Growing Turmeric in Georgia: Container Culture for a Tropical Spice

Turmeric (Curcuma longa), a ginger relative, grows well in large containers outdoors in summer. Buy fresh rhizomes at health food stores, plant in rich potting mix, and move indoors before frost. Harvest in fall: boil rhizomes 30-45 minutes, peel, dry until hard, then grind into powder. Save a few pieces to replant next spring. It's a rewarding annual cycle for a prized spice.