Huns Garden
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2008 Ginger Growing experiment in Kansas City Kansas Farm
Ginger Production Trial
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Ginger is a tropical, long-season plant.
We wanted to see if we could grow it in the
midwest using:
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High Tunnels for heat and season extension
Straw mulch & peat moss for moisture
retention & ease of harvest
Raised beds (cinder blocks) to hold high-peat
moss soil, ease of harvest, moisture retention
Ginger Production Trial
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One bed in high tunnel, planted in late
April
One bed in high tunnel, planted in midMay (post frost)
One bed in field, planted in mid-May (post
frost)
Sprouting process
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Ginger is a 2-3 year
crop
New plants grow
from the rhizomes
To grow ginger roots,
you sprout new plants
from the rhizomes
Sprouting process
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Put rhizomes in
gallon zip lock bags,
sealed with 10-20
milliliter of water.
Sprouting process cont.
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Once sprouts grow
higher than the plastic
bag, open & water
once every other day.
New high tunnel
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The high tunnel with the
early ginger planting got
blown away by 90 mile
per hour winds.
The peat in the bed inside
was blown away.
We abandoned this bed
and did not rebuild.
Raised bed preparation
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Single layer of cinder
blocks for walls
Beds 4½’ wide, 90’
long
Raised bed preparation
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Recycled plastic laid
under blocks, then
middle cut out to
expose soil
Laying cinder block (inside)
Raised bed preparation
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150 lbs chicken manure
per 4’ x 90’ bed
Cover with peat moss 68” (top of cinder block)
Transplanting ginger
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Plant sprouted
rhizomes about 4”
down
Spacing originally
planned for 12” apart,
but because of loss of
third bed, we planted
at 8” spacing.
Transplanting ginger
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Cover soil with 2-3”
of straw
One month after transplant: outside
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Mid-June, outside
plants minimal
growth
Inside row didn’t
grow as well as the
two outside rows
One month after transplan:t inside
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Mid-June, sturdier
and nearly double in
size, higher survival
rate
Inside rows didn’t do
as well, the same as
outside beds
Farm tour 2008
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July 4, outside crops
still small and not
vigorous
September: Inside
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Middle row died
entirely
Outside rows are
alive, about 1½’ tall
(typically, ginger
plants are 3’ tall at
harvest)
September: outside
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No irrigation
Plants same height as
inside high tunnel,
but smaller rhizomes
at harvest
Harvest
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Pull whole plant and
roots together
Yields: outside
Weight is 0.97 lbs
 The old roots are
about 0.08 lbs, new
are .89 lbs
(Sell old roots & new
roots separately)
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Yields: outside
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This is 1.28 lbs with
the old root
Yields: outside
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This is 0.8 lbs with
the old roots
Yields: inside
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This root is 2.92 lbs
including the old
roots
Yields: inside
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This one
weighs 6.24
lbs,
including
the old roots
Financial cost break down
Expenses
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Ginger root stock (75 lbs certified
organic ginger at $6.99 lb from
Whole Foods ($525.00))
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High tunnel (20wx96lx10h)
$2,500.00
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Drip irrigation supply $250.00
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Straw mulch $60.00 plus City
Market donated 10 bales
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Cinder block 260 blocks
@2.99/bock plus taxes, $780.00
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Potting soil for raised bed, 35
bags @13.99 each $489.00
Seasonal cost: $899.00
Infrastructure cost: $3,280.00
Income
 Sold at $3.99 lb
 20 lbs/ wk for 9 wks,
plus 30 lbs for CSA
Approximate income:
(210lbs X $3.99= $840)
Final note
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Base on our observation of post
harvest, we noted that the crop
inside the high tunnel is about
twice in size, compare to the crop
outside.
The outside raised bed was too
wet because of excessive rain
The inside raised bed was in some
places too dry, in some “just
right” and those had high yields.
Next year:
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Charge more per pound
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Increase yields by providing
more consistent moisture
inside
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Plant wider beds