Ginger
Zingiber officinale · also called Adrak
Vegetable or spice
- Light
- Part sun
- Pot size
- Large pot (more than 15 litres)
- Care level
- Moderate
- Year round or seasonal
- Kept year to year; in a pot, keep it above about 10 °C (50 °F)
- Pets
- Pet safety not confirmed
Light and position
Part shade (2 to 6 hours of direct sun). Full sun causes brown leaf tips and poor growth.
Size and pot
NC State lists 2 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. Our pot band: large pot (more than 15 litres).
Watering
Water sparingly until shoots appear, to avoid rot, then water and feed regularly.
Potting mix and feeding
Moist, rich mix. Cut fresh rhizomes into short pieces with several buds, let the cuts dry for a day or two, and plant just below the surface.
Growing through the year
Lift a few rhizomes at a time so the rest keep growing. Bring potted plants indoors before temperatures drop below 50 °F (10 °C).
Winter outdoors
Cold limit in a pot: about 10 °C (50 °F). NC State says to bring potted plants indoors before temperatures drop below 50 °F.
| Your coldest winter nights | What to do |
|---|---|
| Coldest nights 15 °C or warmer | Can stay out through this winter |
| Coldest nights 10 to 15 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 10 °C |
| Coldest nights 5 to 10 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 10 °C |
| Coldest nights 0 to 5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 10 °C |
| Light frost: nights down to about −5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 10 °C |
| Hard frost: nights below −5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 10 °C |
A plant can stay out only when its limit is below the coldest night in your band; a limit equal to that night counts as needing shelter. A rare cold snap, wind or a wet pot can still damage plants. We convert °F to °C with NIST’s formula.
Watch for
Root rot in cold or wet conditions.
Pets and people
We did not find an ASPCA entry, and NC State gives no pet rating, so pet safety is not confirmed.
General gardening information, not professional advice. Plant toxicity details are a starting point, not veterinary or medical advice: if a pet or child may have eaten a plant, contact a veterinarian or doctor promptly.
Care level: NC State’s maintenance rating (Medium). Pot band and summary wording are ours, based on the sources below.