Ginger Properties

How to Get the Best Use Out of Ginger Properties: History, Planting and Medicinal Benefits

Ginger (The edible part of the Zingiber officinale plant) is one of the best plants that any garden can grow. Most people know that the plant itself isn’t the delicious part, rather its rhizome (A stem that exists underground from which the visible plant grows) has all the flavor. This rhizome is technically a spice, however as its plant is a herb we have featured it here.

The list of benefits that it has is huge. The rhizome can be used to treat many different kinds of medical conditions and tastes great as a culinary garden plant or as a tea herb. The overground body of the plant grows beautiful yellow flowers that feature in a lot of garden designs.

Ginger History

Ginger has a long history that goes back over 3000 years. At this time, mentions of ginger started appearing in records in Asia. The original name literally translated as  ‘horn root,’ anyone with a passing taste for ginger will understand this name! Even this long ago it was known as a culinary and medicinal plant. Asia was also the first region to begin cultivating the herb. It was also via the trade routes that went through India that the herb spread across the world.

Despite this, it wasn’t until Marco Polo brought some back that ginger’s popularity boomed. As early as the 11th century, gingerbread was becoming a beloved sweet.  Soon it received the ultimate honor, when the Queen of England Elizabeth I created the first gingerbread man, ensuring its popularity for years to come.

Growing Ginger

While it can be easier to simply buy the fully grown plant, it is so easy to grow that I recommend gardeners simply buy a rhizome and grow it from scratch. When choosing a rhizome for this purpose, make sure that it has as many ‘fingers’ as possible as each of these can potentially grow into a new plant and give you ginger to eat.

To get the most out of the growing season, most gardeners grow the plant inside in late winter, then transfer it outside in spring. For its first stage, get a pot that is 2-3 times the size of your rhizome. Fill the pot about 70% full of soil, however make sure that a few centimeters have been left at the top. Instead of burying your rhizome, you simply want to lay it on top of the soil. This may seem strange, but as long as it is kept watered and out of direct sunlight, it will grow fine.  Then transfer it once spring arrives and some growth has been established.

After 3-4 months, you can start harvesting. The reason why you needed as many fingers as possible, is because the main body of the rhizome will probably not be particularly delicious, so you will want to harvest the newer shoots. In fact I tend to only eat the young protrusions and throw the main part away at the end of the season!

Let’s Look At Ginger Properties

Ginger has many properties that make it an excellent plant. Ever wondered why ginger tastes so good? Well scientists have actually investigated this and isolated a compound they (Somewhat unimaginatively) labeled a ‘gingerol.’ This chemical is actually related to a similar compound called ‘capsaicin’ that gives chili peppers their spiciness.

However it is most the medicinal benefits of ginger that appeal to most people. The list of benefits is vast. Some of the major ones are listed below:

  • Arthritis. Although it is far from conclusively proven, it does appear that ginger can reduce the pain usually associated with this condition.
  • Heart Disease. Diets rich in ginger lead to thinner blood and lower cholesterol, this is a define plus for people with heart disease. However as it leads to problems if a person is on a drug such as warfarin, it can cause problems for people who have had a heart operation.
  • Sickness. Ginger has been tested on all kinds of nauseous people from pregnant mothers-to-be all the way to seasick travellers. The results were unambiguous: ginger could reduce the feeling of sickness and the probability of being sick.
  • Diabetes. Although the trials are still in their early stages it looks good for ginger helping diabetics control their condition.
  • Cold and Flu. Most people know that ginger tisane can be used to treat the symptoms of these sicknesses.