Growing the turmeric plant indoors is easy if you have a sunny spot for a large pot. Give it what it likes and it will grow like a weed, rewarding you with attractive tropical foliage and a generous harvest of fresh turmeric.
Turmeric as a houseplant – preparation for planting
The curcuma plant (Curcuma longa) is a tropical plant from the same family as ginger. Turmeric is not a delicate plant, but has large green leaves and grows to a height of more than 90 cm. When the plant is mature, each stem produces a spike of greenish-white and occasionally pink flowers. Like ginger, turmeric thrives in warm, moist conditions and well-drained, neutral soil. The best time to take turmericPlant in the apartmentto breed is in late winter.
Calculate the planting time:The turmeric plant takes seven to 10 months from sowing to harvesting. To figure out when to plant, count back 10 months from when you typically experience the first frost in the fall. So if where you live the first frost is around mid-October, you should plant turmeric between mid-December and mid-March.
Obtain your rhizomes:The curcuma plant is grown from rhizomes, fleshy root-like structures. Your local supermarket and health food store should have fresh rhizomes for sale in the winter. Asian or Indian grocery stores probably also have them in stock or can order them for you. Choose plump rhizomes with as many bumps (buds) on the sides as possible.
Growing the turmeric plant in the apartment – this is how you proceed
You will need a 14- to 18-inch pot or planter for each 6- to 8-inch rhizome and enough potting soil to fill it. However, for starters, it is more practical to plant your rhizomes in smaller containers and then transplant them into the larger containers once they have a few leaves and are growing well. Here's how:
- Cut your rhizomes into sections with two or three buds on each section.
- Fill the 7cm pots halfway with good potting soil.
- Lay the rhizome sections flat on the soil and cover them with more potting soil.
- Water well and place the pots in clear plastic bags.
- Place the pots in the warmest place you can find in your home (30 degrees Celsius is ideal). At lower temperatures, germination will be very slow and your rhizomes may even rot instead of sprouting. No warm place? You can build a great germination chamber with a heating pad or a small desk lamp and a thermometer. Or you can purchase a small germination chamber for home use. Light or no light does not matter at this stage.
Interesting facts: If you have pet and turmeric plant in the apartment, you should not worry. They are not poisonous to animals.
Caring for curcuma plants in your home – what you should keep in mind
Keep everything bright and warm:Check on your pots every few days and once seedlings begin to sprout, place the pots on a windowsill or under a grow light. If your house is not very warm (the optimal growing temperature at this stage is 25 to 30 degrees), consider placing them on a heat mat set to a low 26 degrees. If the plants outgrow the plastic covers, remove them.
Water as needed:Once you open the mini greenhouses, you will need to water your turmeric as needed. Keep the soil moist but not wet, and mist the leaves with water once or twice daily to keep the humidity up. If you allow the soil to dry out at any point, your final harvest will be reduced.
Repotting into larger pots:When your plants are 10 inches tall, carefully transplant them into larger pots with potting soil. Turn the heating mat down a few degrees each week until you reach 21 degrees. At this point you can remove the heating mat as long as your indoor temperature averages around 20 degrees.
Otherwise, continue using the heat mat. Plants in medium-sized pots can be repotted into their final pots or planters when they become top-heavy or produce more shoots.
Harvesting, storing and consuming turmeric
Your turmeric is ready to harvest when the leaves and stems turn brown and dry, about seven to 10 months after planting. Tip the plants out along with the soil and shake the soil away from the fresh turmeric. Cut the stems about 3 cm above the mass of rhizomes and wash the rhizomes well.
Rhizomes will stay fresh in the refrigerator in an airtight bag or container for up to six months. Place them in the freezer to keep them longer. Set aside a few of the largest specimens for replanting!
You can also make your own turmeric powder. Place the freshly cleaned rhizomes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil until you can easily pierce them with a fork (this may take 45 to 60 minutes or longer, depending on the size).
Drain the cooked rhizomes, rub the skin off with your fingers (optional), and dry in the sun until they are brittle and break cleanly when you try to bend them. Grind the dried rhizomes in a spice grinder, coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle to make turmeric powder for cooking.
Tipp: Wear gloves when handling turmeric rhizomes because they turn your fingers bright orange and cannot be washed off.
What are the health benefits of consuming turmeric?find out here!
