You Can Take Cuttings From Existing Ginger Plants To Grow More – Just Follow These Steps
Reviewed By COLIN SKELLY
Colin is a Horticulturist and Horticultural Consultant with experience in a range of practical and managerial roles across heritage, commercial and public horticulture. He holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture award and has a particular interest in horticultural ecology and naturalistic planting for habitat and climate resilience.
IN THIS GUIDE
A common ingredient in Asian cuisine, ginger is a delightfully fresh and lightly spicy addition to curries, stews and stir-fries.
Its versatility in the kitchen and its ease of cultivation make it a firm favourite with gardeners throughout the country.
To propagate your own ginger, you can take cuttings from existing plants, or simply buy a healthy ginger rhizome from any supermarket or grocery store.
“This is a fantastic project for a school gardening club or youth group,” Colin Skelly, Horticultural Consultant suggests.
“What a great way to learn about where plants come from and what they need to grow!”
It’s possible to take cuttings at any time of the year, as long as you make sure you aren’t exposing the newly propagated plants to extreme outdoor temperatures.
To grow yours from cuttings, follow these steps:
- Choose your ginger plant (you can use supermarket-bought roots)
- Cut it into pieces of at least 1 inch, aiming for at least 2 eyes per section.
- Prepare the growing tray with sphagnum or cuttings compost.
- Plant your new rhizomes in the compost mix and cover over slightly.
- Transplant to pots once your ginger begins to develop roots and shoots.
- Water regularly and keep adding compost as the stem develops.
- Harvest for propagation (again!) or for eating.
For more information on each stage of the process, please see our detailed instructions below.
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Equipment Required | Spade or fork, knife, bleach, cuttings compost mix, module tray, pot |
| When To Take Cuttings | All year round |
1) Acquire Your Ginger Plant
There’s no need to trawl the internet when searching for the perfect ginger rhizome from which to propagate new plants.
Simply head down to your local supermarket and select a plump, healthy-looking root section.
Ideally, you should aim for one with no wrinkles and at least two eyes (protrusions from which new shoots grow).
Organic ginger is best if you can get it, since non-organic varieties may carry chemicals that inhibit their growth.
Wash your ginger to remove any growth inhibitors.
2) Cut It Into Pieces
This step is entirely optional, but doing so will allow you to grow more plants simultaneously.
Again, you want to guarantee that every section you slice has at least 2 eyes and is at least 1 inch in length.
Leave the ginger for a couple of days so that the wounds callus over, which will protect it when it’s in the ground.
3) Prepare The Growing Tray
Ginger thrives in well-draining terrain, so you may wish to use sphagnum moss or coconut fibre module tray as these both drain exceptionally well.
Otherwise, a tray with adequate drainage holes should work fine.
Partially fill the tray with a high-quality cuttings compost mix, leaving plenty of room for the ginger to sit on top.
4) Plant Your New Rhizomes
Lay the ginger on top of the cuttings compost mix with the eyes facing upwards.
Sprinkle around 1 inch of compost mix on top of the rhizomes, taking care to leave the eyes exposed.
Position the module tray in a warm location with partial shade.
The ideal temperature for the soil is around 20°C, but slightly cooler environments will suffice.
Water the ginger regularly to keep the soil damp but not saturated.
5) Transplant Into Pots
Before transplanting the ginger into bigger pots, you must wait for it to develop both roots and shoots.
This normally takes around 2 weeks, but keep an eye on your plant(s) so that you’re ready to act when it happens.
When ready, gently remove the rhizome from the module tray and place it into a pot at least 30cm deep.
If planting in rows, give at least 20cm for each plant.
Place 5cm of soil over the rhizome, taking care to ensure the shoot is exposed.
6) Care For Your Plant(s)
Water the ginger plant regularly, always guaranteeing that the soil remains moist and not any wetter.
Keep adding soil to the pot as the stem grows to ensure it remains covered.
It’s possible to move it outdoors during the summer months if desired, but it will not tolerate an exposed location well.
Ginger also demands warmer temperatures at all times, so it must be moved indoors when the mercury drops.
7) Harvest And/Or Propagate Again!
There is no limit to the number of times you can propagate your ginger plants.
When propagating an existing plant, just be sure you handle it gently during the uprooting process so as to avoid damage to the rhizome.
You can chop off as many pieces of the plant as you like (either for further propagation or for use in your culinary dishes) without killing it – as long as you ensure that the original rhizome still has at least 2 healthy eyes.
Then simply repeat the process above for unlimited ginger!