So back in February I ordered turmeric rhizomes on Amazon as I could not find fresh anywhere in my area:
Okay, they aren't very pretty, but I got a pound of them so I could make tinctures, plant them and keep some in the freezer for cooking.
Making the tinctures wasn't hard, made some with vodka and some with apple cider vinegar:
The tinctures I tucked away in the cupboard and took them out once a week or so to shake them up to make sure all the turmeric goodness had a chance to infuse the liquids it was in.
Then I planted 5 rhizomes into a pot, set it in my kitchen window and started watering.
Watered a pot of dirt for 6 months with no sign of anything. But I had read that turmeric was slow growing and I started to think I should have mini-greenhoused it like I had done for my garden starts the year before:
Was beginning to think that I either had some rhizomes that had been treated to keep them from sprouting (even tho I got them from an organic supplier), had been frozen before being shipped (which they were not supposed to be as they were supposed to be fairly freshly harvested) or I was doing something seriously wrong, even tho everything I'd read for growing them in pots is pretty easy. But I kept watering the dirt and hoping.
I was starting to think I just needed to abandon the whole attempt, but decided that since it was taking me a long time to recover from my accident and I needed to be patient with that, I should also be do the same for the turmeric.
My patience paid off. Imagine my surprise last Friday when I peeked into the pot when I went to water it and saw this:
I am pretty sure it hadn't been there a couple days before, but it was a joyful sight. Been watching it every day and it is growing fast:
It has tripled in height since Friday and I can't wait to see it bigger. I am still hoping some of the other rhizomes will finally sprout. I don't want to disturb them at the moment, but if and when they do, they will be going into their own pots. If not, then this little baby will be getting LOTS of attention while it grows. What ever I finally harvest will most likely be planted again, but this time I will mini-greenhouse them to make sure they get a good start.
Okay, they aren't very pretty, but I got a pound of them so I could make tinctures, plant them and keep some in the freezer for cooking.
Making the tinctures wasn't hard, made some with vodka and some with apple cider vinegar:
The tinctures I tucked away in the cupboard and took them out once a week or so to shake them up to make sure all the turmeric goodness had a chance to infuse the liquids it was in.
Then I planted 5 rhizomes into a pot, set it in my kitchen window and started watering.
Watered a pot of dirt for 6 months with no sign of anything. But I had read that turmeric was slow growing and I started to think I should have mini-greenhoused it like I had done for my garden starts the year before:
Was beginning to think that I either had some rhizomes that had been treated to keep them from sprouting (even tho I got them from an organic supplier), had been frozen before being shipped (which they were not supposed to be as they were supposed to be fairly freshly harvested) or I was doing something seriously wrong, even tho everything I'd read for growing them in pots is pretty easy. But I kept watering the dirt and hoping.
I was starting to think I just needed to abandon the whole attempt, but decided that since it was taking me a long time to recover from my accident and I needed to be patient with that, I should also be do the same for the turmeric.
My patience paid off. Imagine my surprise last Friday when I peeked into the pot when I went to water it and saw this:
I am pretty sure it hadn't been there a couple days before, but it was a joyful sight. Been watching it every day and it is growing fast:
It has tripled in height since Friday and I can't wait to see it bigger. I am still hoping some of the other rhizomes will finally sprout. I don't want to disturb them at the moment, but if and when they do, they will be going into their own pots. If not, then this little baby will be getting LOTS of attention while it grows. What ever I finally harvest will most likely be planted again, but this time I will mini-greenhouse them to make sure they get a good start.
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