Anyone tried growing ginger?

We eat a lot of ginger (stirfrys etc) So I thought I'd give a go at growing it.
So I bought a ginger root, sold purposefully for planting, not an eating one from the supermarket. followed the instructions and now, four weeks later...theres nothing!
The packet doesn't say how long it takes to germinate, so I was wondering whether I'm being a little hasty or is it a lost cause.
Any advice on growing ginger will be gratefully recieved.

 

I am doing the same thing. Although, I admit, mine is from the supermarket, I seem to vaguely remember a Gardeners Question time recently-ish where Bob Flowerdew said to grow it on the windowsill and it will be fine, so I have stuck it in a pot of multipurpose and keep the soil damp ( wrung out dishcloth damp), I only did it a week ago and I don't really expect anything until July/Aug, but, as I say, a am a virgin as far as ginger is concerned.

I would be interested in anyone's experienced advice on this too.

 

Axie ali, when you say its for growing and not from a supermarket I'm not sure what you have.

There are a lot of "flowering" gingers that are not used for culinary purposes, as far as I know, do you have one of these?

The roots you buy in supermarkets are fine if you want to grow your own for cooking.

I put a piece in the propagator a few weeks back and I now have two shoots.
It needs warm humid conditions to do well.

 

Could someone post some pictures please? i couldn't imagine what it looks like grown from a root.

 

A bit dark I'm afraid but it gives the general idea, probably will get quite a bit taller.

 

Hi, what I have is one from B&Q, it is for culinary purposes eventually but what I mean is its sold for planting and cultivating as opposed to a supermarket one that is sold for immediate consumption.
Well, thank you all, I'm a little disappointed, if you have had no luck Marley, then I stand no chance!!!
I will stop watching it so intensly and just see what happens, without expectation!!

 

Here is my tried and tested way of sprouting ginger:

1) Buy some ginger at the supermarket with your loved one. Look for ones with the nodules on.
2) Your loved one should put it in a plastic sandwich bag, all tied up for you to take home and put in a pot. Put it in your rucksack.
3) Forget about the ginger in your rucksack. Take it with you on your daily activities - go to work, the supermarket again, walks etc.
4) After about... a week?... realise that you've left your ginger in the bag. By now there should be visible signs that it's trying to sprout.
5) Stick a few water droplets in the bag because you realise it might be drying but don't have time to plant it at this exact moment in time.
6) Plant it shallowly in a big pot inside when you come back from your weekend trip (mine is in multipurpose compost and perlite but there's probably something more suited; it's all I had).
7) Keep it dampish and stick the sandwich bag over the top of the pot.
8) Have two beautifully hot days in a row.
9) Look later and notice that something green is trying to poke out of the soil :D

 

thank you JW....I can now see where I have gone wrong

 

Is a Loved One essential to the process, or would it work as well if I put it in a plastic bag myself?

 

It would probably work about as well if you put it in a plastic bag yourself, but my ginger's ego was probably boosted by the fact that now it has extra sentimental value, maybe that helped :lollol:

 

I grow ginger Axie-Ali. I think it's now in it's third year.
I grow it in a big pot in the conservatory. It likes to be warm and humid so I keep it standing on damp pebbles. And it likes to be shaded from direct sun.

The first year it only pit up about 3 spikes of leaves. When I harvested it in January there was a small amount of ginger, not a worthwhile crop, so I replanted it.
It then put up about 8 spikes of leaves and when I harvested it in January this year there was a really good amount of ginger.
I replanted the thin root bits and nothing seemed to happen but this week it is much warmer and shoots are coming up aplenty. It seems to take a couple of years to get it up to worthwhile crop stage.
Good luck with yours.