Growing guide

Best time to plant ginger in Australia

Zingiber officinale

Also called ginger root

Ginger is a herbaceous perennial grown for its rhizome, the familiar spice. Each year it sends up leafy false stems about 1 m tall, formed from rolled leaf bases, while pale yellow flowers edged in purple rise on separate shoots. Turmeric, cardamom and galangal are all relatives.

On a shared plot: suits a plot

Finishes in a season and stays within its space, so it suits most plots.

When to sow

ZoneMonthsHow well checked
CoolNov to DecNot yet checked against a local guide
TemperateOct to DecNot yet checked against a local guide
SubtropicalSep to MarMatches local guides
TropicalMar to NovBroadly matches local guides, with some differences
AridOct to DecNot yet checked against a local guide

Your local conditions can shift any months shown here, so treat them as a guide.

Growing details

How to start
Sow directly in the bed
Sowing depth
3cm
Plant spacing
25cm
Row spacing
20cm
Height
100cm
Time to harvest
120-160 days
Frost
Frost tender
Sun
Part sun
Life cycle
perennial

These are typical figures, and varieties differ. Your seed packet takes priority.

Further reading on this plant