Characteristics of the plant and its place of growth, the rules for growing turmeric, reproduction, pests and diseases, interesting facts, types. Turmeric (Curcuma) is a plant belonging to the genus of monocotyledonous flora (they have only one cotyledon in the embryo), which have a herbaceous form and are attributed to the Ginger family (Zingiberaceae). In the genus today there are up to 40 varieties. The native habitat of this spicy herb is in the territory of the Indian subcontinent, and turmeric is also grown as a cultivated plant in the lands of Indonesia, in China and Japan, it is also found in the Philippines. She is also not a rare guest in Malaysia and in the rainforests of the Australian continent.
The plant was brought to the territory of Europe in the Middle Ages and it is known under the name of "Indian saffron". All this is because outwardly the root of turmeric is similar to the rhizome of ginger (it is no coincidence that it belongs to the ginger family), but the inside of it is red or golden yellow. The red root is called "turmeric" and is considered sacred on the territory of natural growth of this spice. The spicy powder itself is made from yellow horses. The word "turmeric", if translated from Latin, means "bit", as it is associated with the shape of the root. And the plant has been bearing its modern name only from the middle of the 18th century. Until that time, in the states of Western Europe, turmeric was called "terra merita" - that is, "worthy land" and it is natural that the term "turmeric" was derived from this. But in their native lands (in Central Asia), turmeric is called zarchava, saryke, gurgemey.
Turmeric, a perennial, rarely exceeds a meter in height and width, but under indoor cultivation conditions it will not grow above 60–80 cm. The plant has a fairly high growth rate, and can reach such adult sizes in just one season. The rhizome has a rounded shape, its color is yellowish-gray, not exceeding 4 cm in diameter. Thin root processes with miniature swollen nodules at the tips can go from the root.
The part of the plant located above the soil surface consists of basal leaf plates, which are usually crowned with long vaginal petioles. The shape of the leaves is oval, simple. The color is a rich green color scheme.
When blooming, bright and large flowers are formed, which will serve as a wonderful decoration in any room or office. Turmeric begins to bloom in the summer. The inflorescence usually rises above the surface of the deciduous mass by 30–40 cm. The peduncle is a process, which is densely covered with stipules, in the axils of which yellow flowers are located. But the brightness of the striking look is not possessed by flowers, but by bracts with a bright pink color. The flowers themselves are small with inconspicuous outlines and appearance, they are almost invisible among the bracts. One plant can contain up to seven of these elements.
Tips for growing turmeric at home
- Lighting and selection of a place for a pot. This green representative of the flora prefers bright, but at the same time, diffused light. Direct rays of light are contraindicated for him. Therefore, it is best to place a pot of "Indian saffron" on the window sills that "look" to the east or west. In the southern location, turmeric will suffer from scorching streams of ultraviolet radiation and you will need to organize shading using light curtains or gauze curtains. On the windowsill of the northern window, there will not be enough lighting, and the plant will stretch strongly, and its stems, leaves and flowers will turn pale, losing their color.
- Content temperature. In the spring-summer period, the thermometer readings in a room containing turmeric should not go beyond 22-26 degrees, but with the arrival of autumn, the temperature should be lowered to 10-15 units in order to provide "Indian saffron" with normal wintering.
- Growing moisture turmeric plays a rather large role, since if its indicators are small, then the leaf plates are drying out. Moisture readings should not fall below 60%. It is important to periodically spray the deciduous mass from a finely dispersed spray bottle, but try to prevent drops of liquid from falling on the inflorescences (their beautiful appearance will disappear, the bracts and flowers will be covered with brown spots). Spraying is carried out every 7 days. You need to use soft water at room temperature. In winter, the rhizome should be kept in a dry place, in the sand.
- Watering turmeric. Only when the plant actively grows and blooms, then it is required to moisten the soil in the pot (in spring and summer). As soon as the top layer of the soil dries up (every 2-3 days), then moistening is carried out. By autumn, the deciduous mass of "Indian saffron" begins to dry out, watering is reduced, and when there are no leaves above the soil surface, it stops altogether. During the dormant period, dry maintenance is important for the rhizome. It is important that the water does not get stagnant in the pot holder. Water the kaurkum with settled water with a temperature of about 20-24 degrees. Distilled or purified can be used.
