Ginger

Ginger For ages, ginger has been used as a spice as well as medicine by many people. These applications were mainly popular in the Arabic, Indian, and Asian traditional communities. Later, the plant was exported into the European countries. Today, large scale cultivation is largely practiced in Sri Lanka, China, Australia, India, Hawaii, Japan, and Pakistan. The ginger plant belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. Its species name is Zingiber officinale. The crop grows to a height of about 45 cm. Leaves are lanceolate in nature and have a length of 18cm. The commercial products are the underground stems and rhizomes. Growing Areas Although the cultivation of ginger has widely spread throughout Sri Lanka, the main growing areas are still found in the wet zones. These are the districts of Kegalle, Colombo, Kandy, Kurungala, and Gampaha. During the past years, the total area of growth of this plant has been over 6000 hectares. Some provinces in Sri Lanka also cultivate ginger alongside other crops like coconut. Varieties The large scale growing of ginger in Sri Lanka utilizes local as well as foreign varieties. The local varieties of ginger have small and fleshy rhizomes and are of the white color. These varieties are mainly used for drinks and beverages because of their strong aroma and taste. The Chinese variety of ginger has watery rhizomes that are yellow in color. It is majorly used for pickles since its taste is low. Soils Deep well drained sandy loams largely favor the growth of ginger. These soils should be highly rich in organic matter. Manure and fertilizers should be added in order to improve the fertility of soils. Climate For successful growth, the elevation should reach a maximum height of 1500m above sea level. The average annual rainfall should not be less than 1500mm. For areas prone to dry spells, irrigation should be applied. Generally warm temperatures with shade are also suitable. The pH value should range from 5 to 7. Planting Stem rhizomes are used for propagation of ginger. Deep planting of seeds is discouraged. Harvesting Change of the plantâ??s color to yellow and withering of leaves indicates readiness for harvesting. This occurs after the first 10 months of sowing. Care should be taken during the harvesting process to prevent the damaging of the rhizomes. Wooden sticks are used in this process. The method of preserving the harvested ginger rhizomes is sun drying.