I want to try growing a ginger plant starting with a piece from the grocery store. I will grow it indoors in a container. Has anyone else tried this? Does anyone have any tips for growing ginger in this way?

Well, I don't know about container gardening. HOWEVER, 3 years ago I purchased pine cone ginger outside on the North side of my home in a 3X3 area. I have the take over of the pine cone ginger now 3X33 feet! In your area of Canada I would suggest this for the container. Purchase some potting soil - good quality. Fill your pot about 3/4 to the top. Put in the Rhizone (sorry my spelling is horrible). Cover Rizone with 1 inch of potting soil. Place in a warm window. Since you are in Canada I doubt your Ginger will begin producing in May. If you want to grow ginger so that you can use it in dish's you will neet to let the plant grow for a year or two, moving it progressively from potting size to larger potting sizes. It is important that the soil the ginger is places in is mildly damp. DO NOT OVERWATER. I hope this helps. I am an expert on outside ginger. But sadly I do not grow anything in the house except Tillandsia's (AKA air plants). I live in zone 9b/10 in Vero Beach, Florida

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An Avid Gardner in Vero Beach, Florida. I also run a disaster network for animals called Ferret Friends Disaster Response - my group responds to natural disasters bringing hope caring, shelter, food and comfort to those of fur, feathers, scales, shells and hoves when disaster strikes

Thanks for the tips. Would the rhizomes benefit at all from a period of refrigeration or is it better to just put them straight into the moist soil?

I'm in zone 2 - so I suspect that an indoor container is my only option for the ginger. It doesn't bother me if it doesn't produce for a while - I'll be happy with getting it germinated and growing to start with :)

I have grown "grocery store" ginger for years. Just make sure that the rhizome is firm and has a light greenish tinge in places and some viable buds. Plant in a good potting soil and keep very warm (heat pad). You will find it will eventually sprout and grow well as long as it gets good light and warmth from a sunny window or deck in the warm months. You should cut it back in winter after letting the soil dry out and just store in a cool place till around Feb/March. Then start again but you will have more rhizomes to give away or re-pot by then so buy another pot! ;-)

do these "grocery store" gingers' flower, or merely produce roots?

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Cathy

Yes, they will flower if you have a long enough growing season and a lot of heat.

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Make your words soft and sweet; you just may have to eat them someday.

So how long does it typically take for the rhizome to sprout?

It depends on how fast it can produce roots on the rhizome. If it's given optimal conditions as stated preciously, it can begin to sprout anywhere from 2-4 weeks. Giving a five minute soak in a rooting hormone liquid will quicken it even more. Remember to plant in a well-draining soil so that it doesn't rot before it gets a chance to root. Don't over water.

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Make your words soft and sweet; you just may have to eat them someday.

I've had mine growing for years. They smell fantastic when they bloom. I've had to chop them up and move them here and there. They're fantastic. I have read things about them that say they don't flower but that is nonsense. Here is a good link about Zingiber officinale:

http://www.floridata.com/ref/Z/zing_off.cfm

Everyone must stop thinking that potting soil is good soil. Its one of the worst soils that exist. Potting soil is thick and dark and only holds onto moisture for way too long. That is a very good way to rot the ginger away and never have any growth. Gingers and heliconias perfer a well draining soil and definately do not want to be kept wet. Moist is good, but never drenched in thick wet soil. Add perlite or coarse sand to a "potting mix" or "potting mixture"

I actually started my rhizome in a container of sand, just had it half in half out and watered it about twice a week until it started to grow. Then I just planted it, high. They're doing great right now, about 4 feet high maybe. They get a good blast of sun for about 5 hours.

I've worked on the Tchefuncte River with white butterfly (Hedychium coronarium) in a couple of different bayous that were usually in up to at most 3 feet of water. From what I've learned they are the only aquatic ginger species.

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"Something about the wrinkle in your forehead tells me there’s a fit about to get thrown
If we get the van out of the ditch before morning ain’t nobody got to know what I done"
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