Huns Garden

1. Huns Garden • 2008 Ginger Growing experiment in Kansas City Kansas Farm

2. Ginger Production Trial • Ginger is a tropical, long-season plant. • We wanted to see if we could grow it in the midwest using: • High Tunnels for heat and season extension • Straw mulch & peat moss for moisture retention & ease of harvest • Raised beds (cinder blocks) to hold high-peat moss soil, ease of harvest, moisture retention

3. Ginger Production Trial One bed in high tunnel, planted in late April One bed in high tunnel, planted in mid-May (post frost) One bed in field, planted in mid-May (post frost)

4. Sprouting process • Ginger is a 2-3 year crop • New plants grow from the rhizomes • To grow ginger roots, you sprout new plants from the rhizomes

5. Sprouting process • Put rhizomes in gallon zip lock bags, sealed with 10-20 milliliter of water.

6. Sprouting process cont. • Once sprouts grow higher than the plastic bag, open & water once every other day.

7. New high tunnel • The high tunnel with the early ginger planting got blown away by 90 mile per hour winds. • The peat in the bed inside was blown away. • We abandoned this bed and did not rebuild.

8. Raised bed preparation • Single layer of cinder blocks for walls • Beds 4½’ wide, 90’ long

9. Raised bed preparation • Recycled plastic laid under blocks, then middle cut out to expose soil

10. Laying cinder block (inside)

11. Raised bed preparation • 150 lbs chicken manure per 4’ x 90’ bed • Cover with peat moss 6-8” (top of cinder block)

12. Transplanting ginger • Plant sprouted rhizomes about 4” down • Spacing originally planned for 12” apart, but because of loss of third bed, we planted at 8” spacing.

13. Transplanting ginger Cover soil with 2-3” of straw

14. One month after transplant: outside • Mid-June, outside plants minimal growth • Inside row didn’t grow as well as the two outside rows

15. One month after transplan:t inside • Mid-June, sturdier and nearly double in size, higher survival rate • Inside rows didn’t do as well, the same as outside beds

16. Farm tour 2008 • July 4, outside crops still small and not vigorous

17. September: Inside • Middle row died entirely • Outside rows are alive, about 1½’ tall(typically, ginger plants are 3’ tall at harvest)

18. September: outside • No irrigation • Plants same height as inside high tunnel, but smaller rhizomes at harvest

19. Harvest • Pull whole plant and roots together

20. Yields: outside • Weight is 0.97 lbs • The old roots are about 0.08 lbs, new are .89 lbs (Sell old roots & new roots separately)

21. Yields: outside • This is 1.28 lbs with the old root

22. Yields: outside • This is 0.8 lbs with the old roots

23. Yields: inside • This root is 2.92 lbs including the old roots

24. Yields: inside • This one weighs 6.24 lbs, including the old roots

25. Expenses Ginger root stock (75 lbs certified organic ginger at $6.99 lb from Whole Foods ($525.00))  High tunnel (20wx96lx10h) $2,500.00  Drip irrigation supply $250.00 Straw mulch $60.00 plus City Market donated 10 bales  Cinder block 260 blocks @2.99/bock plus taxes, $780.00 Potting soil for raised bed, 35 bags @13.99 each $489.00 Seasonal cost: $899.00 Infrastructure cost: $3,280.00 Financial cost break down Income • Sold at $3.99 lb • 20 lbs/ wk for 9 wks, plus 30 lbs for CSA Approximate income: (210lbs X $3.99= $840)

26. Final note • Base on our observation of post harvest, we noted that the crop inside the high tunnel is about twice in size, compare to the crop outside. • The outside raised bed was too wet because of excessive rain • The inside raised bed was in some places too dry, in some “just right” and those had high yields. • Next year: • Charge more per pound • Increase yields by providing more consistent moisture inside • Plant wider beds