your cooler summers may be a problem as well as winters (but who am i to talk as we have wet winters also). Cold wise it is a hardy plant that goes dormant in winter naturally. As a houseplant it would probably be terrible. You can store the rhizomes indoors dry over the winter. Its a fast grower, easy, etc. just not the most attractive Curcuma species. For the spice, its productive, easy, and worth growing yourself.

Tim Chapman

Dear oldherb, I am afraid I must respectfully disagree with Mr. Chapman's conjecture that Curcuma longa would be a terrible houseplant and, furthermore, assert that the plant is rather attractive with large green leaves redolent after the fashion of the rhizome. The flowers are also quite beautiful. As you have, I selected a few pieces of fresh turmeric from a market. I unceremoniously buried the three pieces an half-inch deep in a single pot filled with non-descript potting soil. The soil was kept moist and the pot covered with plastic wrap and kept in the dark. One of the three pieces sent up shoots--I discarded the other two. Now living in quite a large pot, the root and rhizome system has expanded and consequently the small stand of turmeric is rather attractive. I have no experience with endeavoring to grow turmeric out-of-doors. All best.

I live in Seattle, which is probably the same as Oregon zone-wise... assuming you live on the west side of the Cascades. Anyway, I planted turmeric as well, but indoors, and I think it is great. It is still only like 8 inches tall, but it looks different than the gingers I have. I don't know if I would recommend leaving it outside for very long, but I put mine out to get light from time to time. I've attached a link to a site with info on growing turmeric. Note that it assumes you are in Britain, but the info is still pretty good.
-Aryk

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant Cultures - Growing Turmeric

Do turmeric leaves have a fragrance when crushed? Thought I read somewhere that they did...

ok nevermind that question ^ . It was cardomon that I was thinking of *blond~moment* lol.

Turmeric is a valuable herb. While trying to get it grow in a pot or in the basement hurry to your grocery store and buy a box. Take it home and start consuming it! Why? Because it has marveleous healing power. My husband has prostate and bladder cancer and is on androgen therapy. One of the side effects is enlarged and sore breasts. After considerable research (almost a year) he found infomation on the Prostate Cancer web site that tumeric will help reduce the soreness in his breasts. AND IT DOES! It is also helping with arthritis in my knee. Start slow (make sure your body will handle it okay) and increase your consumpion daily. I'm taking 1/2 teaspoon twice a day. The recommendation is 3 times daily in ground-not whole-golden flaxseed. You'll have to figure out the way to take it. I'm mixing the turmeric and flaxseed with 1/2 cup water. Flaxseed has Omega-3 oil in it (the same as deep sea fish). Turmeric gives mustard it's bright yellow color. One participant in the web site said "the reason no one hears about turmeric's healing powers is because the drug companies and doctors don't make money from it!"

I'm hoping to kneel down before long to pull that weed instead of nose down and butt up. M

I have "curcuma domestica" in a 10' X 25' bed that has sent some of the rhizomes to the surface. The plants are about six fee tall and with all the rain they are doing very well. They are blooming now and will continue until Sept. Several years ago I expiremented with growing indoors. I worked in an office enviroment with constant lighting and about 76 degrees. Domestica not only lived. it flurished. Needless to say I sold a bunch at work.
I believe that "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" so while the domestica is not the most beautiful it will still rank high on the list for me.
I just getting into the health side of tumeric since I recently learned about its healing affects concerning diabetes and cholesterol control. Since I'm taking medicine for both I'm a bit hesitant about taking this without my doctor's supervision.
Domestica? I love them!!!!!
Lynn

Re sinner_gurl's comments back in 05:

Yes, turmeric leaves do have a fragrance, and they are used in cooking in Indonesia. Indonesia's famous beef rendang may or may not contain turmeric leaves... IMO it's not as good without them.

The flavor of the leaves is not at all like the spice rhizome...

Best - exop

My Turmeric came from Stokes Tropicals a couple of years ago, when I also ordered my ginger. I am just now getting around to dividing it up to make more pots. It has flowered the last 2 summers, for about a week. I was just reading about the auto immune balancing info about the herb, among other benefits, and am considering using it to help with my Pulmonary fibrosis.

David

Turmeric is miraculous. It kept me and hubby from getting stiff/sore after we rolled our car. It stopped the pain of a folded-back big toenail, prevented discoloration and saved the nail. I have many stories of the healing powers of turmeric. Plus files of research info. on it. Turmeric is antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and even antiviral. We use it all the time. Now I want to grow my own. Ginger and gagalal, too.
Shivani in WI

The ginger Curcuma longa (turmeric) isAWESOME! I have cooked with over 20 different gingers, so far and am working my way through 200+ gigners. I cook with a lot of turmeric, alpinia galanga a well as kaemperfia galanga and of zingiber officinal. Growing your own and eating fresh rhizomes tastes so much better. I actually have 4 different varieties of turmeric and use them all.
The medical community is finally starting to wake up when it comes to the healingpowers of ginger.
Liz

Here is a link that might be useful: Gingerland Tropicals

I found rhizomes at Whole Foods for $9.99 a pound. Seems outrageous, but i bought a tiny one - probably 75 cents worth - that looked reasonably fresh, tossed it in a pot and it is flourishing now (and we are having a hot summer here in FL). I am not sure how much growth is happening in the rhizomes, but plenty of healthy growth in the leaves.

Wow I live in central fla and I am always looking for tumeric fresh called all asian markets around here no one carrys it neat plant!

I got it from the flea market.

Global Foods (not sure if this is a chain or a local outfit) is carrying turmeric right now so I bought a good quantity to eat and plant.

I've grown ginger before, but I'm a complete newbie to turmeric. Accordingly, I have a whole bunch of questions!

When I plant my turmeric rhizomes, which I have already bought, how deep do the roots go? I suspect they don't need a lot of depth. Maybe someone can fill me in on this point?

I also read a lot how to cook turmeric and turn it into a powder. Is it ever eaten fresh? If the leaves and flowers are equally edible, are there recipes for this? Do they have to be cooked first?

I've been reading up on it, and I know that turmeric is a very tender tropical, so here in Connecticut, it will come inside and be dormant for the winter.

Tips on culture and use will be greatly appreciated--thanks!

--Rick in CT

You can put them in a dark frost free place in the winter and let them be dry and dormant in their pots until spring. Then either plant out again or just put the pots out and water them in the spring. I do this with many of my smaller gingers. So you can cut them back before frost or sometimes they are already going dormant by then.

Do they necessarily have to be cooked or processed in some way to be edible? Are they ever eaten raw?

--Rr

How big of a pot do you use for each plant. Someone keeps taking my community garden ones so I have to learn how to grow in pots.

Also my starts look sunburned in full sun. The regular ginger grows in full sun, is turmeric different?

I have turmeric on full sun in Florida. We have a lot of humidity and that makes a difference. I wouldn't put them in full sun in a desert climate. I would do filtered sun or afternoon shade/morning sun in a dry desert climate. You could probably do a 3 gallon pot to start with. The rhizomes will multiply and then you can either harvest some and repot in a 3 gallon or pot up to a bigger size.

Thanks red, and sultry, I'll move them for now. Will wait until the leaves are a little fuller then move to a larger pot.