Turmeric
Turmeric
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Minimum temperature 65°f .. think greenhouse!
Requires a well-drained soil, plenty of irrigation, thrives best on loamy or alluvial fertile soils and cannot stand waterlogging. Heavy shade will reduce the yield but light shade is beneficial.
Choose rhizomes which look as if they have a little tooth-like bud on one side. Lay them tooth side up in a seed tray containing a mixture of seed compost and grit, just cover the roots, and put the tray in a clear plastic bag. Seal the bag. Keep warm, preferably with bottom heat, at 68°f for at least 3 weeks. When shoots emerge, remove the plastic bag and keep the tray damp, in a warm light place but not in direct sunlight.
Pot on the turmeric roots as soon as the shoots are 2inches
high, 2-3 inches deep.
Keep them damp and warm, in a slightly shaded position and feed during the
growing season weekly with a general purpose liquid fertilizer. In dry weather
plants will benefit from being lightly misted with rainwater daily.
During the autumn reduce watering, and keep the plants fairly dry over
winter, when they will need more light. Turmeric hates being in a draught, so
site your plants carefully.
Red spider mite can be an occasional problem in older plants: regular misting and keeping the leaves well-washed will reduce this.
The rhizomes are usually harvested eight to ten months after planting when the leaves and stems of the plant become dry. The lower leaves turning yellow or stems drying and falling over are indications of maturity. Dig carefully at the side of a clump and remove rhizomes as needed rather than harvesting the whole clump. The clumps should be stored in a cool place without excess moisture. Stored clumps can be replanted in the spring.
The harvested rhizomes are boiled and sun-dried for 7-8 days but can be used fresh. It is also used as a yellow food dye, replacing tetrazine. Leaves wrapped around fish flavor it during cooking. In Indonesia, the young shoots and rhizome tips are eaten raw.
http://www.plantcultures.org/plants/turmeric_grow_it.html
http://www.plantcultures.org/plants/turmeric_plant_profile.html
http://www.greenharvest.com.au/Plants/turmeric_info.html
http://www.homegardenlandscapingtips.com/2008/05/growing-turmeric-for-your-landscaping.html