How to Grow Black Turmeric
Black turmeric is one of the more useful medicinal herbs, black turmeric can be used in place of regular turmeric. Black turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties make it an unsurpassed ingredient in cooking, especially when mixed with pepper in a pepper shaker. In the same way as ginger and orange turmeric, black turmeric can be used in Asian dishes and stir-fries or even be made into a soothing hot milky tea or moon milk with many benefits.
How to grow black turmeric at home
In contrast to most other plants, the part of black turmeric we use grows as the base of the root called a rhizome. The roots of the black turmeric plant are its rhizomes, which are edible and are used in the treatment of various ailments. If you purchase black turmeric roots at the grocery store, be aware that they may be sprayed with chemicals to prevent the rooting. These chemicals are used to prevent potatoes from rooting and growing.
If you live in a tropical area like Hawaii It is likely that you will find black turmeric roots at a farmers market. Ask the farmer if they have treated the root to stop growth.
If you do not live in a tropical area you will need to have them shipped to you or find a specialty supplier in your area. Black turmeric that has health benefits should be organic if you intend to use it for that purpose.
In order to propagate your own black turmeric plant from a black turmeric root purchased at the store, you will need a small, but plump chunk of at least 1 inch in diameter. It is important to have a fresh and firm root. It is more likely to rot than grow from softened bits since they are not fresh. There should at least be one nubby point on your chunk of black turmeric.
The root chunk should be soaked overnight in clean, room-temperature water. As a result, the root will be able to absorb as much water as it needs to start growing. Blue turmeric roots should be planted with their nubby tips facing upward. The best place to start your black turmeric plant is in a pot with well-draining potting soil that is moist but has plenty of compost and peat moss. As a result, the black turmeric root will receive the nutrition it needs and the drainage it needs.
Ensure that the soil is moistened every day. Using a spray bottle filled with clean water, you can evenly moisten the soil without soaking it. It will take approximately six to eight weeks for your spout to appear. To grow your own black turmeric plants in your home or garden, which have the freshest black turmeric, is well worth the wait.
Keeping your black turmeric plant well hydrated and fertilized is essential after it has become established. It is known to be a heavy feeder that needs a lot of fresh water.
If you want to prune your black turmeric, you should do it between late fall and spring when it is in its dormant state. Thus, with the next growing season, the rhizome will grow new roots and leaves.
Growing black turmeric in a pot
If you live in a cooler area, zone 6 and below, you can grow black turmeric in a pot and bring it inside during the winter to keep it protected. You do not need a grow light to grow black turmeric as it will go dormant in the late fall, so you can just bring it inside and place it where it will be out of the way for the winter. It is ideal to keep your potted black turmeric plant in your home the basement, attack, or an unused room where the temperatures stay above freezing over the winter will work just fine. Using an under-the-bed tote as a pot for your black turmeric is a great option. Simply slide your filled tote into a fresh one without drainage holes, add the lid, and slide under your bed for winter storage.
Your pot should have plenty of drainage holes to help keep your black turmeric from getting waterlogged and encouraging root rot. Black turmeric’s roots should be able to grow wide and outward in the pot you choose for its permanent home. As long as you are harvesting enough to keep the plant from outgrowing its pot, this may be the only pot you will ever need.
Growing black turmeric in a garden bed
The zones where black turmeric is best grown in the ground in USDA zones 8 through ten. Adding other plants to black turmeric may disturb it, or black harvesting turmeric may disturb other perennials. Therefore, you should give your black turmeric its own space. Before planting your black turmeric in the ground, add compost and organic matter for it to thrive.
How to harvest black turmeric
After it has become well established, black turmeric can be harvested at any time. You should follow the 1/3 rule when harvesting your black turmeric and never take more than one-third of the plant in a harvest. By doing this, you ensure that your plant has enough energy left to continue to grow.
Harvest by gently pulling the plant up at its base. Plants and rhizomes will be dug up and removed from the ground. Gently break off how much black turmeric you want to harvest. If you haven’t put new compost in for a while, now is a great time.
Growing and preserving black turmeric from your garden is a great way to benefit from its fresh and dried uses.