How To Grow Soil-less Turmeric

Why Soil-Less

Traditional farming produces about 1.2-1.5 kg turmeric or also known as rhizome per plant but soil-less produces 1.6-2kg per plant

Preferred soil-less medium to grow turmeric is cocopeat

Protected farming environment with zero pesticides usage

Quick time to mature and harvest than conventional method

Characteristic of Turmeric

The shelf-life of turmeric is usually 3 years

Turmeric loves humid & diverse tropical conditions

It is a heat-loving perennial herb

Usually 60–90 cm tall, with 7–12 elliptical leaves size 30–40 cm

The rhizomes grow horizontally

Both the leaves and rhizomes have their own applications

Choose a seed i.e Mother rhizome with lots of little bumps on it & 2 or more eyes on it preferred

Rhizomes are often at a dormant stage when buying, they need to be sprouted by soaking in water for 24hrs in warm conditions

Cut the mother Rhizome approximately weighing 5-7 grams (5-15cm) long pieces

For grow bags approx. 200kg and for vertical farming varies 1-5 tons depending on your transplanting wastage

When planting eyes or buds of the rhizome, make sure they face up

You can construct layers of the metallic through (for vertical farming) or grow bags(for home growers) filled with cocopeat + 20% perlite or clay balls with 2ft wide, 1ft height and any length. Vertical spacing between troughs can be 1ft

The structure should be strong and rigid to hold the weight of growing turmeric

For home growers watering twice a week according to your climate is enough and for commercial growers installing drip irrigation would be helpful

If you are a home grower you can mix balanced NPK 1 teaspoon in 5L of R.O Water + micronutrients feed them alternate weekly basis & MAP 1 Teaspoon in 5L of R.O water and feed every week according to your moisture level and for commercial growers you can follow the nutrients table provided here

Temperature Required

As turmeric is a Heat-loving plant you can maintain temperatures of between 80-90 °F(26-32 °C)

In countries like India May to June is the best time to sow & transplant turmeric

Humidity Required

Turmeric performs well in a humid environment of 70-90%

Ensure high levels of humidity are maintained at all times to have good production

Low humidity will cause the lower/older leaves develop slight tip burn

EC & PH Required

You should maintain the EC range is 2.2-2.6

The pH range should also be kept at 5.7-5.8 for nutrient availability and uptake efficiency

Use R.O Water in hydroponics for correct nutrients mixability

Spacing

You should maintain a planting space of 30-35 cm for a better room for the growth of rhizomes

If you want to plant more, plant in 2 rows Zig-Zag pattern

How much time Hydroponic Turmeric takes to reach maturity

Depending on the variety a minimum of 7 months & maximum of 9 months

But growing hydroponically really takes lesser time

Turmeric plants will develop foliage yellowing & dieback once the rhizomes are fully mature

You should allow it to dry down for a few days after maturity is seen

Use High-yielding hybrid varieties for greater yields

Freshly harvested turmeric contains 75% moisture, So your actual yield will be 25%

Pest Control

Common pests that may be active during rhizome propagation are fungus gnats

Mature plants may be vulnerable to shoot borers, mites, thrips, and whiteflies etc. Attacks can be controlled by applying 0.5-1.0% neem oil (organic) every 14 days

Also Read: History of Hydroponics ?