Where is Big Kahuna?
Big Kahuna is not available this season.  We are replacing Big Kahuna with Ruhi (pronounced Rue he).  Ruhi sprouts faster than Big Kahuna.  Hugh and Dan and I agreed that this variety will better serve the mainland growers because of this quality.  It is just as high-yielding and beautiful (as long as growing instructions are followed) as Big Kahuna.


When will I get my shipment?
Seed is available from late February to late March.  Your ginger/turmeric/galangal order will ship when you tell it to.  You will be prompted in the ordering process to choose a date range when you would like to receive your seed. Your choices will look like this: 

Late February
2/19/2012 - 2/25/2012
Late February II
2/26/2012 - 3/3/2012
Early March
3/4/2012 - 3/10/2012
Mid March
3/11/2012 - 3/17/2012
Late March
3/18/2012 - 3/24/2012
Late March II
3/25/2012 - 3/31/2012
Early April
4/1/2012 - 4/7/2012

Will the seed pieces be injured on the way?
We ship via FedEx 2 day Air.  The reason we do this is so that the box does not sit outside at any one waypoint long enough to sustain cold damage.  The only place it can be injured is at its final destination... your door!  An email will be sent to you when the package(s) ship.  This message will let you know that FedEx will be delivering your package(s) in two to three days.  Some shipments did take three days (no seed was damaged last year from cold) last season if they were far from a FedEx hub.  Just be sure that the ginger does not sit for longer than an hour if temperatures are below 45F!


Shipping Costs

Shipping will be calculated at check out. 1#, 5#, 10#, 15# are all a flat $15 shipping charge.  Orders above 15# are an additional $1 per pound. For example, an order totaling 17# will have a $17 shipping charge.

Canadian orders, please call or email with your order and shipping address. Shipping costs must be assessed individually. Shipments to other international destinations must be  done through email or over the phone. Thank you.

Seeding Rates  
Seeding rates are al listed under the individual variety of see in the ordering area. Click on 'More Info' to see info about the variety, seeding rates for container or soil culture, and other useful tidbits about your future crop!

Here are some helpful numbers when calculating seeding rates:  
Ginger 30# plants 100 row feet  
Turmeric 5# plants 30-35 feet

Ginger Growing Instructions

Galangal Growing Instructions

Turmeric Growing Instructions

- Ginger is planted in the center of the bed at the bottom of a 6 inch trench (6 inches measured from original soil level)

- If this depth is not attainable, leave room for soil to be hilled around crop as it grows so that eventual hilling totals about 12 inches

- Leave enough soil on the sides to hill later or bring in soil to hill with

- Mix fertilizers and/or compost in bottom of trench*

- Place sprouted ginger pieces about 5 inches apart (reminder: rate is about 30 lbs per 100 feet = about 1 seed piece per 5 inches on center) in the bottom of the trench

- Cover with about two inches of soil; fertilization application at this time

- After a few weeks, when small weeds begin to emerge, smother them with a small layer of soil or use a flame weeder until ginger shoots emerge

- As the shoot (green part) grows check the base of the shoot(s) for swelling and a vibrant pink color – this will take anywhere from 4-6 weeks

- When pink color is observed, hill the crop with about 4 inches of soil and fertilize again (link to fertilization page here)

- When new rhizomes grow near the soil surface, hill and fertilize again – this will take another 2-4 weeks

- Hill slightly and fertilize*, for a third time, if rhizomes reach the soil surface again

*Each growers' fertilization requirements will vary, depending upon the soil where crops are grown.  Please see Fertilization page for recommendations. Email or call us if you have questions.



Bag/Container Culture:
- Use cocopeat (also known as cocofiber, coconut coir) or a well-drained soilless media or any well-drained media that is fully composted (won’t heat up while ginger is growing)

- Bag or pot must be wide and deep to allow for rhizomes to grow out and up and to have room for hilling

- For every expanded kg of cocopeat mix in a mild fertilizer (ex. six ounces of 4-6-4) and gypsum (make word fertilizer a link to fert sources).  Rates will depend upon analysis of fertilizer used

- Fill bottom of bag/pot with about 4-6 inches of media

- Plant presprouted seed into media being sure that seeds are at proper spacing.  This allows rhizomes the room to grow in container culture

- Cover lightly with media

- Follow instructions above for hilling at the appropriate time

Click here for our Growing Instructions insert that comes with your ginger order.

