Have you ever heard of ginger before? Do you know it’s native of India and it’s now all over various countries of the world? What kind of crop is it and what does it look like? In this article, I’ll explain everything and other relevant stuff about it.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a perennial herbaceous crop in the Zingiberaceae family. Ginger is prized for its fragrant, pungent, and spicy flavor. It comes in a variety of forms, including fresh, dried, powdered, oil, and juice, and is sometimes used in processed meals and cosmetics.
Ginger is grown for its spice and medicinal properties in tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world. Nausea, loss of appetite, constipation, and muscle soreness are all possible health advantages. The crop can also be grown both indoors and outdoors.
What Does A Ginger Plant Look Like?
So how can you identify a ginger plant? The following are various ways of identifying a ginger plant when you find one.
1) Check out the leaves’ shape and surface
Shiny, heart-shaped basal leaves arise from ginger plants. This means they only grow from the plant’s base, not the crown or higher up.
2) Check out the leaf stems’ base
The stems of ginger plants are covered in fine white whiskers and have a hairy base.
Read also: What Are The Best Conditions For Ginger Root To Grow?
3) Check out the flowers
Flowers on ginger plants only bloom in the early spring and last until late spring, so flowers outside of this period indicate that the plant is not ginger. The flowers are tripartite (comprising three sections), brown or purple (although certain species can be a deep red or even green), and grow from the plant’s base, making them difficult to overlook.
4) Make a mental note of where the plant is
Ginger plants grow best in the shade and thrive in warm, damp environments like woods and dense woodland. Although it grows in other parts of the world, ginger is most common in tropical areas like Jamaica, the West Indies, and parts of China.
Read also: Learn How To Grow Ginger In Water Without Soil
Maintenance Tips For Ginger
Now that you’re aware of what ginger looks like when you come across one, how can you maintain it? The following are various steps taken to care for your ginger.
Plant ginger in a semi-shade to the full-shade environment. Choose a site with a lot of organic matter in the soil and good drainage. Ginger grows best in a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5.
Before planting, adjust the soil if necessary to obtain a pH in this range. When planting the rhizome, make sure it is completely covered in soil. To keep the plant-covered, hill around it regularly.
In the absence of rain, water a ginger plant frequently throughout healthy growth in the spring and summer. Watering should be stopped in the fall as the leaves die down, then resumed in the spring to enhance leaf emergence.
During healthy growth, fertilize a ginger plant once a month. Apply a regular mix, such as 15-15-15, as directed on the label. After the leaves have withered away, harvest the roots of culinary ginger in the fall. Before storing, dry the roots in the shade.
Conclusion
I hope you find this article helpful. I would like to hear from you. So, let me know if you have any questions about how ginger looks like. Also, learn how to grow ginger in the container and get a huge harvest.
References
- “Growing Ginger Root (Zingiber Officinale) Learn How To Grow Ginger At Home” retrieved from here
- AgriLife Extension “Ginger” retrieved from here
- Leafy Space “Types of Ginger Root and Ornamental Ginger Plants (Including Pictures)” retrieved from here
