Topic: Growing Ginger in a polytunnel ?

[RenishawPhil]

Well the OH decided to get the credit card out at the weekend and we now have a 30 ft by 14ft polytunel sitting in pieces waiting for the OH's parents to help us build it next month yippee  ;D ;D

Now could i grow ginger in next year?

anyone grown it successfully?

[Jayb]

Congratulations, poly sounds fantastic  ;D

I've grown it, but best not to expect too much! Makes a gorgeous looking plant though and seems to do best not in full sunlight. I've only really done mine in large pots not in the border and started off in the warm. 

[squeezyjohn]

I've noticed kitchen ginger sprouting before and planted it in pots - it grew a big grass like leaf which was great to use as a kind of mildly gingery tasting herb.  But it died in the greenhouse as soon as winter temperatures got properly cold.

This year I've tried it again in a window-box type long tub in the greenhouse ... also some turmeric roots which I bought in Morrissons - again both have sent up plenty of shoots but not much more - I'm thinking of bringing them indoors for the winter as I think you'd need a heated conservatory at least to keep it going for more than one summer.

Cheers

Squeezy

[Digeroo]

I have had success with it on a very sunny windowsill, I am not sure it liked the lack of winter light or perhaps it was the drought conditions, when I forgot to water it.   ::)  Even though the top died back the root was still edible.

[Gordonmull]

We use loads of ginger so I did some reading on it last year and (if I remember correctly) it is  a tropical forest floor plant, likes shade, humidity and heat.

From what I gathered, it would grow indoors as a houseplant but that I shouldn't expect the rhizome to grow much. Gave it a go anyway. Got about 3" of growth then it gave up.

Nothing ventured...

[Toshofthe Wuffingas]

Joy Larkcom, the expert on Asian vegetables says it needs 24 C summer temperatures with good humidity, fertile moist soil, and can be grown in big pots.  They can be dried off in winter and restarted in spring.