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Gingers

Gingers are one of the most beautiful and colorful flowers in the world of flowers. Botanically, Ginger is a rhizome of the perennial herb which is indigenous to the South west coast of India and the Malabar coast of the state of Kerala. Gingers, a multifaceted herb,enjoy a special position in the botanical kingdom with their elegance in form, texture, sparkling color, and amazing symmetry. The word ginger conjures up images of an exotic oriental food flavoring; however, edible ginger - Zingiber officinale, is only one of approximately 1,300 species of the very diverse Zingiberaceae family.

Kingdom

Plantae

Division

Magnoliophyta

Class

Liliopsida

Order

Zingiberales

Family

Zingiberaceae

Genus

Zingiber

Facts About Gingers

• The English word ginger is derived from Dravidian - akin to Tamil.
• Ginger has been cultivated for so long that its exact origin is unclear. Gingers are cultivated for millennia in both China and India, it reached the West at least two thousand years ago.
• Ginger is grown throughout the tropical areas of the world. The most expensive and highest quality varieties generally come from Australia.
• Fingerroot - Boesenbergia rotunda, also known as Chinese ginger, is a medicinal and culinary herb from China and Southeast Asia.

Medicinal and Other uses of Gingers

• The aromatic oils of many are used in making condiments, perfumes, and medicines, especially stimulants and preparations to ease stomach distress.
• Ginger is used for Colds and coughs, Headaches Colon and stomach spasms, Morning sickness, Constipation, Nausea, Indigestion, Sinus congestion, Gas or flatulence.
• Ginger, is crucial in the battle against cardiovascular health. The volatile oils of the versatile ginger plant are responsible for its active medicinal properties as well as for its pungent odor and taste, commonly found in Asian or Indian cooking.
• For centuries, traditional Chinese medicine has valued ginger as a tonic for digestion.
• Gingerols, the main compound in ginger is valued for its therapeutic properties.
• Ginger is an aromatic stimulant that improves digestion and appetite, aids absorption and distribution of nutrients and medicines into the body, powerful natural anti-emetic for morning, motion and postanesthesia sickness and reduces the side effects of drugs.

Growing Gingers

• Make sure you get ginger roots which already have some new buds cropping out.
• The look like little fresh outcrops.
• The root sticks out of the soil and needs very little water, or else it will rot.
• You can speed the process up by planting the root to a shallow depth in a small pot, then covering the pot with a plastic bag and placing it on a sunny windowsill.
• When you notice the first shoots, remove the plastic bag.
• You can plant in the garden at this point, or leave in a pot.
• Place it in a location that gets indirect sunlight and give it water regularly.
• Given proper growing conditions, the stems will reach two to four feet tall with narrow, glossy green leaves that can get up to a foot long.

Ginger Care

• Most gingers prefer bright, indirect light or filtered sun.
• During the growing season gingers all need to be kept consistently moist, but not standing in water.
• Since they are from tropical areas they appreciate tropical temperatures between 70 degrees and 80 degrees F.
• Most gingers prefer moderate to high humidity.
• Throughout the growing season feed them once a month with a balanced water soluble fertilizer.