East Branch Ginger will have a booth at the EcoFarm Conference!  We hope to see you there

Use products like Actinovate, Contans, and Trichoderma to build these populations in a soil that is not robust in beneficial micro organisms.  These supplements are also helpful when growing ginger in containers with soiless media.

These beneficial bacteria and benecial fungi help ginger take up more nutrients; an important feature that boosts yields in your ginger harvest!  These supplements are a very good investment, along with proper nutrition, to ensure a bountiful return.

Without genetic testing, there is no way to tell exactly which variety of ginger you are getting in the store – when you order seed pieces from East Branch Ginger you know which varieties you’re getting… the best!


Why should I Presprout my ginger seed pieces?
Presprouting ginger allows farmers on the mainland to mimic planting ginger seed pieces into a tropical field situation, thus beginning the growing process when it is too cold outside to do so.

This step allows rhizomes to begin making roots and shoots so that canopy (green growth above the ground) is at its maximum when the long days of June and July arrive.  This maximization of light is important to garner the most yields from your ginger rhizomes.

You do not have to presprout if you live in an area where soil temperatures are at or above 55F in early spring.

Can I mature my own ginger seed pieces?

Yes… but let’s talk about a few reasons why this might be risky

- Disease – if your ginger picked up disease during the growing season then your seed pieces have the potential to perpetuate that disease to the next season.  The seed pieces we offer are tested to be free of any disease!

- Seed quality – are your seed pieces going to be as robust and energy-packed as seed pieces that are grown in Hawaii, specifically for seed?

- Return on investment – how do you plan to overwinter your ginger?  If it is in a greenhouse, how much money are you spending to heat the greenhouse?  Ginger needs to be kept above 50F in the winter.  Is it cheaper to order in seed every year than to heat the greenhouse?

- Hoop house/high tunnel overwintering – you can overwinter your ginger in the hoop house as long as the soil stays above 50F… just keep in mind the above factors

- Quantity - if you need 30 pounds of seed quality ginger to grow the yields that you're after then you must save more rhizomes than just 30 pounds.  When cutting for seed, there are waste pieces that will not grow a viable crop of ginger.  Keep in mind that you must save back more ginger than what you need.  Is it cheaper for you to purchase 30 pounds ($195.00 with shipping costs) than it is for you to heat a greenhouse above 55F for the winter or to keep pots inside for the winter?  We just want to be sure that you are not losing money by saving your own seed for production purposes!  Feel free to save some for fun, or, for production if your costs are low and you can save back disease-free stock.

-We don't want to discourage folks from maturing ginger.  It educates you on the entire year-long cycle that ginger goes through to become mature.  Just be sure that if you are going to mature the ginger that you recoup your costs for overwintering when you sell in the spring (remember that  now you have a product that is readily available in grocery stores, etc. unlike the niche crop of Baby Ginger that you had the previous fall that you could price at premium).  When you try to sell mature ginger, you are now competing with crops from Peru, China, Brazil, and, yes, Hawaii.  Or, if saving for seed, keep a diligent eye out for diseases that may have been picked up from the previous season and be sure that you are not losing money by saving rather than ordering clean seed from us!  Our goal is to be sure that you are successful with your ginger crop.  We will give advice on any ginger scenario that you are considering.  If saving for seed year after year, consider replenishing after a few years to be sure you have clean, robust seed stock in your crop cycle.

My ginger seed pieces arrived today.  They have mold on them.  What should I do and is it going to hurt my seed?
The mold on the seed pieces was picked up in transit from Hawaii to its final destination.  Sometimes referred to as container mold, this mold is a surface mold.  It can be dealt with in many ways but we recommend the following:

1. Take your seed pieces out of the box they came in right away to expose them to fresh air.
2. Begin the presprout stage as soon as you receive the ginger.
3. If you are unable to presprout the same day, place the ginger in an open mesh bag or on wire racks where there is good airflow.  A fan set up on the racks is a good idea if you are unable to presprout for several days.
4. If you are unable to presprout right away, and you are concerned about the surface mold, dip the seed pieces in a mild chlorine solution (1:5, chlorine to water) to rid the seed of the surface molds while you are holding the seed to presprout.  The chlorine will not harm the ginger rhizomes. After the dip, place the seed pieces in an open mesh bag or on wire racks with a fan so they dry nicely. CHECK WITH YOUR ORGANIC CERTIFIER BEFORE USING CLOROX TREATMENT! IT MAY NOT BE APPROVED THROUGH YOUR CERTIFYING AGENCY!!


