Zingiber officinale commonly called ginger comes from the Zingiberaceae family and originated in South-East Asia.
Ginger is a perennial plant which grows well in the tropics from rhizomes. It takes approximately 10 months to produce a crop of rhizomes.
Plant ginger rhizomes roughly 2 feet apart in a well prepared bed enriched with compost, leaf mould and sand. Keep the soil moist. You can also plant it in large pots or boxes.
Ginger grows approximately 3 feet in height and the light green leaves are oblong and pointed in shape. The colour of the ginger is yellow. After harvesting, the rhizomes should be washed and dried carefully before use.
Green ginger or fresh ginger is used in many culinary dishes. It is one of the main ingredients in Chinese and Asian dishes, and is also used in both Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine.
Usually almost every Christmas event has freshly brewed ginger beer. On the whole, fresh ginger is available in abundance for the Christmas season.
Ginger can be preserved in syrup, candied as sweets, and used to make tea, ginger ale and ginger beer. Green ginger can be dried and exported throughout the year.
A Happy New Year to all.
Until next week, happy gardening.
