Tumeric

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is the culinary spice plant, and a handsome one: broad paddle shaped leaves on upright stems to about 1m tall and 0.8m across, with white and yellow flower spikes in the warm months. It grows from a rhizome, dies back over winter and reshoots in spring, so it works as a seasonal plant for pots and warm garden beds. Most people plant it for what comes out of the ground at the end of the season.

Why you'll love it

• A harvest as well as a plant. The rhizomes are the turmeric you buy dried, and fresh ones from your own soil are a different thing.
• Genuinely tropical looking. Wide glossy leaves give a bed or a pot the lush look of a ginger garden without a large permanent plant.
• Safe around pets. Turmeric is not toxic to cats or dogs, so it can go in a courtyard where the animals wander.
• Happy in damp ground. It tolerates soil that stays moist, which suits wetter corners where many edibles struggle.

Where it works best

Pots and containers. Two or three plants in a 40L pot give a full clump, and lifting is simple: tip the pot out at the end of the season.

Edible garden borders. Plant 40cm apart along a bed edge for a soft green run through summer that disappears over winter and returns in spring.

Feature planting. Massed beside a path it reads as a foliage plant first, so it earns a place before harvest.

Growing turmeric in Australia

Position and climate. Warm and sheltered, in full sun to part shade, with afternoon shade in hot inland gardens. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate climates. It is frost tender, so in cool districts grow it in a pot that can move under cover, or treat it as a warm season crop and lift the rhizomes before winter.

Soil. Rich and moisture holding, with compost dug through before planting. It copes with damp ground but not with water sitting around the rhizome all winter, so drainage still matters in a wet climate.

Water and feed. Water regularly through the growing season, since the leaves lose moisture fast on hot days. Feed monthly with a liquid fertiliser or use a controlled release product in spring, then taper the water off as the foliage yellows in autumn.

Harvest. No pruning is needed. Wait until the leaves die down, then lift the clump, break off what you need and replant a few rhizomes for next year.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold as a pack of ten plants in 140mm pots, enough for a decent edible bed or several full containers. Each is a young shoot from an established rhizome, so top growth is modest and the value sits under the soil. Planted in spring or early summer, expect strong leafy growth within weeks and a harvestable clump by the end of the season. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95 and our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the edible plant range
• Plants that grow well in pots
• Shop plants that are safe around pets
• Getting a productive food garden started

Common questions

When do I harvest the rhizomes?

Once the foliage has yellowed and died down at the end of the season. Lift the whole clump, take what you need and replant a few pieces for next year.

Has my plant died over winter?

Almost certainly not. Turmeric is meant to die back to the rhizome in the cool months and reshoot when the soil warms, so leave the pot or bed alone and keep it barely moist.

Can I grow it in a cold climate?

Only with help. It is frost tender, so cool climate gardeners use pots that move to a sheltered spot, or lift and store the rhizomes dry over winter.

Is it safe if my dog digs it up?

Turmeric is a culinary plant with no known toxicity to cats or dogs. Any plant eaten in quantity can upset a stomach, so it is still worth discouraging.