Just stick it in the ground, barely covered with dirt. Right now I have it planted among the tomatoes, basil and squash. I leave it until it looks like sprouts are coming up farther out than I planted it which means the root is growing. It's so close to the surface that you can kind of feel around for the root. I usually use a large knife to cut off a piece. If you cut off more than you need, just replant the rest. Ideally, you let the cut ends dry before replanting but the end of the piece that stays in the ground doesn't dry so it's probably not that important. I like growing it because it "keeps" better than it does in the refrigerator. Besides, it's one of the few edible things that I grow well.

Michael,I planted some several years ago. They keep coming up every year. I have them planted in semi shade. I do nothing for them and they keep spreading. I love using them straight out of the ground. I use them in the kitchen and as tea. Good for coughs and tummy aches.
Hey, Michael, some family from Miami came up this past weekend and brought me some yuca stalks. Very thick and sprouting. I planted 13. It's kind of late in the season to plant them but who knows what may happen. With all the heavy rain I've been getting they ought to grow quick
The ones I planted earlier are doing great.
I hope yours are doing good.
Felix

I bought some in the market, and put it in a pot and it is growing very well. I traded for the Asian one and that is doing well too. That one is a little hotter. If I've cut too much I freeze it and then it's handy when I want it for cooking. The Asian one is in the ground. Both get morning sun and a little shade in the afternoon. I have them with my bananas. The only reason I put the one in the pot was it was an experiment and I wanted to see how well it did.

And all these years, I've been killing ginger with kindness! I've planted them 'way too deep, in full sun and watered them faithfully. And they rotted. Every time. I discovered a site just the other day that said exactly what cjc45 said. So I now have a fresh new piece in a pot, and am waiting for it to grow to harvesting size. Did I mention that I also have lemon grass and that I LOVE Thai food?

thanks, everyone, for the advice. i have just the spot for a bunch. i've been making a delicious ginger-ale and decided i needed to add some to my garden.

felix--my yucca is doing fine. i gave away so much of it that i ended up with just one cane at the beginning of the season, which yielded four nice plants that are doing well right now. btw, my malanga (which didn't do well last year, just like yours) produced about a dozen new plants this year. i guess i left some root in the ground. anyway, i transferred it out of the weedy, shady place it had been growing and into my garden. i'm going to give it another shot. there's not enough summer left to really grow it right, but maybe i'll get some good roots nonetheless.

BTW, I was told all gingers are edible, just some don't taste very good, like the pretty flowering ones. Of course, I can't say for sure that this is true. :o)

There are many species of ginger, nearly all of which are edible (some taste better than others). Once they get going, they will eventually form a large patch of roots with stalks six to eight feet (or more) tall, and will continue to grow outward. Once they have reached this size, they are difficult to deal with. It is best to dig some up gradually instead of letting the thing eat the yard like my monster did (now a 5'x5' patch). Now I want to get rid of the whole thing, a HUGE undertaking.
The butterfly ginger, Hedychium spp. produces a white butterfly-looking VERY fragrant flower. The pine cone ginger, Costus spp. produces a red cone shaped thing with bright yellow bracts which look like tiny yellow birds. There are MANY more to choose from: check out the large public gardens in your area.

Share the ginger ale recipe?

Yes, Organizer you are right! I probably have 25 different gingers and once a year I tackle the patches to thin them down. I cut off the stalks first, then cut the root with the shovel and dig out a clump. :o) I had a couple that were runners but those I dug out totally. I couldn't keep up with them.

i had really great luck with this recipe. i didn't bother boiling the water, just shook it until the sugar dissolved. i also just threw the ginger into the mix and left it there until i decanted into smaller bottles after 48 hrs.

the drink is slightly (but not unpleasantly) yeasty the first week, but the second week it's excellent. i also think the carbonation was better the second week. but it's tough waiting...

oh, and, there is some SERIOUS force in the bottle during the first 24 hrs. use a vessel with a strong twist-on cap, preferably made from glass. and, seriously, be careful opening it. it makes champagne look like a cap gun.

Here is a link that might be useful: ginger ale

Thanks, I love dangerous recipes.

I only have one question re the ginger ale recipe; are the ginger and sugar measured by weight or by volumne? Ounces doesn't do it for me.

Grandson loves to eat the little red side shoots on the red button Gingers

by weight. 6oz is a tad bit over 3/4 cup.

Thanks for the measurement clarification. I've begun looking for glass bottles with sturdy screw on lids.;o)
cora