- Fertilizers for "Indian saffron" they are introduced just at the beginning of the growing season, which lasts from April to early autumn. Regular feeding every 14 days. The preparations are used in a liquid consistency. Fertilizers with organic matter and a full mineral complex are used, which should be alternated. If the substrate is nutritious, then fertilizing is introduced into it only once a month.
- Transplanting and soil selection. After the first spring days come, or almost at the end of winter, the rhizomes can be planted in a new nutritious substrate. The pot is chosen so that it matches the rhizome of "Indian saffron" - shallow, but wide. In the bottom of the container, holes must be made for the drain of excess moisture and before laying the soil, a layer of drainage material is poured, about 2-3 cm. It can be medium-sized expanded clay, medium-sized pebbles, but if there are none, then small broken ones will do. pieces of clay shards or bricks. The brick must be sieved so that dust does not get into the container. The substrate for planting turmeric is selected with a slightly acidic reaction and good friability. You can use universal soil mixtures with the addition of river sand. Also, soils are often made on the basis of the following components: leafy soil, humus and sod soil, peat and river sand (in a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 1: 0, 5). Often, sand is replaced with perlite.
- Additional care requirements. After the flowering process is complete, it is recommended to cut the branches, leaving only 10 cm from the base. The plant has a pronounced dormant period. With the onset of late autumn, the leafy plates of turmeric begin to die off. The rhizome is stored until the end of winter or early March in the same substrate, or you can move it into dry sand. In this case, the temperature should be lowered. If in the spring-summer period it is planned to take the bush out into the open air, then you should choose a place for it with protection from direct rays of the sun and from gusts of wind.
How to multiply turmeric yourself?
In order to obtain a new plant of "Indian saffron" it is necessary to separate its rhizome. When the end of winter or early autumn comes and turmeric can be transplanted into open ground, then reproduction is combined with transplantation. The bush is removed from the soil, and lightly shaken off the substrate. Then, using a sharpened and sterilized (disinfected) knife, the rhizome is divided into parts. It is important that the delenki have at least one kidney and a pair of adventitious roots. It is recommended to sprinkle the sections with activated or charcoal crushed into a fine powder - this will contribute to disinfection. If you divide the rhizome into too small parts, then flowering will occur very late. Turmeric dunes are immediately planted in pots prepared in advance or in holes in a personal plot.
Difficulties in indoor cultivation of turmeric
Violation of these rules for growing "Indian saffron" may be affected by spider mites, scale insects, mealybugs, aphids, thrips or whiteflies. If any symptoms of the appearance of pests are identified, then it is necessary to carry out the treatment with an insecticidal preparation, while covering the soil in the pot with plastic wrap.
The following problems may also occur, which are associated with care errors:
- if the wintering conditions were not met, then the flowering of turmeric cannot be expected, during this period the bush should be kept in dry sand and at low heat indicators;
- the growth of "Indian saffron" slows down when the plant does not have enough light and then it is still too stretched;
- if there is little light in the room, then the bracts and leaves of turmeric will also lose their color and turn pale;
- with low humidity in the room, as well as insufficient watering, the tips of the leaf plates of turmeric begin to dry out;
- when the rhizome is underdeveloped, very few flowering stems are formed.
Turmeric: Interesting Plant Facts
In many types of turmeric, both the rhizomes and stems contain essential oils and curcumin (a yellow dye). As a spice, a variety of long curcuma (Curcuma longa), or as it is sometimes called home turmeric (Curcuma domestica) or turmeric, has become widespread. Powder made from dried roots is used as a spice.
The plant is of great importance as a seasoning, especially when it is necessary to tint the color of the dish. Turmeric powder can serve as a cheap substitute for saffron.
But turmeric has been known since ancient times for its properties as a natural antibiotic. For example, in Hindustan it was believed that the plant is able to cleanse the body, since it also has immunomodulatory properties. However, in many Asian countries, turmeric is prescribed for many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, since it is believed that it promotes the production of bile and helps normalize the digestive process. It also helps to restore the menstrual cycle, regulate the amount of cholesterol and increase appetite.
But there are also contraindications to the use of "Indian saffron", namely, it is not recommended to use turmeric for those who have too high acidity of gastric juice, stomach ulcer or duodenal ulcer.
