Question When to harvest?

[Mandy Onderwater]

I have what I believe to be either turmeric or ginger growing and it's now showing it's first signs of browning - ever. I don't know when I started it, but it's been a good couple of months. It's been at this size for at least the past 2 months, probably longer.

When should I harvest and start over?

 

[Grandmother Goose]

I can't answer your question, but wow, they're pretty. Got me wanting to check out growing ginger and turmeric now... though more likely ginger, I don't tend to use turmeric enough to warrant growing it.

 

[Grandmother Goose]

I just finished watching Mark's older videos about turmeric and ginger, and looks like you've got turmeric there. He says to let the plant die back fully before harvesting.

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Thank you for letting me know @Grandmother Goose !
It's been growing marvelously on mostly neglect! I'll make sure it stays watered and fertilise every once in a while (maybe that's why it's brown! I haven't fertilised in over a month).
I actually got it for free, someone left it at a community stall and I brought some home. Left it outside on a table and forgot about it for weeks. When I remembered I picked it up, ready to throw it out to see it at small "sprouts" signalling it was willing to grow! I stuck it in a pot with leftoved soil and figured I'd give it a shoy. It's been so much fun

 

[Grandmother Goose]

Thank you for letting me know @Grandmother Goose !
It's been growing marvelously on mostly neglect! I'll make sure it stays watered and fertilise every once in a while (maybe that's why it's brown! I haven't fertilised in over a month).
I actually got it for free, someone left it at a community stall and I brought some home. Left it outside on a table and forgot about it for weeks. When I remembered I picked it up, ready to throw it out to see it at small "sprouts" signalling it was willing to grow! I stuck it in a pot with leftoved soil and figured I'd give it a shoy. It's been so much fun

That is the best way to grow things, find it for free, stick in the garden, neglect it, and still enjoy the food it creates!

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

That is the best way to grow things, find it for free, stick in the garden, neglect it, and still enjoy the food it creates!

Done that many times now, and I genuinely started to love gardening because of it. It also satisfies my "want" for re-using and creating yourself.

 

[eddie b]

I have some thai ginger growing and I thought it would have died off during the winter. It's still growing and no signs of dieing off.
Are you meant to wait till it dies off ordo you just pick it and sun dry it for a couple of days?
Planted it last year around october and thought it wouls die off when the cold weather came in, Is this version meant to last this long or not?

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

I personally waited for the leaves to die almost completely. It took quite a long time. Many months. I think that was the right thing to do, as I had an amazing harvest! There was more turmeric than soil in that pot!
I have some ginger growing now too, and I'm letting that go until the leaves die too. It'll be my first time though, so we'll see.

 

[Berkeloid]

Based on what Rob's Aquaponics says, you can harvest it at any time you like. In cooler climates the leaves die off and reshoot when the weather warms up, but in warmer climates the leaves can stay green all year. The longer you leave it the more rhizome you'll end up with, but you can just pick out bits as you need them during the year, there's no specific requirement to harvest the whole thing all at once. Harvesting it all is probably more for the benefit of climates where the plant might rot in the ground if it gets too cold, but in warmer climates where the plant overwinters without any trouble, it's up to you when and how much you choose to harvest.

 

[eddie b]

It's been a warm winter here for us. Usually we have the fire running from june to late August, but this yea not the case.
I thought the few cold mornings over the last couple of week would see it die off but they are still green..
Only another 4-5 weeks before I start my summer garden so be interesting. Might just pick 1/2 of it and let the rest keep going.

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

It's been very warm here too. Both my ginger and my turmeric (this time in small garden pots) haven't shown any signs of leaves dying.I also can't remember when I planted them

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Oh goodness, I don't know how I ended back up here, haha.

That rectangular pot has completely disintegrated in the sun since then

 

[daveb]

i tried ginger a number of years ago and they never really died back while i was out on the island, older lady near place i had said if older root after it flower to dig and that the flowering shows it is formed its full flavor and aroma, but if not humid enough watch edges of leafs for wrinkle and yellowing and lower leafs dieng back. In the case they dont yellow and die back you will notices a marked visual difference in the texture and form of the leafs but if you disturb the plant in the ground if its ready you will notice a distinct strong spicy odor. one note you are in a drier climate so you may not see the ginger bloom and usually it is 2nd year or old roots that will bloom but also requires a high humidity ones i grew out on hawaii the cuttings came from neighbors plants and had gorgeous reddish - reddish/crimson color

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Because of the pot's severe degradation, nothing is alive in there I don't think. It's mostly crumbles of plastic holding "some" soil together. But I've neglected it and frankly not even looked at it twice of easily a year now.

 

[Berkeloid]

Would be interesting to "harvest" it and see if there's any rhizome left!