Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is broadly developed flavor as well as it is world’s best regular cure with flexible medical advantages. Ginger is herbaceous lasting blooming plant which is utilized too Known flavor. This herb is utilized as a part of ayurvedic framework for its different therapeutic properties. It has a place with the group of turmeric and cardamom. This plant is effortlessly adjusted to warm atmospheres. It produces pink and white blossom buds in a group. These blossom buds sprout in yellow blooms. It has yearly verdant stem which grows 3-4 feet in tallness. Ginger rhizome shift in shading relying on various sorts. It might be yellow, white and red in shading with earthy skin might be thin or thick. Both new and dry rhizome of ginger is utilized.

Scientific Classification:

Scientific Name:

Zingiber officinale

Common Names:

Latin name – Zingiber officinale
English name – Ginger
Hindi name – Adraka
Kannad name – Hasi sunthi
Telgu name – Alla, allamu
Bengali name – Ada
Marathi name – Aale
Gujarati name – Adu
Tamil name – Shukka, Inji
Malayalam name – Inchi

How to care and grow ginger (Zingiber officinale)?

Planting in the ground:

Plant in rows or beds three feet apart.Dig a trench min. 6” deep and mix fertilizers/compost in the bottom of the trench. Place pre-sprouted ginger seed 5 to 10 inches apart in the trench. Cover with approx. 2” of soil .

Planting in containers:

Use well-drained, soilless media in containers. We recommend using a good quality, lowsalt coconut fiber (also called “coir”). Use flexible grow bags or large pots to allow the rhizomes to grow up and out and to allow enough room for hilling. To plant, fill the bag or pot with 4” to 6” of soilless media and mix in fertilizer and gypsum. Cover with approx. 2” of media.

Sunlight:

Zingiber officinale enjoys partial sun – strong morning sunlight and afternoon shade or dappled shade all day. Ginger can be grown in full sun, but make sure the soil temperatures do not get above 90 degrees F in the summer.

Watering:

Zingiber officinale needs plenty of moisture, but does not like to sit in wet soil. Amend heavy clay soils to allow good drainage. Water plants enough to keep soil evenly moist.

Fertilizing:

• Use a mild, balanced fertilizer (such as a 5-5-5 or 4-6-4) at planting time and at each hilling.
• Well-aged compost is beneficial, but do not add materials that are actively decomposing.
• Decomposing materials will use nutrients in the soil and may cause soil to heat up. Compost alone will not supply all the nutritional needs of ginger.
• Apply fertilizer at a rate of 1 to 2 lbs (depending on soil fertility) per planting row foot. A good quality composted poultry-based manure is commonly used.
• Early in the growing season, ginger appreciates more nitrogen to support leafy growth. In August and September when the rhizomes are forming, ginger benefits from added potassium.
• In approximately 4 to 6 weeks after planting, check the base of the ginger shoots. When a bright pink color is observed at the stem base, hill the plant with 4” of soil and apply fertilizer.Every 2 to 4 weeks, repeat hilling and fertilizing.

Harvesting ginger:

Small pieces of ginger can be harvested 3-4 months after growth begins. Pull aside some of the soil at the edges of the pot to find some rhizomes beneath the surface. Cut the needed amount off a finger at the edge of the pot and then return the soil.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) can be harvested in this way endlessly, and as long as it is well cared for, it will continue to produce roots. If you need a larger harvest, you can uproot the entire plant and re-plant a few rhizomes to start the process over again.

Uses & Health Benefits of ginger (Zingiber officinale):

• Ginger is a best tidbit, it enhances taste and calms anorexia.
• It is additionally helpful in coronary illness.
• It improves digestion and helps to relieve abdominal colic pain.
• It is anti-inflammatory in nature it helps to reduce swelling and edema.
• It is also useful in diseases associated with respiratory tract and asthma.
• It is useful in early stages of liver disorders.it is also used to cure anemia and Elephantiasis.
• It breakdowns hardened stool into small pieces and helps to relieve constipation.
• Ginger is effective in arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, dizziness, menstrual pain, motion sickness and weight loss.
• Paste of dry ginger is applied over forehead to relieve headache.