Grow Ginger in Grow Bags & Containers
Think you need a big garden to grow ginger? Think again! I've harvested almost a kilo of fresh ginger from a 30-litre Root Pouch grow bag. Find out when to...
Growing your own ginger in a small space is easier than you might think, provided you give it the right conditions. As I've proven, you can grow kilos of your own fresh ginger in Root Pouch grow bags and containers, without needing a garden bed.
Ginger is a warm-climate plant, widely used in Asian cooking. One of my favourite ways to enjoy it is the simple pickled ginger served with sushi. Fresh ginger can also be surprisingly expensive to buy, so why not try growing your own?
Ginger grows best during the warmer months, and in much of Australia, spring is the time to get started once the weather has warmed up. In warmer parts of the country, you may be able to plant earlier, while gardeners in cooler areas will need to give their ginger a warm, sheltered position and protect it from winter cold.
Here's how I grow ginger in containers, including how to prepare the rhizomes, choose the right grow bag, manage watering and get ready for harvest.
How to Select and Prepare Your Ginger Rhizome
Just to clarify "ginger rhizome" and "ginger root" refer to the exact same physical part of the ginger plant and can be interchanged.
Ginger is native to the Tropics so you want the temperature and moisture levels around the Ginger rhizome to be close to its natural habitat - you may find it difficult to sprout in colder or drier climates unless you can find a nice area where the microclimate mimics a warmer climate. They do like humidity.
Choose a plump, healthy ginger rhizome with several visible buds, often called eyes. You can buy planting ginger from a reputable nursery or gardening supplier. If you decide to try ginger from a food shop, choose a fresh, firm piece that looks healthy, but be aware that it may not sprout. I wouldn't assume that supermarket ginger has been treated with a sprouting inhibitor, as this isn't something you can tell just by looking at it.
Preparation of the rhizome
You can use it whole or cut it into 5–10cm pieces, making sure each section has an ‘eye’ or bud (the little knobbly bits), as this is where shoots will form.
Get the rhizome ready to plant by keeping it in a light spot, like a kitchen ledge by the window, until the "nodes" or "eyes” start to grow. This can take a couple of weeks, sometimes longer, so don't worry if nothing happens immediately, and you will know when the rhizomes are ready because they begin to swell and turn a light yellow/green colour.
Once the sprouting begins, cut the root into 5-10cm pieces with at least 1 “eye ”, the knobbly bit. As with sprouting potatoes, each piece needs at least one growing node to sprout. Let each cut end heal for a few hours or a day before planting; otherwise, the fresh, wet wound may be an entry point for bacteria and rot in the ground.
Planting Your Ginger Rhizome Pieces
Ginger likes a loose, rich growing medium with plenty of organic matter and good drainage. Don't let the rhizomes sit in a waterlogged mix, as they can rot.
I use a good-quality potting mix that meets the relevant Australian Standard, with compost added to improve the organic matter. If you make your own compost, that's a useful way to enrich the mix. Just make sure the finished mix remains open and free-draining rather than becoming heavy and soggy.
Plant your ginger pieces shallowly, around 2–5 cm deep, with the growing buds facing upwards where possible. If you're planting several pieces in the same container, allow about 20 cm between them so they have room to develop.
Our Root Pouch grow bags, from 30 litres upwards, work well for growing ginger. You can plant one large rhizome or several smaller pieces, depending on their size and the room available.
In my own experience, a 30-litre Root Pouch has produced almost a kilo of ginger! You'll see in my Instagram videos just how much can grow in one bag.
Of course, your harvest will depend on the growing conditions and how long you allow the ginger to develop.
Position: Where Should You Grow Ginger?
Ginger enjoys warmth, but it doesn't necessarily need to bake in the sun all day. In its natural environment, it grows in warm conditions with some protection from intense sunlight.
I recommend starting with a position that receives morning sun and some shade from the harsher afternoon sun, particularly in hot Australian summers. In cooler regions, you'll want to maximise warmth and shelter.
One of the advantages of growing ginger in Root Pouch grow bags is that they're lightweight enough to move as the seasons change. You can give your plants a warmer position as the weather cools, or move them out of intense afternoon sun during a heatwave.
If you live somewhere that experiences frost, be prepared to move your bags under cover or into a protected spot during winter. Ginger is much happier when it isn't exposed to freezing conditions.
