This is easy enough and the tubers are available if you look hard enough. I also think local growers will quickly learn to grow them as well and the tuber will become easily available. I certainly would put a row in in order to gain experience. With that and a market you have enough seed stock to plant a large patch.
It is easy enough to work with and use, so there is little barrier to large inventories among farmers.
All good and this item gets the hobbiest going.
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How To Grow Your Own Turmeric Indoors (It's Easier Than You Think)
Late winter is the perfect time to plant this potent anti-inflammatory root.
http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/how-to-grow-your-own-turmeric-indoors-its-easier-than-you-think
Sure, you can buy turmeric powder from the spice department to whip up your own organic Golden milk, turmeric lattes, turmeric smoothies, or turmeric tea, but aficionados swear by fresh turmeric for the best flavor and strongest health benefits.
And while you can find the fresh stuff in health food stores and even
mainstream grocery stores, it isn’t cheap, you may not be able to find
it year-round, and often it isn’t organic.
Luckily turmeric is easy to grow if you have a sunny spot to put a
large pot or planter. Give it what it likes and it will grow like a weed
and reward you with attractive tropical foliage and a generous harvest
of fresh turmeric.
(See how easy it is to grow your own remedies for joint pain, heartburn, cold symptoms, and 30+ other ailments with Rodale's Grow It Heal It!)
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a
tropical plant in the same family as ginger. Not a dainty plant,
turmeric has large green leaves and grows three or more feet tall. As
the plant matures each stem sends up a spike of greenish-white and
occasionally pink flowers. Like ginger, turmeric thrives in warm, humid
conditions and well-drained, neutral soil. (You can grow ginger indoors, too!)
In most parts of the U.S. turmeric will
produce best if you plant it indoors in the late winter. Depending on
your indoor and outdoor space you can either keep it inside as a
houseplant all summer or move it outside once all chance of frost is
past and the weather is warm enough to put out your pepper and eggplant
seedlings. And if you live in Zones 8-11, you can grow it completely outdoors. (Here's how to grow eggplants in a pot!)
Calculate when to plant
Turmeric takes 7 to 10 months from planting to harvest. To figure out
when you should plant, count back 10 months from when you usually get
your first frost in the fall. My first frost is around mid October, so
I'd start my turmeric between mid-December and mid-March. If your
growing season is longer, or you have a large and sunny indoor space to
grow it, your timing is less critical, but you are still likely to get
the best results from planting in late winter through spring.
Source your rhizomes
Turmeric is grown from rhizomes, fleshy root-like structures. My
local supermarket and health food store both have fresh rhizomes for
sale in the winter. Asian or Indian groceries are also likely to stock
it, or may be able to order some for you. If you can’t find any locally,
Jung Seed sells small potted plants, or you can buy fresh turmeric rhizomes from a number of sellers on eBay
(choose one in the U.S. to avoid possible customs issues). Select plump
rhizomes with as many bumps (buds) along the sides as possible.
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Swapan Photography/ Shutterstock
You will need a 14- to 18-inch pot or planter
for each 6 to 8 inches of rhizome, and enough organic potting soil to
fill it. But to start, it's more practical to sprout your rhizomes in
smaller containers and then transplant them into the larger containers
once they have a few leaves and are growing well.
Here's how:
1. Cut your rhizomes into sections, with two or three buds on each section.
3. Lay the rhizome sections flat on the soil, and cover with more potting soil.
4. Water well and slip the pots into clear plastic bags (or close the plastic clamshells).
5. Place the pots or clamshells in the warmest place
you can find (86-95 degrees is ideal). Sprouting at lower temperatures
will be very slow and your rhizomes may even rot rather than sprout. No
toasty location? You can make a great germination chamber with a heating
pad or a small desk lamp, a picnic cooler, and a thermometer. Or you
can buy a small germination chamber for home use. Light or no light is fine at this stage.
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