Sprout your ginger roots and you can cultivate a wonderful plant

How many times do we see ginger on sale in a supermarket or grocery shop? Ginger is an ingredient that is part of the cuisine of many countries, with an unmistakably taste, used in sweet and savory dishes, drinks, and more. So, almost everyone has a piece of ginger root in their refrigerator. Ginger keeps for a long time, it is true, but sooner or later, it will go off.

So, why not use unused ginger in a little gardening experiment? In fact, ginger is very easy to grow and you will find its cultivation a fascinating pastime.

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The best conditions to ensure the success of this experiment are:

• A fresh piece of ginger root: to the touch, it must be very hard and turgid, without soft parts or wrinkles or black mold spots.
• Look for the eyelets: these are those small, bubble-like bumps that indicate where new shoots will start from. The more you see on the root, the more chances it has of becoming a luxuriant plant. You can also divide a large root into several sections, each with one or two eyelets.
• The right amount of light and the right temperature: the best period to plant is the end of winter or the beginning of spring, in 20 or 21°C. But you can try at any time of the year, provided that the root does not get too hot in the sun.

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You can then try one of two ways to grow the root: in water, or in soil.

In water:

• Use a glass or small bowl, fill it with water and immerse the root in it for 4 or 5 hours;
• Take the root out, and dry it with paper towels;
• Put the root in a plastic bag (or glass jar) and close it. You'll keep it there for a week;
• When the first sprouts appear, fill a pot with rich, well-draining soil and place the root in the soil, with the sprouts at the top;
• Water the pot and only water again when the soil dries out;
• After three weeks, you should see that each shoot has produced green stems and leaves.

In soil:

• Get a transparent plastic container with a lid, and make small holes in it;
• Also make holes in the bottom of the container: they will be used to drain off the water;
• Fill with rich and loose soil, not too compact (you can lighten it with a little river sand). If you want, you can also add a layer of expanded clay to the bottom first;
• Plant the roots (or pieces of roots) and cover them with soil so that it reaches half a finger above the root;
• Water and close the lid.
• Only water again when the soil dries out;
• After three weeks, you should see that each shoot will have produced green stems and leaves.

In short, it takes a little patience but it's worth a go!