For years I tried to grow turmeric. Unsuccessfully. I did tons of research, watched dozens of videos, and read many, many articles. I'd finally just about given up on ever being able to grow my own turmeric. And then, one day, I stumbled on something different and thought to myself "why not?".
I found a wonderful little shop on Etsy, Kitchen Botany, that had these plump turmeric rhizomes for sale. Bree, the shop owner, was a delight to work with and was prompt to answer my myriad questions.My previous go to had been Ebay and Amazon sellers, and perhaps that was a part of the problem. The turmeric I received previously was grayish in color and rather sickly looking. As you can see, the turmeric on the plate are in fine shape.
The rhizomes on the front of the plate (left) are the turmeric I received from Kitchen Botany a few days before. See the little nubs beginning to sprout? On the back of the plate is store bought ginger. I started both varieties of rhizomes on the same day, using the same technique. And now I'm going to share that technique with all of you.As soon as you receive your rhizomes/tubers, you will want to place them in zip lock bags. Don't crowd them though, you want them to have some space to do their thing. And be gentle with them, you don't want to break off any of those little nubs.
Mix 1/4 cup 3% hydrogen peroxide with 3/4 cup of water. Pour this into the baggie with the tubers and let it sit for about 15 minutes. This helps to oxidize and flush impurities off the rhizomes and prepares a more sterile environment to begin growing.
Pour the water and peroxide out, rinse the tubers, and reseal the bags, leaving the tubers damp but not wet. Place the bag somewhere out of the way and leave it alone for a few days. I found that mine sprouted quickly when I set them on a plate atop the refrigerator.
Every few days, take a quick peek to see if any buds have started to develop. If they haven't, repeat the first steps, reseal the bags, and recheck in a few more days. If at any time your tubers begin to look dry, spritz them with a bit of water.
 |
| 5 days later, small sprouts appeared |
Once your tubers have begun to sprout, place them in some loose, organic potting soil and lightly water. In a week or two, you should see your turmeric starting to sprout. The photo below was less than two weeks after planting. Keep the soil damp but don't overwater. Also, many articles state to grow in full sun. I've done much better with mine in pots on my covered front porch. Don't be afraid to move your pots around a bit until you discover a location that works best in your growing zone.
