Just out of interest I thought I'd have a go at growing a Termeric plant, I saw some roots in the supermarket about 4 months ago. Potted it up and it did nothing, put it in the warmest part of the greenhouse in mid summer and nothing. I was about to throw it out a couple of weeks ago and noticed it shooting. Now was it just waiting for cooler temperature I wonder. Maybe my idea it wanted a really warm spot was wrong. A second shoot is appearing now as well. Just add, the Philodendron that has been outside all summer has done really well and grown aerial roots right out the pot and into the lawn.
@pete This recently came up on another forum and somebody provided a link to another forum dating back to 2011, but this is what was said then: "Winter temps alone aren't the problem. Many Curcuma can withstand cold winters. The problem in the Uk is the shorter milder season. These plants need Very warm soil temps to sprout which would occur very late there making their season even shorter. They wouldn't have the heat and time to build a healthy rhizome system. It could be done in greenhouses there and forcing early sprouting with bottom heat etc. it really wouldn't be worth the effort though, cheaper to just buy turmeric!"
Ok, not actually growing it for the roots, just a plant I've not tried before, I do these silly things sometimes Getting it to flower would be nice, but not expecting too much from it. I find most of the flowering gingers dont get going very early but seem to be romping away once we start getting frost or around now and that is outside.
I've grown turmeric a few times and it's always sprouted quite early in the season from a spring potting up. I kept it in a greenhouse over the summer and then a bight south facing window in the winter, where I don't remember it dying back. It's never did much in the first year but does bulk up in subsequent years for me. I agree it isn't really worth it but it doesn't take much effort.
I grew turmeric last year and harvested a decent amount of root to freeze. Like ginger it was much more fragrant fresh, but it's a good job I wore rubber gloves to peel it - it stained everything! I couldn't be bothered to do it again - I'll stick with flowering hardy gingers
