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Planting Ginger

Ginger is a biennial or perennial herbto the tropics and cultivated in tropicales in both hemispheres. The plantflowers or produces fruit. The rhizomesnderground stem often referred to as thewhich has a characteristic, pungent taste,ri to some extent in medicine, but its principal commercial use is in flavoring foods,confections and carbonated beverages.

Ginger is believed to be native to thewarmer parts of Asia, where it has been culti-vated from early times. The plant rapidlyspread to the West Indies, South America,Australia, and Africa. Ginger has been recog-nized as a spice for thousands of years. AncientGreeks and Romans welcomed the flavoringagent from southern Arabia, by way of the RedSea. It has also been savored through historyin India. Long ago, this herb was consideredmedicinally valuable in treatment of digestivedisorders, although most growers value it to-day for its use as a condiment.

Ginger is an exhaustive crop and requiresfertile soil with good drainage. The rhizomesare likely to rot in poorly drained soil, and theplant will not thrive in gravel or sand. Formaximum growth, much rain and high tem-peratures during the growing season are re-quired, and it is therefore best grown in tropi-cal and subtropical regions.

The rhizomes are harvested early inwinter, and the crop should not be replanteduntil early in spring. Ginger is readily propa-gated from small divisions of the rhizomes,each division containing at least one bud or"eye." In Florida, these may be planted inFebruary or early March about three inchesdeep and about 16 inches apart in rows twofeet apart. The plants come up slowly and inthe early stage of growth are much benefitedby some protection from the sun. Cultivationand hoeing sufficient to control weeds are neces-sary. As the season advances and the rhizomesenlarge, the plant develops numerous leaf-stalks, followed in fall by flower stalks.

In Florida the roots may be harvestedearly in December. This is readily accom-plished with a garden fork. The soil is shaken off, the top cut off close to the rhizomes andthe fibrous roots removed. To facilitate re-moval of the soil, it is advisable to break therhizomes into several branches, or "hands."

Ginger grows well in a greenhouse with a75°F. (23.89'C.) temperature. It needs a largepot and a lot of water and responds well toapplications of liquid compost or manure.

The rhizomes, collected when young andgreen, are washed and scraped before beingpreserved in syrup or as a tasty preserve whichis exported mainly from the West Indies andChina. Ginger candy, made from sliced sec-tions of ginger preserved in sugar, is a favoriteamong children and adults alike.

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