Growing Ginger from Rhizome in Singapore
Introduction: Growing Ginger
This post has been a long-time coming; it’s been brewing for a while, like a good lemon ginger detox water, but I’ve found myself with the motivation to tackle it after having a burst of success this year with growing pineapples and growing mangoes on my balcony here in Katong, Singapore. Whilst I’ve had success with the pineapples and mangoes, I would say I am a virtuoso with the ginger.
Perhaps it’s the climate? That endless heat, and sun, coupled with a good downpour, and the hands-off approach I have to gardening – but ginger seems to grow here like a weed when the conditions are right. We did have unseasonable rain here for a time and that impacted the growth for some time. However, we’ve moved past that period and are now in a hot sunny stretch with the odd downpour.
Of these plants to grow, ginger is by far the easiest and needs the least amount of input from you, the gardener. You can literally take a piece of dried ginger that you were otherwise going to throw out, chuck it in a pot and you’ll get ginger shoots within days or weeks.
However, there can be some method to the madness and I have some tips and tricks to help ensure you get the best out of your ginger growing.
Method: Growing the Ginger from Discarded Rhizome
The only method I am going to cover off here is growing ginger from discarded pieces of rhizome. I actually stumbled upon this by accident when making my island-wide famous lemon ginger & mint detox water, once consumed you have used lemon and ginger to discard. The same could be said if you are cooking with ginger and need to discard offcut pieces that are somewhat old or have ears. If you’re one of those Shroud of Turin-grade muslin wrapping wally’s my brilliant basic ways are probably going to be lost on you!
Step 1: Identify the Eyes on the Rhizome
Much like with potatoes, Ginger has some stubby nodules on the surface. These are known as the ‘eyes’ of the rhizome, and this is where the sprouts will grow from. They are pretty easy to spot cos they are ugly and standout like elbows. Any gnarled, wrinkled section, elbow, or nubby nodule is probably an eye.
Once we’ve identified as many of these as we can it’s time to strategically plant them so as to maximise yield. We can see from this yielded ginger below a bunch of growth spots where shoots could grow.
Step 2: Planting the Rhizome, Eyes up!
As the title says plant the rhizome with the eyes up – the sprouts will shoot from the eyes so these need to be face up.
Ginger Growing Close to the Top of the Soil
- Plant in shallow soil – I’ve only discovered this recently but it makes a huge difference, it allows some of the rhizome to sit above the surface of the soil where the sprout will shoot; it also allows you to monitor the growth of the rhizome and its pink and green brilliance. Finally, it also allows you to ensure a less complex root system, which makes for easier trimming and cleaning of the rhizome when it comes time to consume.
- Be Patient … All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. So do nothing. The ginger will do its own thing, make sure it has plenty of sun and water, but don’t soak it or it’ll rot; this is another benefit of half the rhizome being outside of the soil there is a less likely chance of it being exposed to rotting. I’ve lost a lot of ginger, I cannot fathom how much, to it being too deeply planted and being wet.
- Let the Ginger Propagate – It’s tempting to remove the ginger as soon as you have half a dozen shoots that have fully grown leaves. I would suggest withholding that urge, you want to have the pot crowded with ginger before you harvest. That way you’ve maximised the yield and can extract the entire pot.
- Reseed the Pot – You can usually tell which piece of ginger started the whole growth – it will be somewhat older than the fresh ginger. My recommendation here is to reseed the pot with this older piece; either snap it off or cut it to remove it from the rhizome and replant it. On my latest harvest there was a smaller shoot in the pot and I left that and extracted the rest – so you could do this also.
Step 3: Use the Ginger
I don’t normally have an opinion on what you do with the produce once you’ve harvested but fresh ginger is uniquely different and I must insist.
Make a refreshing Moscow Mule – you won’t realise how much the fresh ginger lifts this humble drink until you are already in the stratosphere. It has the effect of creating exceptional balance, you get zing and almost a mala-like buzz from the fresh ginger, but also a super refreshiing mouthfeel whose sweetness drops off a cliff, so you aren’t left with any lingering sugary aftertaste. It’s a bit sharper and cleaner than your normal mule. Give a rhizome to your favourite bartender and ask him to muddle some ginger, slice some up and create the cocktail – or if you’re an aficionado make your own at home!
Cook with fresh ginger – Check out a recipe from, oh I don’t know… Andy Cooks (Chicken & Cashew) or The Notorious Foodie (Hainanese Chicken Rice). Both of them have a tonne of fresh ginger recipes and if you use fresh ginger in asian cooking it elevates it to another level you just won’t dream of, from that tired, old, store bought ginger. There’s a reason why we put 5 cloves of garlic into recipes that ask for 1, the produce these days is junk – so when you grown your own you will see the difference.
Create your own version of a refreshing lemon and ginger detox water. I used lemon, cucumber, mint and ginger together because it’s classic. But I also grow calamansi limes and they also work amazingly well as a citrus substitute, as do normal limes … so you can experiment here a bit. Heck I’ve even tossed in turmeric from the garden before.. Oh no, do I need to do a growing turmeric article now?
Final Thoughts: Galangal is Also Easy to Grow
I had a huge amount of Galangal growing at one point, and fresh Galangal is also an absolute monster… Here’s the main difference to fresh ginger, whilst galangal is a fantastic botanical it typically needs to be aged to use in cooking. It’s more fibrous and often requires a mortar and pestle to break it down into a more manageable product. the yields from galangal are big
Ginger Growing FAQs
Can You Grow Ginger in Singapore?
Yes. the hot and humid climate in Singapore peppered with downpours provides ideal conditions for growing fresh ginger. The plants thrive in the tropical conditions with strong periods of sunlight and short bursts of rainfall. Ginger is extremely hardy and will grow in full sun, and survive long periods without rain.
How much ginger can one rhizome produce?
If you're patient and give the rhizome time to produce new shoots, you can basically fill an entire pot. Harvests can be handfuls or bucketfuls; and if you grow it near the top of the soil, you'll have the most amazing pink, zesty ginger.
How long does it take for ginger to shoot?
It can happen in as little as 2 weeks. Basically once the rhizome is in the soil it is activated and then it just needs to develop roots and shoots!
How long does ginger take to grow?
It takes 4-6 months, but can continue for years. I try and harvest once a pot gets crowded as that is your best ginger but that would be around the year mark.
The ginger leaves smell amazing can you do anything with them?
When you harvest the ginger, you are left with the aromatic leaves. If you rub between your fingers you can activate the oils and you get a really pleasant sweet ginger smell. Drying them and brewing them into a tea is a nice usage of the laves.
How long does ginger last?
The smaller fresh ginger rhizomes are best utilised within weeks of harvesting because they will lose their sharpness, their crispness and their flavour. Old ginger
How do I keep my ginger stock rolling?
Always have a pot growing ginger. When harvesting a batch, always return a rhizome to the soil. That way your ginger gives back to you for as long as you want.
DanDan
Latest posts by DanDan (see all)
- Urban Farming In Singapore - July 24, 2025
- Grow Your Own Ginger - July 1, 2025
- Grow Your Own Mangoes - June 6, 2025
[…] that extent – we’ve got guides that cover off how to grow ginger, growing your own pineapples, and even the normally difficult to grow mango tree. Just as feasible […]