Won't my seed pieces get damaged in transit if they encounter cold weather
Seed is shipped via FedEx 2-day air (takes 2-3 days to get from Hawaii to your door, depending upon how close to a FedEx hub your shipping address may be).

The seed most likely will not sit long enough in one place to damage the rhizomes, which is why we ship 2 day air.

The seed is typically shipped on a Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday so that it arrives before the weekend.  We do not want your ginger shipment to sit over a weekend at a waypoint along the route.


I do not want to pay using a credit card.  Can I pay with a check?
PayPal allows folks to go into an order and use a check (your bank information) instead of a credit card.  It takes a few days to clear the system but you can use a check in PayPal.  Here are some details about eCheck from PayPal:

What is an eCheck?
An eCheck is a payment that you make directly from your bank account.

Just like a regular check, it usually takes between 3 and 5 business days for an eCheck to clear and the money to appear in the recipient’s PayPal account.

Both eChecks and Instant Transfers are ways to pay with your bank account. With an eCheck, the recipient receives the money in a few days. With an Instant Transfer, the recipient receives the money right away.

To send an eCheck, just link your bank account to your PayPal account.

Linking your bank account is easy and fast. If you do online banking, you can usually link your bank account in just a few minutes. Once you’ve linked your bank, using it to pay for things is secure. Merchants get paid but they never see your bank account details. They won’t even know what bank you use.

Why should I use an eCheck?
An eCheck is a payment that you make directly from your bank account.

When you use an eCheck, you don't have to have a credit card or other payment method linked to your PayPal account. The money comes directly from your bank account.

Merchants get paid, but they never see your bank account or other financial information. They won’t even know what bank you use.

Just like a paper check, it usually takes 3-5 business days for an eCheck to clear. After the eCheck clears, the money appears in your recipient’s PayPal account.

If you would like to pay with a check but not on the computer, you’re welcome to call me with your order:  207-313-4358

I want my seed right away.  Is this possible?
It takes about 2 weeks to process an order once payment is received.  Puna Organics cut and cures each order as it comes in so that you have the freshest seed possible. Ginger is shipped between late February and late March. When you order you will be prompted to select a week during our shipping schedule in which to receive your seed.

Plan ahead so that you get your seed when you need to start presprouting it.  Order well in advance (at least two weeks) of the week you would like to receive.


Do I have to use 15 gallon containers?
No.  As long as you decrease the number of seed pieces that you place in the container then you can go a bit smaller.

We would not recommend growing ginger in a pot/container that is any smaller than 5-7 gallons and then we would recommend only one seed piece in that size container.  Ginger yields better when it is hilled so be sure that the container you choose gives the ginger room enough to grow up and out.

Be careful of any valuable/breakable containers with ginger… ginger is a rhizome that grows up and out so it could break a container if too small for the crop.


How much baby ginger will I be able to harvest?
If all cultural requirements are met, you can expect to harvest about 8-16 pounds of Baby Ginger from each pound planted.  Follow the planting and hilling recommendations, fertilizer recommendations, watering recommendations to maximize yields.  Growers who are at the 8-16 pounds harvested for every pound planted have fed their ginger with a mild, organic granular fertilizer throughout the season.  This fertilizer can be somewhere around 5-5-5.  Gypsum helps ginger take up nutrients by adding calcium to the soil without altering pH.  It is an ideal supplement when growing ginger.  Harvest is also enhanced by adding beneficial bacteria and fungi to your growing area, especially in container culture.  Products such as Actinovate (Streptomyces lydicus) and RootShield (Trichoderma harzianum) help combat Fusarium that may already be in the soil.  The farmer in in Hawaii who grows the seed uses these two ingredients in the field to help ginger in the fight against Fusarium.


Does ginger tolerate high or low pH?
Ginger is a heavy feeder but is not a very competitive feeder.  If your soil is binding, in either direction, alkaline or acid, then it is important to amend with gypsum, feed a little more and establish a baseline soil test before planting into the soil so you know what nutrients your crop needs.

Do you ship to Canada? Yes, we ship into Canada. These orders must be done over the phone so please call with your order, shipping address and a phone number where you can be reached. Shipping costs to Canada are different than within the US and must be assessed on an individual basis. Thank you.