The turmeric plant, also known under the name saffron root, is not only a decorative plant for the windowsill or the pot on the terrace, but also a spice plant that has been used for thousands of years. If you follow a few basic tips, you can also grow turmeric yourself in the garden or in the house.

Turmeric can be grown at home

Where do you get suitable plant material from?

Certain species from the turmeric plant family, which has more than 80 varieties, are sold in specialist garden shops as already flowering or pre-grown potted plants. Seeds are rarely available in this country, although breeding from seeds would theoretically be possible. As a rule, you buy the rhizomes, which are visually very reminiscent of ginger, and which sprout relatively quickly after planting in the ground and appropriate watering.

Which location does turmeric prefer?

As this plant originates from more tropical regions of India, China and Australia, outdoor cultivation is only possible if the bulbs are overwintered indoors during the frosty months of the year. A warm and sunny location should always be chosen outdoors and on the windowsill, but turmeric plants can also literally "burn" if there is too much sunlight. Locations close to water are also favourable, as there is usually higher humidity here.

When can turmeric be planted outdoors?

This plant species, which belongs to the ginger family, is extremely sensitive to frost. Planting out in the garden can therefore usually only take place in May in this country.

Does moving forward in the house make sense?

Since the growing season for turmeric is relatively short in this country, growing the tubers in a pot indoors can make sense. So that the growth of the tubers suffers as little as possible from transplanting outdoors, you should proceed particularly carefully.

What should be considered when transplanting turmeric?

Pot-cultivated specimens are usually repotted in spring. A drainage layer made of gravel or expanded clay (€19.73) should be inserted in the lower part of the pot.

How can turmeric be grown?

The simplest propagation method is dividing the rhizomes. But make sure that each division also represents a certain weakening, which is why you should not divide the individual pieces smaller than about 3 to 5 cm per piece.

When do turmeric plants bloom?

Indoors, these plants can bloom all year round, when grown outdoors, flowering occurs in summer.

When are the tubers harvested?

The rhizomes of turmeric are dug up in the fall, when the aerial parts of the plant have already died of their own accord. For storage, the tubers are freed from adhering soil and moisture with a soft cloth. The rhizomes can be put to various uses:

  • as a yellow coloring spice in dried and finely ground form
  • cut into small pieces as a seasoning ingredient in Asian recipes
  • as a natural remedy
  • for renewed cultivation in the following year

Which soil is suitable as a location if you want to grow turmeric yourself?

The substrate for growing turmeric can consist of about 70% commercial potting soil and about 30% fine gravel. In this way, the rhizomes of the plants are well aerated and problems with waterlogging are less likely to occur.

At what distance should the rhizomes be planted?

So that the individual plants can develop well and the rhizomes can grow unhindered, a distance of about 10 to 20 centimeters should be maintained between individual specimens of turmeric.

tips

The turmeric roots are dried and ground for use in curry powder and other spice mixtures. In Southeast Asian cuisine, however, it is also common to use finely grated fresh tubers for various dishes.

Category:

Vegetable garden