Growing Beneficial Plants and Herbs: The Quick and Easy Way to Grow Your Own Healing Herbs at Home by Will Cook

Author:Will Cook
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Gardening & Horticulture, Gardening & Landscape Design, Hobbies & Home, Herbs, Crafts, By Technique, Techniques
Publisher: TCK Publishing
Published: 2013-09-26T06:00:00+00:00

GINGER (ZINGIBERIS OFFICINALIS)

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Ginger belongs to the family and genus Zingiberaceae, other members of which include turmeric, cardamom, and galangal. It is a mass of roots (rhizome) of the plant Zingiberis officinalis. It is native to South Asia, but has now been naturalized in Africa and the Caribbean as well.

Ginger grows well in warmer climes. So it should be planted where it can receive an ample amount of warmth from the sun, and is protected from chilly winds. Clayey soil is not ideal for its cultivation and hence the soil chosen for it should be well-drained. Add a lot of manure to the soil before planting it.

Ginger can be grown in the garden directly in the ground or in flowering pots. Before it can be planted, ginger rhizomes should be kept soaked in warm water overnight. Then they are planted 5 cm deep in the soil with the buds growing out of the rhizomes pointed upwards. It should be watered frequently in the initial stages to promote growth, although making the soil too soggy is generally counter-productive.

Due to its strong odor, pests generally stay away from ginger. Artificial fertilizers are not required if sufficient compost has been added to the soil before planting. Harvesting is done by uprooting the entire plant and cutting out the rhizomes. If new sprouts are observed near the original plant, they should be dug out and planted elsewhere, where they can grow and generate new rhizomes themselves.

HOW IS IT BENEFICIAL?

Ginger has been known to relieve nausea and gastrointestinal disorders for centuries. It aids the process of digestion, and since it is hot, it provides relief from cough and cold too. It has compounds with antimicrobial properties which make it a powerful disease-fighting herb. It is also popularly believed to thin the blood and reduce cholesterol levels, making it a protector of overall human health.

RECIPE FOR USE

Ginger tea is a very popular recipe used to cure cough and cold, especially in the Indian Subcontinent. To prepare ginger tea, crushed ginger is simply added to the brew and allowed to simmer. The resulting beverage is a hot aromatic tea that not only acts as an expectorant, but also enhances immunity in a general way, and aids digestion.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Ginger can result in negligible to mild heartburn in some people, which is generally tolerable. Because of its blood thinning properties, it is prudent that patients on anticoagulant medication do not consume ginger, or if they do, then only under strict supervision of the doctor. It is also to be avoided by people with gallstones, since it increases bile secretion.

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