Select Your Pot or Grow Bag
Growing ginger works exceptionally well in pots, be sure that if you are going to keep it in a pot, you give it plenty of room to grow. The pot needs to be at least 30cm wide and deep.
I'd start with a 30-litre bag or larger. A bigger bag gives you more room for the rhizomes to develop, and you can choose a larger size if you're hoping for a more substantial harvest.
Another advantage of growing ginger in a container is that you can harvest some of the rhizomes and leave others to continue growing, provided there's enough room and the remaining plant is healthy.
If you have the space for a larger planting, our Root Pouch raised garden beds are another option worth considering.
Watering Your Ginger
Ginger likes consistent moisture once it starts growing, but there's an important distinction between moist and waterlogged. The rhizomes can rot if they remain too wet, particularly when the weather is cool and growth has slowed.
I use our Waterpot Ollas as my primary method of watering many of the plants in my garden. These porous terracotta vessels release water into the surrounding growing medium as it dries, helping to keep moisture available around the roots.
Ollas work well with container gardening because they can help maintain a more even supply of moisture without constantly wetting the surface of the mix. They're particularly useful during the warmer months, when a grow bag can dry out surprisingly quickly.
Ginger develops roots that explore the growing medium around the rhizome, so having moisture available in that area is helpful. However, an olla isn't a set-and-forget solution. You'll still need to check the moisture in your grow bag, refill the olla when needed and adjust your watering to suit the weather and the plant's stage of growth.
If you're not using an olla, water the mix after planting and keep it only lightly moist while you're waiting for shoots to emerge. Once the plant is actively growing, increase watering to keep the mix consistently moist without allowing excess water to collect around the rhizomes.
A layer of mulch over the surface can also help retain moisture, especially during hot weather.
Our Waterpot Ollas and Root Pouch grow bags make a useful combination for anyone wanting to grow ginger in a small space.
Fertilising Your Ginger
Ginger appreciates a growing medium rich in organic matter, so starting with a good-quality mix makes a difference. You can add compost or well-rotted manure when preparing your container, provided the manure is properly composted.
During active growth, a suitable all-purpose fertiliser can help support healthy foliage and rhizome development. Follow the product directions for container-grown plants rather than assuming that more fertiliser will produce a bigger harvest.
To be honest, because I started with an excellent, organically rich growing mix, I didn't use much additional fertiliser on my own pots, apart from a monthly application of liquid seaweed tonic.
Seaweed tonic is useful as a plant tonic, but it isn't necessarily a complete fertiliser, so don't rely on it alone to supply all the nutrients your ginger needs if your growing mix is lacking.
Harvesting Your Ginger
This is the rewarding part!
As a general guide, mature ginger can take around eight to ten months to develop, although the timing depends on when you planted it and the conditions in which it has grown. You can often harvest some young ginger earlier, from around four to six months, if you're happy with smaller, more tender rhizomes.
For a more mature harvest, watch the foliage. As the growing season finishes, the leaves will begin to yellow and die back.
If you're growing ginger in a cooler part of Australia, don't leave it exposed to frost while waiting for the perfect harvest. In warmer regions, you may have more flexibility, provided the growing medium remains well-drained.
When harvesting from a grow bag, you can gently remove some of the outer rhizomes if you can reach them without damaging the rest of the plant. Alternatively, tip the bag out and harvest the whole clump. I find the latter can be easier in a container, particularly when the rhizomes have filled the available space.
If you want to keep growing ginger, select healthy pieces with growing buds to replant. You can leave some of the rhizomes in place if conditions are suitable, or set aside pieces for the next growing season.
As the foliage dies back and the plant becomes dormant, reduce watering. Don't leave the rhizomes sitting in wet mix, particularly during cooler weather, when rot is more likely.
With a little planning, you can start another crop when the weather warms again.
Give Growing Ginger a Go!
Growing ginger in a grow bag is a lovely way to make the most of a small garden, courtyard or balcony. You don't need a large garden bed, and once you understand what ginger likes, it's a very satisfying crop to grow.
I love harvesting fresh ginger from my own garden, and seeing how much can grow in a 30-litre Root Pouch still surprises me.
If you have a warm spot and a little patience, why not give it a go?
Enjoy, and give it a go, I say! If I can do it, you can too!
