The plant ginger has a rich flavor.There are a few options when it comes to harvesting ginger.Most people grow ginger for its roots which are underground and have the most intense flavor.If you want to harvest ginger, you'll need to dig up the plant or cut it off.Your ginger will be ready to cook or freeze after a thorough washing.
Step 1: ginger can be planted in well-drained soil.
The best place for ginger to grow is in soil that is easy to drain and doesn't have water on its surface.Look at how the soil responds after a rain soak to find a good spot for planting.Add more drainage if the water pools on the surface for hours after.When ginger is pulled from the ground, it should be firm to the touch.It's possible that the rhizome was wet in the soil.
Step 2: Your ginger plant needs to be fertilized every 2 weeks.
When you first water your ginger, mix in a slow-releasefertilizer.In the next two weeks, water your plant with a liquidfertilizer.Follow the instructions on the packages to get the best results.You won't have to fertilize if there is a lot of organic matter in your soil.If you want to minimize the exposure to chemicals, try an organicfertilizer.If your rhizomes are not growing fast, consider usingfertilizer.If your ginger is small, it's possible that they didn't get enough nutrition.
Step 3: Crop rotation or solarization can be used to kill off the nematodes.
Your ginger crop can be damaged by root knot nematodes.If you want to get rid of them, you need to plant a brassica plant in the same soil.You can heat up the soil around your ginger plant by circling the base of the shoots with a plastic sheet to trap the sun's rays.If your ginger rhizomes have large pits, this is a sign of a disease.Your future ginger crops will suffer from these pests if you don't treat the soil by rotation and continue to plant in the same area.They are based on the soil.
Step 4: You can harvest ginger during the fall season.
You need to plant ginger in the early spring or summer in most climates.The plant has a lot of opportunities to grow an extensive root system.The plant will be ready to be removed from the ground by the middle or end of the fall.After 2 months, your plants will start to grow roots.The best time to harvest them is after 10 months.
Step 5: Wait for your ginger to stop growing.
After they've completed a flowering cycle, most ginger varieties will be mature and ready to harvest.The flowers will fall away from the plant.The leaves will dry out.There are different varieties of ginger that produce flowers.
Step 6: Use a trowel to dig a circle.
Use a trowel and your hands to dig 2 to 4 inches to the side of the sprout in a circle.Continue digging until you reach the rhizome.The rhizome should be easy to spot in the soil, as it will appear white or a light brown against the darker color of the dirt.You won't have to dig for very long because most ginger rhizomes are about 2 to 4 inches deep.
Step 7: The ginger plant needs to be pulled out of the ground.
To leverage the plant out of the ground, use your trowel after you've exposed the root system.It's okay if you break apart pieces of the root when pulling upwards.You can use your trowel to dig out the broken sections.Pull the green shoots of the plant to remove the dirt.
Step 8: Take out a single piece of ginger.
Pick a spot 2 to 4 inches away from the green shoots and make a small hole in the ground.If you locate a rhizome, use your trowel to slice off an end piece.The ginger will grow and mature if you refill your hole with dirt.This is a quick and easy way to get ginger.It only takes a few minutes and doesn't hurt the plant.If you don't find a rhizome with your initial small hole, dig to one side or another.
Step 9: Warm water will wash off your ginger.
Put the ginger plant under a stream of warm water and scrub it with your hands or a scrub brush.It can be difficult to clean ginger due to its unusual shape, so make sure to wash all of the nooks and crannies.If you are worried that it isn't clean enough, let it dry for a few minutes and repeat the process.You can use a vegetable wash at your local grocery or gardening store.
Step 10: Cut the shoots away from the root.
Place the entire chunk of ginger on a cutting board.You can either discard the shoots or use them for something else.Prepare the rhizome for use in cooking or storing.Prepare ginger shoots the same way you would green onions.Chop the shoots with a sharp knife.Place a few pinches on top of the food to give it a taste of ginger.
Step 11: Before cooking, remove the skin with a knife.
Your ginger should be on a cutting board.Use the other hand to hold the knife and hold it firmly.Take the knife's blade out of the rough outer skin and put it in strips.The goal is to expose the lighter colored flesh.Because of the shape of ginger rhizomes, you can make many short cuts, instead of a few long smooth ones.Don't worry about how it looks, just keep going.You can rinse off any dirt or debris by holding the ginger under the water.
Step 12: The ginger can be frozen in 1 inch chunks.
Cut your ginger root into cubes by placing it on a cutting board.The pieces should be arranged on a cookie sheet.For 1-2 hours, freeze them.Place the cubes in freezer bags.The ginger cubes can stay fresh for 3-4 months when preserved this way.One benefit of this method is that you can take out single pieces and use them in recipes.