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Kitchen Garden Tips…Growing Ginger
You might think growing ginger (Zingiber Officinale) in your kitchen garden is a mere novelty, a horticultural gimmick that will never pay back the time and effort you need to put in. But, once you try it, you will never purchase ginger again. Ginger is a very important spice crop in Guyana. It is one of the oldest known spices esteemed for its aroma and pungency. It has usage in foods, beverages, preservatives, medicines and perfumery industries. For those planting for the first time, it is important to have sufficient knowledge of the agronomic practices of the selected crops as this will result in successful cultivation.
As it relates to ginger, Kaieteur News was told that the crop is a shade loving plant that thrives best in sandy loam, clay loam, or pegasse soils with good drainage. First, the soil is brought to a fine tilth by repeated ploughing and harrowing. Soil pH should be between 5-7. Beds of 1-1.5-meter width and convenient length with a height of 15 centimeters are made—approximately 50 centimeters apart. Once land preparation is done, you can purchase a chunk of ginger about the size of your thumb or a little longer from the market. Look for firm, light-coloured ginger roots with bumpy little buds at the tips. Organic ginger is preferable; as regular grocery store ginger is treated with chemicals that prevent sprouting. The crop is then planted at a spacing of 25x30cm in small shallow holes made using a hand hoe in the beds and covered with soil or dried cow manure. The beds are to be mulched immediately after planting with green leaves or dry grass. Mulching may be repeated after 45 days and again at 90 days after planting. 
The crop is manured depending on the soil type. Ginger may be irrigated depending on the rain fall and soil type so planting is usually done on these beds by the ending of May or early June to coincide with the rainy season. Return next week for more information on caring and harvesting ginger.
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