Spring and early summer are the best times to add tropical spices to your ornamental edible garden. Two of my favorites, ginger and turmeric, are both classified as perennials in the Zingiberacaea family.

Ginger, Zingiber officinale, the smaller of the two, grows 2 to 3 feet tall; has narrow, elongated leaves; and yellow to green flowers with purple tips.

Turmeric, Curcuma longa, can grow from 3 to 4 feet tall with banana shaped leaves. It is known for its very showy bracts that range in color from burgundy to green, yellow, white and pink. Some are bi-colored.

Both plants add color and texture to your summer garden.

Ginger and turmeric thrive in the high humidity and frequent rains of our Florida summers. While ginger plants prefer partial to complete shade, turmeric prefers more sun with partial shade in the heat of the Southwest Florida afternoons. Both favor rich, organic, well-draining soil.

I start my plants from rhizomes or organic roots purchased from my local farmer’s market or supermarket. Look for roots that have several “eyes” or buds on them. Wash the roots and cut them into pieces 1 to 1 1/2 inches long and containing at least one eye. Allow the cutting wound to dry for a day or two before planting. Then plant them about 15 inches apart with the eyes facing up. When planting in containers, choose pots a minimum of 8 inches deep and about 18 inches wide. You may need to water the cuttings and emerging plants frequently until the summer rains arrive. Harvest the roots in the fall after the leaves of the plants begin to turn yellow or brown.

Store in a cool, dark, dry place. I have spent hours searching the internet for ideal ways to store my ginger and turmeric roots. One method I am currently attempting is to store them in a bucket of sanitized play sand. Another suggestion for ginger root is to peel it, cut it into 1-inch pieces and store it in a jar covered with vodka! The jury is still out on these methods.

There are several recipes available for incorporating these aromatic, wonderful spices into your everyday cooking. Ginger with its sweet and spicy flavors adds zest to many stir fries, beverages and desserts. Turmeric has a more pungent, bitter flavor that is often a highlight in mustards and curries. It is known for its yellow-orange color and will stain your fingers or anything else it touches. My preference is to grate fresh ginger, turmeric and garlic in a bit of coconut or olive oil and stir fry them with my favorite vegetables.

Besides adding flavor to your cooking, ginger and turmeric are touted as having antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and other health benefits. A search on www.scholar.google.com identified numerous on-going studies investigating these claims. Others suggest these spices add so much flavor to your cooking, you can eliminate fats and sugars from your dishes, thereby creating more nutritious and healthy meals.

Whether you are looking for health benefits or tasty meals, cultivating ginger and turmeric into your garden adds color and texture that will please your senses.

Happy gardening & bon appétit!

Deborah Haggett is a Lee County Master Gardener Volunteer and a member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral. Visit us at www.gardenclubofcapecoral.com

Sources:

Florian, Y. (2020, August 18). Gardening with Ginger and Turmeric. UF/IFAS Extension Indian River County. http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/indianriverco/2020/07/28/gardening-with-ginger-and-turmeric/

Stephens, J. M. (2018, October). HS600/MV067: Ginger–Zingiber officinale Roscoe. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/MV067

Ginger-Turmeric Tea

* Cut 2 inches each of ginger root and turmeric root.

* Wash and mash the roots a bit to release some of the juices.

* Cover with 6 cups of water in a sauce pan, bring to a boil and simmer

for about 10 minutes.

* Strain the tea.

* Serve with honey and lemon to taste.

(Contributed by Babu Mathew, Lee County Master Gardener & Garden Club of Cape Coral member.)