage

The leaves and stems closer to the middle of autumn will gradually dry. That means it's time to stop watering and harvest. After extraction from the soil with the ginger roots and remove small rootlets and remains of the stems and leave in a dry ventilated area for a few days to dry. Can be used for planting the next season.

 

Shelf life in a refrigerator for about a week, so it's best to dry the roots, because even in this form, the healing properties and taste are retained for four months. Heal from a cold or enjoy a gingerbread-grown root annually.