Turmeric roots available soon.

[hoodat]

My turmeric clump is just starting its yearly die back. The roots should be ready to dig in a few weeks. I only have a limited amount so PM me with your address if you want to reserve a start.
I think I'll move it this Winter to give it some fresh soil. It's been in the same place over 5 years.

 

[journey11]

How nice of you, Hoodat. I am interested, but I am uncertain if it is something I could grow. I watched a couple of YouTube videos which made it seem straightforward enough. Do you think it could be grown outdoors in my area? I see that it needs dug and overwintered indoors, kinda like a dahlia.

 

[so lucky]

If it's anything like a dahlia, I would not do it justice.

 

[VA_LongBean]

Neat hoodat! I started a few pots in spring from roots I got from an ethnic grocery store, but the pots are small enough that any new roots won't be as big as the original ones. How hard are they to dig up in fall since they won't overwinter in zone seven?

 

[hoodat]

How nice of you, Hoodat. I am interested, but I am uncertain if it is something I could grow. I watched a couple of YouTube videos which made it seem straightforward enough. Do you think it could be grown outdoors in my area? I see that it needs dug and overwintered indoors, kinda like a dahlia.

It can be grown anywhere the Summers are warm, It likes heat. It reproduces from a rhizome and the roots are inactive during the rest period. It should be kept in a potting soil that is just moist enough to keep it from drying out. Too much water will rot it at this time. It is very slow to start the next year and a lot of people not familiar with it think it think it has died. Have patience. Once the first shoot shows it will grow like mad.

 

[hoodat]

Neat hoodat! I started a few pots in spring from roots I got from an ethnic grocery store, but the pots are small enough that any new roots won't be as big as the original ones. How hard are they to dig up in fall since they won't overwinter in zone seven?

 

[hoodat]

Neat hoodat! I started a few pots in spring from roots I got from an ethnic grocery store, but the pots are small enough that any new roots won't be as big as the original ones. How hard are they to dig up in fall since they won't overwinter in zone seven?

Not hard to dig at all. The rhizomes are quite shallow and often show at the surface. I usually mulch them when that happens so they don't sunburn.

 

[ninnymary]

Hoodat, what do you use it for?

Mary

 

[journey11]

I thought this was a neat video:

He says all of that came from one plant! It did not look hard to dig.

 

[hoodat]

Hoodat, what do you use it for?

Mary

There is hardly any Southeast Asian recipe that doesn't include turmeric as one of the spices. It is one of the main ingredients of Indian curry.
It's kind of an oddball though. It doesn't add much taste of its own but intensifies the tastes of the herbs and spices it is used with. The leaves are also often used to wrap fish and pork before steaming. The leaves are also used in a mild tasting tea.
Look up the medicinal properties and you will be amazed at all the conditions it can be useful in. Turmeric is one of the few herbs that have been put through clinical trials and the health claims turned out to be true. It controls insulin, high blood pressure, inflamation, digestive problems, cholesterol and a host of other ailments.