Turmeric Rhizomes - Blue / Black, 8 oz
$29.95
Curcuma caesia / Curcuma aeruginosa
We are offering you a mix of Black and Blue together, so you can experience the full range. There is some species confusion around turmeric, which can be hard to identify, especially when it doesn't reliably flower in our growing zone (7). Utopian Seed Project has grown both Black and Blue turmeric. They both produce rhizomes with shades of blue through purple. They both have dark green leaves with a beautiful purple-black stripe down the center. The main difference is that the Black tends to be lower in yield than the Blue, with fingers that are less chunky. and slightly smaller mothers. We think of these turmerics as medicinal because the smell/taste is heavy on terpenoid, that said, online reading does offer some traditional culinary pathways.
SMALL FARM GROWN by the Utopian Seed Project in Asheville, NC.
Our Printable Growing Guide for Turmeric can be found by clicking here.
- How to Grow
Turmeric can grow entirely outdoors as a perennial in USDA zones 8-11, but in cooler zones, it should be sprouted indoors in late winter to early spring and grown as an annual. Rhizomes can be cut apart into multiple seed pieces, as long as you’re careful to leave at least two “nubs” (growth points) per piece. Make sure to let the pieces sit out for a few days before planting so that a skin forms over the cuts.
To sprout turmeric indoors, you’ll need a seedling tray and heat mat to keep the soil at 75 to 80 degrees until the rhizomes sprout. The soil should be kept moist, but not saturated. Once the sprouts come up, the rhizomes can be removed from the heat mats and transplanted into the ground after all danger of frost has passed, or potted up into containers. Growing in containers that can be moved indoors during cold weather is a good idea for those living in zone 7 and higher, to help extend your growing season later into the fall. The longer the plants grow, the larger the rhizomes you’ll get to harvest in the fall.
The plants will need plenty of space (10 or more inches between plants), and loose, well draining soil with lots of organic matter. Feeding several times during the season with a high-nitrogen fertilizer like kelp meal or foliar fish fertilizer is a good idea. Harvest 8 to 10 months after planting (older roots will be tougher, but have more flavor), or for cool-climate growers, whenever the leaves turn yellow.