Grow ginger in a few hours of sun on soil that stays moist and still drains. Ginger is Zingiber officinale.
Give it a few hours of sun, moist soil, and nights above 50°F
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Sun | A few hours of sun, or morning sun in a hot climate | Do not leave ginger in hot afternoon sun all day |
| Soil | Rich loam that stays moist and still drains after rain | Do not let the mix dry out, and do not leave the pot sitting in water |
| Air | Warm, humid air; nights above 50°F | Do not leave a thin pot out through a cold night |
| Water | Keep the soil evenly moist once it is in leaf | Do not water on a calendar if the mix is already wet |
ginger is a tropical rhizome grown for the knobby underground stem, not for a showy spike. It wants a few hours of sun, soil that stays moist after you water, and nights that stay above 50°F. [1] [2] All-day hot sun browns the leaf tips. Soggy, cold mix rots the rhizome. Once shoots are up, water at the soil so the mix never dries out, then let extra water leave through the drainage hole. Set a piece on Planting Ginger. Lift the clump only when you are ready to use it — see Harvesting Ginger.
Does ginger need full sun?
Give it a few hours of sun, or morning sun in a hot climate. Hot afternoon sun all day browns the leaf tips.
How often should I water ginger?
Keep the soil evenly moist once it is in leaf. Water a pot when the top still feels damp, not bone-dry. Do not leave the pot sitting in a saucer of water.
Will frost kill ginger?
Nights near 50°F stall the clump, and a freeze can rot the rhizome in wet soil. Move the pot inside before a cold night.
Grow it in a wide pot you can move before a 50°F night
A pot is the usual U.S. home start because you can keep the mix moist in summer and roll the plant inside before a cold night. Choose a wide pot, because the rhizome spreads sideways more than it dives.
- Choose a pot at least 12 inches wide with a drainage hole. Fill it with a rich mix that still drains. [3]
- Keep the mix evenly moist while the plant is in leaf. If the air is dry, mist nearby, but do not leave the pot sitting in a saucer of water.
- When nights will drop to 50°F, bring the pot into a warm, bright room. The tops often die back. Stop watering while it is leafless, then start again when new shoots show.
Can I grow ginger in a pot?
Yes. Use a pot at least 12 inches wide with a drainage hole, keep the mix moist once it is in leaf, and bring it in before nights drop to 50°F.
When do I bring the pot inside?
Bring it in before nights drop to 50°F. Stop watering if the tops have died back, and start again when new shoots show.
Not wild ginger — and not a flowering ornamental ginger
Wild ginger is Asarum, a woodland groundcover. Do not eat it. [4] See How to Grow Wild Ginger. Kitchen ginger is this plant, grown for a cooking rhizome.
Red ginger and shell ginger are Alpinia — see How to Grow Alpinia. Ginger lily is Hedychium — see How to Grow Ginger Lily. Torch ginger is Etlingera — see How to Grow Torch Ginger. Turmeric is Curcuma — see How to Grow Turmeric. Cardamom is Elettaria — see How to Grow Cardamom. Shampoo ginger, also sold as pinecone ginger, is Zingiber zerumbet. We do not sell that. A search for ginger flower is usually one of those ornamentals, not this culinary clump.
Is wild ginger the same plant?
No. Wild ginger is Asarum. Kitchen ginger is Zingiber officinale. Grow this plant for the cooking rhizome, and do not eat Asarum.
Is a ginger flower this plant?
Usually not. Culinary ginger rarely flowers in a pot. A showy spike is more often red ginger, ginger lily, or torch ginger.
If leaf tips brown in hot afternoon sun, move the pot into morning light and water at the soil — dry mix and harsh sun are the usual reasons a clump stalls.
FAQ
Is common ginger the same as kitchen ginger?
Yes. Common ginger, garden ginger, and root ginger are names for Zingiber officinale. Grow this plant for the cooking rhizome.
Do you sell shampoo ginger?
No. Shampoo ginger is Zingiber zerumbet, grown for the pinecone heads. Culinary ginger is Zingiber officinale.
Can I grow ginger from grocery seed?
Start from a plump rhizome with visible buds, not from seed. Grocery pieces sometimes fail to sprout if they were treated for storage, so choose a firm piece that already shows a swelling bud.
Can I grow ginger in a glass of water?
A jar of water is not a reliable crop. Plant the rhizome in a draining mix and keep that mix moist after it sprouts.
Does culinary ginger flower in a pot?
Rarely. Flowers form on older clumps in a long, warm season. Indoors you grow it for the leaves and the rhizome.
Is ginger toxic to pets?
Culinary ginger is not the woodland plant called wild ginger. Still keep animals from chewing the leaves, because any plant can upset a stomach.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/zingiber-officinale/ - [2] UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions -
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/ginger/ - [3] University of Vermont Extension -
https://www.uvm.edu/extension/news/growing-ginger-and-turmeric-indoors - [4] Wisconsin Horticulture -
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/ginger-zingiber-officinale/
This note is part of Zingiber Guides.
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors