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Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Mainly clear skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 62F. Winds light and variable.

Thursday, autumn arrived officially. For me, autumn really begins when the aroma of the first baked gingerbread of the season permeates the house. It is not just any from scratch recipe, it is George Washington’s Gingerbread recipe. It may not have been his recipe, but it is best I have ever tasted.

What makes it so wonderful is the fresh garden-grown ginger.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a tropical, herbaceous perennial rhizome that grows in Hardiness Zone 8 and south. Very temperature sensitive, the foliage will die back below 50 degrees and frost can shrivel and kill the rhizome. We are in Zone 6b and 7a, but our last two winters have been relatively mild, the foliage did die back, but the rhizomes survived.

There are two sources of ginger: your local grocery or online. Most of our ginger is from China, India, Indonesian or West Africa, but the best quality is Peruvian(amazon.com).

As a garden herb, ginger is planted in the spring after the last frost, in rich, loamy, humus, well-drained soil in protected, full to partial shade. Or grow it in a large enough container to allow it to spread.

Select a piece of ginger with multiple ‘fingers’ and buds. Cut into 1-2” sections each with a least one bud. Letting the pieces dry overnight will help prevent root rot. Plant 1” deep, adding a light layer of soil to cover the rhizome as it grows. Soil requirements for container-grown, are the same for in-ground planting. Grow indoors in a dark, dry location or an all-season greenhouse. Within a week, foliage will emerge and in 10 months the rhizome is ready to harvest. It can be dug as early as 4 months. In the garden it will reach 4’.

Fresh ginger really does make a difference.

Garden- Prepare new beds. Allow the beds to sit for six weeks before planting this season. If spring planting, apply a layer of mulch or compost to protect the soil overwinter. For a succession of blooms the first year, plant a few bulbs each week at a depth of two times their height, and pointed end up. Corms are flattened ovals with a crusty bottom. The top sometimes will have a tiny point of future foliage. To contain the spread of bulbs and corms, plant them deeper than recommended and shallower to allow them to multiply. To create a ‘naturalized’ bulb planting, with your back to the area, throw a handful of bulbs over your shoulder and plant where the bulbs land.

Houseplants — Night temperatures are noticeably cooler. Make room for plants to return for the winter. Repot those that have outgrown their usual location. Daylight is not only shorter but less intense. Move sun lovers to a brighter location during the winter. To get poinsettias to re-bloom, give them 14 hours of darkness each night. Mid-late November the bracts will begin to color. Or let January’s or February’s short-days naturally produce color.

Trees — Pot up tree seedlings to plant out once they reach 3-4’. Order fruit trees for spring planting.

Vegetables — Order seed for spring planting. Include carrot rust fly resistant “Flyaway F-1”(amazon/com). If fly eggs are laid, larvae will quickly die having started eating the carrot. To store basil, cilantro, and mint, remove stems, chop leaves, add enough olive oil to coat, put in a plastic bag and squeeze all the air out, and freeze. To use, break off the amount needed. Place large bubble wrap under squash to keep it off of the ground to prevent rot. Speed tomato ripening by pinching off the growing tip.

Contact Carolyn Roof, the Sun’s gardening columnist at, carolynroof02@gmail.com

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