If you want to know how to develop Curcuma longa , my up-to-the-minute television contribution how in less than three minutes :
It does n’t have the call in it like my old video , but I do admit shots of turmeric grow in one of my young shade garden sphere , plus show you how simple it is to establish .
Here ’s the old video recording with the Meredith Brooks covering fire :
Though a lot of people have no idea where the spice turmeric comes from , it ’s really just the root of a unsubdivided - look footling peppiness plant .
It ’s also preposterously well-to-do to grow wherever you could grow other gingers .
Here ’s how I do it .
How To Grow Turmeric
In my observations turmeric seems to be somewhat more liberal of sun than its culinary and cosmetic cousins ; however , I still discover it ’s happy with half - sun or less .
Plant turmeric in a shady smirch with rich stain and mulch and you ’ll have it for years to do .
In the downfall ( like right now ) , you may plant roots here and there like I did inmy old food forest .
They wo n’t emerge until right around the commencement of summertime and will sleep happily beneath the mulch until then . you’re able to plant Curcuma longa anywhere from 2 - 6″ deep and it still comes up . I wish to go for about 4″ down .
Do n’t be unquiet in the spring for it to show up . It wo n’t . You ’ll think it ’s dead , you ’ll be deplorable , you ’ll doubt your gardening power , you ’ll give up on your religion …
… and then , sometime in June , small shoot will emerge and you ’ll repent of your doubtfulness .
Growing Curcuma longa is a great theme for multiple reasons .
It ’s an anti - cancer herb , it ’s easy to grow , it ’s high - economic value and it ’s a wonderful culinary spice . ( EthnoHerbalist.comhasmore on the medical benefits hereand someturmeric recipe here )
It ’s also pretty in an edible landscaping plan . Just know that it kip half the year !
Mine dies down in November and comes back twelvemonth after year in a bigger clump .
Make certain your Curcuma longa are n’t getting too much water during their wintertime dormancy . Though it has n’t happened to me yet , I ’ve heard that can induce rot and kill your plant life . Wet summers and dry winters are utter for growing happy turmeric .
Harvesting Turmeric
Which leads me to the one downside of growing turmeric : it takes two years for a full clump .
You may grow it faster in the tropics but in zone 8/9 where I used to grow it I could n’t get a good output until two years after planting . I harvest when the tops die back in fall . Fortunately , it ’s so easygoing to grow and involve up so little space that you could pretty much flora turmeric and forget about it .
When you root for up the roots , dampen them , let them dry out a little , then store in the crisper drawer . They ’ll also keep on the counter for a few weeks but are open to dry out out .
Note : If you live north of zone 8 , Curcuma domestica also grows EASILY as a potted industrial plant . Just bring it in during the winter and do n’t give it too much water . After two years , dump out the pot and voila – roots !
And that , my friends , is how to grow Curcuma domestica no matter where you experience . catch some unrecorded root from the local heathen food market and get implant . Oryou can always find live turmeric radical on ebay .
SPUDOMETER RATING : 3 Spuds !
Name : Turmeric
Latin Name : Curcurma longaType : Herbaceous perennialNitrogen Fixer : NoMedicinal : YesCold - hardy : Leaves are not – rootage subsist under mulchExposure : Shade / fond sunPart Used : Roots – leaves can be used for Camellia sinensis and seasoningPropagation : Division of rootsTaste : Spicy / earthyMethod of preparation : Fresh , dried , pickledStorability : Good if kept somewhat moist but better to store in groundEase of growing : EasyNutrition : HighRecognizability : LowAvailability : Plants are rare but roots from store will usually develop
- Photo creditfor turmeric image ( creative commons license )
