真相大白:我可能对姜有超乎寻常的迷恋。这些天我发现自己经常想喝咖啡。我喜欢把它加到我最喜欢的亚洲或印度菜中,以茶的形式喝它,在沙拉中加入姜汁每周不少于三次。微辣可口的味道可以真正改变一顿饭。But the greatest news about ginger is that not only is it delicious, it’s alsogood for you.
种姜听起来可能有点吓人,但一旦你明白是什么让它茁壮成长,它实际上是你的花园中最简单的东西之一。在我们开始之前,让我们先了解一下这种独特植物的一些基本知识。
GrowingGinger Root Basics
When we talk about eating ginger root, what we’re really eating is the ginger’s rhizome. The green stalk of the plant grows out through the top of the rhizome, and the ginger’s roots come out from the bottom of the rhizome. We’re going to call the rhizome “ginger root” anyway, as that’s what everyone calls it.
Where To Grow Ginger Root
Ginger needs a sheltered spot, filtered sunlight, rich, moist soil, and warm, humid weather (hello, Florida). USDA planting zones 9-12 have the best growing conditions.
What ginger really doesn’t love is frost, direct sunlight, strong winds, and soggy or waterlogged soil. If you live outside USDA planting zones 9-12, you probably shouldn’t plant ginger outdoors.
If you live in a cooler climate, it’s not impossible to grow ginger, but you may need the help of a greenhouse. It’s probably best to grow it indoors to maintain the warm climate that ginger needs. Many people grow ginger outdoors in cooler climates simply for the beauty of the green plant itself as well as its beautiful yellow flowers and the lovely smell it exudes when you brush against it, without having any expectation of harvesting the root.
Planting Ginger Root
To get started growing ginger, you’ll simply need some fresh rhizomes (what we commonly refer to as ginger root) from a gardener friend who already has an established ginger plant, or from a store. Generally, ginger isn’t grown from seed. You’ll want to find pieces with well-developed growth buds. It’s not a bad idea to soak it overnight, especially if you’re using ginger root from a store.
没有理由把生姜放在水里直到它发芽(不管你在网上读到什么)。在温暖、肥沃、湿润的土壤中,姜最适合呼吸。
Whether you grow ginger in a pot or in a garden, make sure you use good quality soil mixed with some compost. Make sure your soil is moist, but not soggy, and that your garden or pot has proper drainage.
The best time to plant ginger root is late winter/early spring. Plant the roots 2-4 inches deep with the root buds facing up.
They don’t take up a tremendous amount of space, so if you’re planting more than one plant, you’ll only need to space them 6-8 inches apart. The plant itself will grow to be about 2-4 feet tall, and the rhizomes themselves will grow in tight clumps.
Maintaining Ginger Root
I don’t want to say that ginger is a “set it and forget it” plant, but essentially, it is. Once planted in rich soil, it will produce year after year.
Harvesting Ginger Root
You can begin to harvest ginger when it’s as young as four months old. Ginger at this stage is considered “green ginger” and has less flavor than ginger that is more mature. Generally, it takes about 8-10 months for ginger to be fully matured. To get at the ginger root early, just dig carefully at the side of the clump beneath the dirt.
Once the entire plant is matured and ready, you’ll notice that the leaves of the plant have died down. Now you can dig up the entire plant. If you’re growing ginger in pots this is very simple—you won’t have to do any digging, just tip the plant out of the container.
Once you have the clump of rhizomes out, break them up, select a few for planting, which you can do immediately for the next season, and harvest the majority. Use whatever fresh ginger you want to right away, and the rest can be stored inbrandy, dried, pickled, fermented, or frozen.
Uses For Ginger
Ginger in its various forms can be used for a remarkable number of things.
Ginger isoriginally from the tropical rainforests of southern Asiaand was one of the first spices bought and traded in ancient times. Today,Indiaproduces the most ginger of any country in the world.
姜的味道更适合茶、拿铁、汤和炒菜。It’s also delicious when mixed with itssister plant turmericto make curries and turmeric tea.
As of late, ginger is garnering a lot more attention because of its health benefits. I never travel without a few bags of ginger tea in case of an upset stomach. There are several ways to curate ginger into some helpful home remedies such as cough syrup and drops, sore throat spray, orwellness tonicsto prevent illness.
生姜还可以制成胶囊,用于治疗晨吐、消化不良和发烧等健康问题。人们在沐浴时洒上干粉,可以缓解肌肉酸痛和身体疼痛。
If you’ve not yet taken the plunge into growing ginger, remember that once you’ve provided it with the optimal environment, it will continue to reward you year after year.
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