Turmeric

Curcuma longa

A rhizome. A stem that grows sideways at or just below the soil, with nodes that make shoots above and roots below.

Whole

Cut open

Store	Rhizome. Grows horizontally and is segmented, with a shoot at the growing tip.
Depth	5 cm to the base of the rhizome
Spacing	25-30 cm apart
When	Needs a long warm season: start indoors early. Start indoors: 10 weeks to 6 weeks before your last spring frost. Plant out: 2 weeks to 4 weeks after your last spring frost. Work out your dates.
Pets	Not on the ASPCA list: treat as unsafe to chew

About Turmeric

A tropical rhizome that needs a long hot season; it is most reliable in large containers in cool climates.

Depth and spacing

Typical range: 5 cm deep and 25-30 cm apart. A general rule is to plant at two to three times the height of the rhizome; check the label for your variety. The drawing is to scale for 5 cm deep and 27.5 cm apart (the size of the organ is illustrative); try your own measurements.

When to plant

Needs a long warm season: start indoors early. Start indoors: 10 weeks to 6 weeks before your last spring frost. Plant out: 2 weeks to 4 weeks after your last spring frost. These are rules of thumb for the northern hemisphere. Enter your frost dates for real dates.

Dividing and propagating

Divide rhizome fingers carrying at least one growth bud.

Lifting and storing

Harvest when the leaves die back; replant saved fingers the following spring.

Not on the ASPCA list

The ASPCA plant list has no entry we could match to this plant, so we cannot say it is safe. Keep pets from chewing it and digging up the rhizome, and ask your vet if in doubt. Search the ASPCA list.