How to grow Galangal

Where to plant

Plant galangal in a well-drained spot with part shade. UF/IFAS advises 25 to 40% shade through a Florida summer, especially while plants establish, but warns that heavy shade gives lush leaves and small rhizomes. Avoid planting under trees, where roots compete and get in the way of digging.

Growth is best between about 70 and 85°F. Cool weather slows it and sends it toward dormancy, and frost kills the leaves.

• South and Central Florida and Hawaii: grow it in the ground. In Hawaii it can be planted in any month.
• North Florida, the Gulf South and Texas: it is frost tender, and parts of these regions are too cold. Plant after the last frost in a large pot or a sheltered bed, and move pots under cover or mulch heavily for winter.
• Southern and Northern California: plant in spring once the soil is warm, in part shade with regular water, and lift before the first frost or grow it in a pot.
• The Desert Southwest: the low desert summer heat and dry air are hard on it, so it is not recommended there.
• Everywhere else, including the Mid-South, the North and Alaska: grow it in a pot and bring it indoors for winter.

How to plant

1. Start with clean, firm rhizome pieces with visible buds, from a specialist supplier if you can. Food-store rhizomes can work but carry more risk of disease. Discard any that are soft or moldy.
2. Plant in spring when the average soil temperature is above about 70°F and nights do not fall below 50°F. In Florida that is March in the south to May in the north.
3. For an early start, sprout the pieces first on top of moist potting mix in a warm room, then plant them out once shoots appear.
4. Plant about 2 inches (5 cm) deep, about 18 inches (45 cm) apart in the ground.
5. In containers, use one rhizome in a 5-gallon pot or three in a 15-gallon pot, filled with fresh potting mix.

Watering and feeding

Keep the soil moist but never waterlogged. Once plants are growing strongly in summer they usually need rain or watering every day in Florida. Curling leaves are the first sign of drought stress. Overwatering is just as harmful, because it invites rhizome rot.

Galangal needs moderate to high feeding. UF/IFAS growers had success with three applications of a granular organic fertilizer through the season, or a slow-release fertilizer at planting. Stop feeding when plants go dormant in winter.

Harvesting

For tender fresh galangal, UF/IFAS advises lifting rhizomes about four months after planting, as they turn very fibrous if left longer. Mature rhizomes harvested later are tougher and are better dried or ground.

You can lift the whole clump, or dig pieces from the edge and leave the rest to keep growing. Left unharvested, it forms a large clump. Wash the rhizomes, trim stems and roots, and use them soon, as cut surfaces brown.

Growing in pots

A pot is the best way to grow galangal outside the warmest areas. Use a large container with drainage holes and good potting mix, keep it in bright part shade in summer, and move it into a frost-free, bright place before the first cold nights. Water much less while it rests in winter.

Propagation and saving seed

Galangal is grown from pieces of rhizome. Cut large clumps into sections, each with buds, using a clean knife, and let the cut surfaces dry before planting. Keep only firm, healthy pieces for replanting.