Ginger Seed Prices and Planting Methods Explained

Ginger is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Zingiber in the family Zingiberaceae. It originated in the tropical regions of Southeast Asia and is now widely cultivated in the central, southeastern and southwestern provinces and regions of China. So what are ginger seed prices and planting methods?

1. Ginger seed prices

Prices vary depending on the market and other factors. Ginger is basically not propagated by seed, but by vegetative propagation using ginger rhizomes. After the rhizome is planted, several adventitious roots emerge from the base of the young shoots, and several small lateral roots emerge from these; after entering the vigorous growth period, several fleshy roots also emerge from the mother ginger and daughter ginger, and these fleshy roots also have a certain absorption capacity. The seed rate is about 800 to 1000 jin per mu.

2. Ginger planting methods

1. Sowing time

Ginger is generally sown from late April to early May and harvested before frost. Because ginger prefers warmth and is not tolerant of cold or frost, it must be cultivated in the warm, frost-free season, and sowing should be done on clear, warm days.

2. Selecting superior seed ginger

After harvesting, select ginger rhizomes that are plump, have full buds, are uniform in size, bright in color, free of pests and diseases, free of rot, free of damage and unfrozen, and store them as seed ginger.

3. Disinfection and sprouting

Before sowing, soak the ginger in a 500-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim for disinfection, then sun-dry it for 2 to 3 days. When the surface of the rhizome becomes shiny, it can be piled up and covered with rice straw for insulation to promote sprouting. When the ginger sprouts reach 1 cm, they can be sown.

4. Applying sufficient base fertilizer

Ginger has a long growth period, so sufficient base fertilizer should be applied. When preparing the land, apply 3000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer and 25 kg of potassium fertilizer per mu as base fertilizer. At sowing, apply 15 kg of urea and 25 kg of compound fertilizer per mu as seed fertilizer.

5. Sowing time

The sowing time of ginger varies by location. Where irrigation conditions are good, temperatures are high and sprouting is not promoted, sow at Awakening of Insects. Where there are no irrigation conditions, temperatures are low and sprouting is needed, sow around Qingming or Grain Rain.

6. Sowing density

The sowing density of ginger generally maintains about 5500 plants per mu, with a seed rate of 800 to 1000 kg per mu. The larger the seed ginger, the earlier the seedlings emerge, the stronger the seedlings and the higher the yield, so the seed pieces should be as large as possible.

7. Cultivation and weeding

Ginger is generally cultivated 1 to 2 times in combination with watering after seedling emergence, and weeds should be removed promptly. During the vigorous growth period, the plants gradually close the rows and weed occurrence decreases, so manual pulling can be used for weeding. For pollution-free ginger production, it is best not to use herbicides.

8. Timely watering

Ginger is not tolerant of drought or waterlogging and has strict water requirements. During the growth period, it is advisable to keep the soil moist. During high summer temperatures, water should be applied in time to lower the temperature, and on rainy days field water should be drained in time to reduce the occurrence of ginger blast.

9. Reasonable topdressing

When ginger seedlings are 30 cm tall, apply 20 kg of urea per mu, or use clear manure water to irrigate the seedlings. Around the Beginning of Autumn, apply 50 kg of compound fertilizer and 25 kg of potassium sulfate per mu. When the underground rhizomes are expanding, apply 10 to 15 kg of urea and 15 to 20 kg of potassium sulfate per mu.

10. Timely hilling

The rhizomes of ginger grow in the soil and require darkness and moisture, so hilling is necessary. Generally after the Beginning of Autumn, in combination with weeding and fertilizing, hill 2 to 3 times, gradually turning the sowing furrows into ridges to prevent the rhizomes from being exposed on the soil surface.

11. Shading and cooling

Ginger is a plant that prefers shade and is not tolerant of high temperatures or strong light, so shading should be carried out during the summer growth period to promote growth. There are many shading methods: a shed can be built for shade, or it can be intercropped with the tall crop corn.

12. Pest and disease control

When ginger rot occurs, pull out the diseased plants, dig out the pathogen-bearing soil, scatter lime in the diseased holes, and fill them with clean, sterile soil. For leaf spot, spray a 800-fold dilution of 50% chlorothalonil once every 7 to 10 days. For ginger borers and ginger maggots, use trichlorfon or phoxim for control.