During the growing season, additional fertilizer can be applied as a side dressing. Ginger will benefit from the addition of a complete fertilizer as well as phosphorous, calcium and organic matter prior to planting. Any exposed rhizomes should be covered with soil and weeds should be removed from the bed. Soil should be hilled 3 to 5 times during the growing season. Ginger has a tendency to grow horizontally and the soil can be hilled around the growing stems to force a more vertical growth habit.
For optimal growth, the soil temperature at planting should not fall below 25☌ (77☏). The sets should then be planted in early Spring at a depth of 5–12 cm, leaving 15–35 cm between plants and 25–30 cm between rows. Lime should be added to the soil in appropriate amounts in the Fall prior to planting. The addition of lime to the soil adjusts the pH while helping to provide the calcium required by the plants during their growth. The bed should be prepared for planting by digging to soil to a fine tilth and removing any weeds that are present. The ginger sets can be pre-sprouted in pots or nursery seed beds by covering with a layer of soil or they can be planted directly at the final planting location. Each piece should possess at least one living bud which will produce shoots. Sets are produced by cutting a small 3–6 cm from a living rhizome. Ginger is vegetatively propagated from small sections of the rhizome, called sets. Ginger plants will not tolerate waterlogged soils. Ginger plants require an average annual rainfall of between 250 and 300 cm for optimal growth and development and require additional irrigation where rainfall is not adequate. The optimum soil pH for growth of ginger is between 6.0 and 6.5 and the plant requires a minimum temperature of 15.5☌ (59.9☏). As a tropical plant, ginger grows best in warm and sunny climates in a deep but well draining soil loam that is high in organic matter.
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