Growing Ginger

Zingiber Officinale : Zingiberaceae / the ginger family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec

Not recommended for growing in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions

  • Plant pieces of fresh root showing signs of shoots. Best planted at soil temperatures between 68°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 6 inches apart
  • Harvest in approximately 25 weeks. Reduce water as plant dies back to encourage rhizome growth.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Grow in separate bed

Your comments and tips

09 Jan 19, Mike (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Set your climate zone - pick the vegetable you want to know some information about and then read all the information here about it. Most of the information you need is here - when to plant, how long to grow it, when to harvest. Read it and read it again and again until you understand it. Then read the last 20-30 comments here about that vegetable. It's pretty simple stuff and remember it is only a guide. Like they recommend planting a lot of vegetables now in January - I don't plant anything in Jan - Feb (in sub-tropical Aus) because it is too hot, windy and the chance of huge amounts of rain. Better to leave it until March/April. If you need more info GOOGLE IT.
06 Jan 19, Mike Logan (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Did you read this at the top of the page. Under ( ? )
26 Sep 18, Annette Kaye (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
I have grown ginger successfully for 10 years now. I started when a piece from the supermarket sprouted and so I planted it in the garden. It does extremely well here - in fact it is a pest and grows wild. My question is, the ginger I grow is not as hot as the ginger I buy. It is very mild. Why is that?
13 Oct 18, John (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Your older dried ginger is not as spicy? or are you comparing young ginger which is mild compared to older dried ginger? In Thailand you get dishes with fresh young ginger stir fried as a vegetable as it is nice and mild and not fibrous.
08 Oct 18, Mike (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Never grown it but it might have something to do with the variety or maybe too much water, Do some research on the net about varieties.
10 Mar 18, Emily (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Hi good day, Please may I know what type of sand to use to plant ginger and where do I get/buy them from? Also are egg shells a good substitute for sand. Thanks lots for your help! Have a lovely day!
25 Mar 18, Prakash chandra (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Just put lots of compost in soil and plant ginger. You may have to wait for two years before you can dig ginger out. Within two years there will be enough big ginger formed.
23 Oct 16, Emily (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Please may I know if I could grow ginger, the edible ones we get in the supermarket, in Auckland? Thanks
02 Feb 17, Karen (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
I bought my ginger from a supermarket and seems to be growing well. I selected the small pieces with the bumps looking undamaged. These bumps will be the growing points. Make sure that the part of the ginger that was attached to a large piece is dry and crusted over before planting else it may just rot away. I think it was 8 pieces I planted and 6 have sprouted. Took a while to see results so patience is required. Best started, one piece per pot. I used plastic drinking cups with drainage holes. Don't over water. Keep soil damp but not wet.
16 Mar 18, Tracey (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Hi Karen Thanks for your comments. I am going to have a go at growing ginger inside. I love your tip on letting the cut ginger dry out before planting. I hadn't thought of that. Thanks. Tracey
Showing 11 - 20 of 25 comments

I’m in tropical Nth Queensland, I’d rather grow my ginger in pots/ containers. What would be a suitable size & shape pots/containers to use please?

- Lorna

Please provide your email address if you are hoping for a reply


All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting will not appear immediately

Gardenate App

Put GardenGrow in your pocket. Get our app for iPhone, iPad or Android to add your own plants and record your plantings and harvests

Planting Reminders

Join 60,000+ gardeners who already use GardenGrow and subscribe to the free GardenGrow planting reminders email newsletter.


Home | Vegetables and herbs to plant | Climate zones | About GardenGrow | Contact us | Privacy Policy

This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. GardenGrow is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
We cannot help if you are overrun by giant slugs.