Below is How To Grow Turmeric In South Africa
Turmeric is surprisingly easy to grow if you are lucky enough to get some rhizomes to plant. Occasionally good nurseries have them or you might be able to order them online.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant that is part of the ginger family.
A rhizome is a thick underground horizontal stem that produces roots and has shoots that develop into new plants.
Turmeric is a warm-season crop and the ideal temperature range for this crop is 20°C to 35°C. However, it is best grown in light or partial shade.
A few days before planting, cut the rhizomes into 5–8cm long pieces, making sure each one has at least two buds. Cutting them ahead of time allows the surfaces to dry, reducing the chance of disease.
Turmeric likes fertile, well-drained soil, to which bonemeal has been added.
Plant the rhizome at an angle, with one side about 7cm deep, and the other just below the surface. Position it so that the growth buds point upwards. Cover with compost and press down firmly. Water well until the ground around the rhizome is soaked; keep it moist until the first green shoots appear – which can take anything from 20–45 days.
The plant gets to about 1m tall and has stunning flowers. The turmeric crop should be ready for harvest in 8 to 9 months depending on the variety and time of sowing.
Once the flowers have died down, it’s time to look at lifting your crop. Turmeric rhizomes should be gathered by handpicking.
Lift the roots, rinse them and clean them with a soft brush and allow them to dry in a cool place. Use the damaged pieces first.
After you have harvested, mulch the remaining plants with compost and they will appear again in late spring, as soon as the weather is warm enough.
It spreads by growing new rhizomes underground, forming large clumps above ground.
If you have harsh frost on your smallholding, you can also grow turmeric in containers. Make sure that they are at least 30cm deep and don’t let the soil dry out.
How long does turmeric take to grow?
seven to 10 months
Turmeric takes seven to 10 months from planting to harvest.
To figure out when you should plant, count back 10 months from when you usually get your first frost in the fall. My first frost is around mid-October, so I’d start my turmeric between mid-December and mid-March.
What season does turmeric grow?
Plant turmeric in September or October, into warm soil.
The rhizomes should be planted 5-7 cm deep. It is often planted on ridges, usually about 30-45 cm apart and with 15-30 cm between plants. The crop is planted by setts (small rhizomes) with one or two buds.