Types of turmeric
- Aromatic turmeric (Curcuma aromatica) can also sometimes be found under the name "Indian saffron". Perennial herbaceous growth. Under natural conditions, it can be found in South Asia, but mainly it settles in the eastern part of the Himalayas, in the warm forests of India or in the Western Ghats. Plant height - 1 m. Rhizomes inside are yellow, elliptical or narrow, fleshy and aromatic. The roots have fusiform tubers. The petiole is in the form of a leaf. The leaf plate is oblong, with parameters 30-60x10-20 cm. The surface is bare or slightly pubescent, there is a narrowing at the apex. The inflorescences are crowned with individual peduncles, which originate from the rhizome and are usually located above the foliage. The shape of the inflorescence is spicate, 15x8 cm. The shape of the bracts is ovoid, pale green in color, 4–5 cm long. At the apex of the bracts, the white color changes to red-red. The shape becomes narrow-oblong, the surface is pubescent. The outlines of the flowers are funnel-shaped. Flowering stretches from April to June. This variety is valued even more than turmeric long and is used in confectionery.
- Long turmeric (Curcuma longa) also known as turmeric homemade, turmeric cultural or turmeric, yellow ginger. A herbaceous perennial that is used worldwide as a spice, dye or medicine. It is one of the components of Indian curry. The native territories of natural growth probably fall on the lands of India, since the plant is not found anywhere else in the wild. Turmeric reaches 90 cm in height, with leaf plates arranged alternately in two rows, their shape is simple, oval. The rhizome is tuberous, almost rounded, can reach 4 cm in diameter, yellowish-gray in color, the surface is covered with annular scars from the leaves, the entire aerial part of the plant originates from the apical buds. From the rhizome-tuber, multiple thin root processes grow, some have swellings at the tips in the form of small nodules that are no longer yellow. The entire aerial part consists of several basal oblong leaf plates, which are crowned with long vaginal petioles, their length is not more than 1 m. During flowering, a peduncle appears with a length of up to 30 cm, which is covered with densely located stipules. At the top, they are lighter, and then the color changes to green. In the axils of these stipules, flowers are located, mainly growing in the central part of the flowering stem. The shape of the flowers is tubular, the bud has three lobes and a slightly irregular bend, the petals are yellow, the lip is wide, also yellow.
- Round turmeric (Curcuma leucorrhiza). Under natural conditions, it grows in India. Herbaceous perennial, with oblong and elongated roots. Leaf plates on petioles, their shape is narrow-lanceolate. The flowers are round. It is customary to make starch from roots in Indian lands. The rhizome was removed from the soil, spread on stones or pounded in a mortar, then the resulting mixture was manually squeezed to remove excess liquid and filtered through a cloth. The mass that was obtained as a result of such manipulations (fecula) was laid out to dry and then it can be used.
- Small turmeric (Curcuma exigua). The plant height ranges from 40 to 80 cm. Root rhizomes are multi-branched, yellow inside, fleshy. There are tubers at the ends of the roots. The leaf sheaths are pale green. The length of the petiole is 5–8 cm. The color of the leaf plate is green with purple along the central vein there is a red stripe, the shape of the leaf is lanceolate, the parameters are 20x5–7 cm. The surface is bare, wedge-shaped at the base with a pointed apex. During flowering, flower stalks are formed, bearing inflorescences on themselves. The pedicel is 3, 6 cm long. The bracts have an oval-elliptical shape, their apex is white with purple, measuring 4, 2x1 cm, the surface is bare. The flower calyx is 1, 3 cm, there are 2 teeth at the top. Corolla is pale purple. The length of the flower tube is 1, 4 cm, hairy at the neck. Flower petals are yellow, elliptical, 1.5 cm long. Flowering lasts from August to October. Then comes the ripening of the fruit in the form of a capsule. In conditions of wild growth, the variety is found in Sichuan (Miy Xian).
- Sumatran turmeric (Curcuma sumatrana) is endemic to Sumatra and has been described nearly 150 years ago. The plant looks very much like home turmeric. However, according to the IUCN, this species is recognized as endangered due to the reduction of its natural habitat.
What the turmeric plant looks like, see the video below:
