English (United Kingdom) 
Russian (Russia) Turmeric
Family. Zingiberaceae.
Where does it grow? Tropics and subtropics of Asia.
What does it look like? Turmeric is a perennial, tropical, herbaceous plant. The rhizomes are fleshy, thick, branched, and resemble ginger in appearance. As plants age, they form a short, false stem, which is actually nested leaf stalks. The leaves are large - up to 50 cm, light green, in variegated varieties they have white spots. The petioles are long - about 35 cm. In summer, turmeric produces tall erect flower stalks without leaves, on the tops of which there are inflorescences - spikes with numerous bracts. The lower cup-shaped bracts become green, and the upper ones can be white, pink, lilac, purple, yellow, orange. Flowering sometimes occurs even before the leaves appear.
Height. The plant reaches 90 cm in height.
Home care
Growing at home
To make the plant bloom, give it a dormant period of up to 3 months, reducing the frequency of watering in late autumn and stopping fertilizing - at this time the leaves may die off. Remove dried leaves and flower stalks. After the above-ground part has completely died off, the roots are removed from the soil and stored in a cool - 15 - 18 ° C and very dark place for 2 - 3 months. After the expiration of the period, the rhizomes are planted in fresh soil and gradually begin to water, and after the appearance of new growth - after 3 - 4 weeks - fertilizing is resumed. In the summer, you can take the bush outside, placing it under cover from the wind and rain.
When blooms
Flower stalks are formed in summer, the flowering period is very long - it takes up to 3 months.
Soil
Well-drained soil consisting of peat, leaf humus, small pieces of charcoal and coarse sand, rich in organic matter. The substrate should have a slightly acidic pH.
Propagation
By dividing adult plants when replanting. Turmeric needs to be divided every 5 years. Each division should have at least 3-5 buds, from which leaves and 2 lateral roots will subsequently appear. If you divide too young plants, flowering will not occur for several years. Division is carried out only with a sharp sterile instrument, and the cut sites are treated with an antiseptic or crushed coal.
Containment temperature
Regular room temperature is perfect for this indoor plant. The ideal range is between 18 and 24 °C; in winter, do not expose turmeric to temperatures below 15°C.
Lighting
Leaves should receive enough light, but they should be protected from direct sunlight - let them sunbathe in the morning. Representatives of the species belong to long-day plants - it should be at least 14 - 16 hours. In autumn and winter, if the plants are not transferred to a dormant state, arrange artificial additional lighting with fluorescent lamps. Some varieties tolerate partial shade - check with the seller. When grown in partial shade, the leaves become pale green, and the flowers are less colorful.
Fertilizer
During active growth, in spring and summer, feed with complex fertilizers.
Useful properties
Rhizomes are dried and ground and used as spices. The plant is also used for medicinal purposes - to lower blood pressure, as a painkiller. A yellow dye is obtained from the rhizomes. Flowers are used for cutting.
Spraying
The flower loves high humidity - grow it on a tray with water, covered with a grid, periodically spray the leaves, trying to keep water from getting on the flowers. Use a room humidifier. Turmeric loves good air movement.
Watering
The frequency of watering depends on the temperature. The plant likes abundant and fairly frequent watering in spring and summer. In autumn, watering is reduced, and after the leaves die off, it is practically stopped until spring and the appearance of new shoots.
Transfer
Rhizomes are planted in fresh soil annually, in the spring, when the first shoots appear. The rhizome should not be placed too deep - cover it with a light layer of soil.
Pests and diseases
The plant rots if there is insufficient drainage or watering during the winter months, and the leaves darken and the upper leaves fall off. When there is a lack of moisture, turmeric sheds its leaves and stops blooming. Flowering will not occur at all in the absence of dormancy. The tips of the leaves dry out when there is insufficient air humidity.
Among the harmful insects, the most common are spider mites, mealybugs, and scale insects.
Note
Often used as a seasoning for first and second courses. Among other things, it is one of the few spices that has a lot of medicinal properties. The plant is used as an anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agent, prescribed for all sorts of digestive disorders - the root powder has a positive effect on the gallbladder and pancreas.
