I simply break off pieces of fresh ginger which have 'eyes' on them, and stick them into the dirt. (I wouldn't dream of putting them into water!) I've never had a failure yet. Those 'eyes' are small lumps that will eventually produce the leaves. One chuck of ginger root can produce many plants.

Make sure the Âeyes are in an upright position when planting. Bury only around 2cm deep. Keep in a warm, sunny position. Water well and keep it moist, but not wet. It will take at least a month to sprout and the root may be harvested after 5-6 months. After they sprout and form a good root system, they may be transplanted to the garden and spaced 30cm apart.

A 'cutting' can be any part of the plant which has been cut (or in this case broken) off the mother plant. It usually refers, however, to a piece taken off a stem or branch.

And yes, potatoes are propagated by using old or green potatoes which have 'eyes' - the bits that will eventually sprout leaves. You can cut a potato into several pieces and get several potato plants from them.

Same with sweet potato, yams and many other plants grown for their roots.

BTW, I know you said you want to grow ginger for its flowers, but be careful if you get tempted to use it for culinary or medicinal uses. For that, you'll need Zingiber officinalis - many species of gingers are NOT edible.

Thanks so much for your thorough answer. I will buy the edible kind of ginger in case I will have to use it for cooking. BTW, is the edible kind produce flowers??

oh, I forgot to ask another question: I've seen the pale ginger and brown rough skin ginger. Are they both good to be planted?

The pale stuff is probably younger. It doesn't really matter which you use, as long as the pieces have 'eyes'.

BTW, if you want to propagate ginger bought at the supermarket, you need to make sure it hasn't been treated with anti-growth hormone. Root products are sometimes treated this way to prevent them from sprouting. A very unethical practice, IMO.

daisyduckworth, thanks for your answer about growing ginger. I tried here in Savannah, and got shoots and leaves, but then we got an unusual hard frost and bye-bye ginger. I had started them in the fall, so they were only babies, poor things. Would I do better starting some ginger in the early spring so they can be well established and better able to withstand a frost?

Since ginger is a tropical plant, you'd be wise to start them so that they can have as much heat and sun as they can get for as long as possible. In a very cold climate where seasons are short, ginger might be best in a hothouse.

Does anyone have a remedy for leafminers on basil. I have used fish oil but I am not sure