Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Gardening: Ginger in My Container Pot




Last fall I planted ginger, turmeric, and tomato in an oak barrel.  Nothing grew and I thought I'd wasted a lot of ginger and turmeric. But recently I've seen shoots coming out of the container pot, and some of them are clearly ginger (or turmeric). The tiny plant on the right side is a tomato plant. 



I've grown tomatoes before, but never ginger nor turmeric, so I'm curious how these plants will develop.  I understand that after four months, I can start "stealing" ginger from the roots. I'm looking ahead of course; for now, the plants have to grow and survive. These plants seem to like the dappled sunlight in this part of my yard. Ginger apparently needs a lot of moisture, so I need to make sure the plants are watered. 

I use ginger almost daily in salads and tea. It has many health benefits, including reducing inflammation and pain.

We always used ginger in the Philippines, but I rediscovered it in the US when I had a bout of arthritis encouraged by eating too much beef. This happened on our driving trip in the American Southwest, and it had entered my mind to taste-test the grass-fed beef. My hands swelled up and were very painful.  Back home, I read about the matter, cut-back on beef and other meats, and started taking ginger tea. The arthritis was controlled.

The Arthritis Foundation lists these foods that can cause inflammation (that is, arthritis): sugar, saturated fats, trans fats, Omega 5 Fatty acids,  refined carbohydrates, MSG, gluten and casein, aspartame, alcohol.

The Healthline site has these inflammatory foods to avoid: fried and processed foods, lower your AGEs (advnaced glycation or pasteuriized foods), sugar and refined carbs, dairy products, alcohol and tobacco, salt and preservatives, and corn oil.

Clearly, diet affects arthritis, so watch what you eat, folks.


Read also
Herbs as Natural Remedies
Fresh Turmeric in Los Angeles, California
The Wonders of Malunggay or Moringa Oleifera
Helping the Birds and the Bees
tags: garden, container pot, ginger, turmeric, growing, gardening, tomato, arthrits, inflammation

This is all for now,
Cecilia

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