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REGARDING GINGER, PHORIC AND METAPHORIC

Yesterday while tilling the ginger beds, for immediate use I harvested some of the Oshoga and Koshoga (large and small ginger) that was protruding a bit from the ground, since I could still see where it was before it was covered up by tillage. The stems of course die down in Fall, and new stems will emerge with Spring, but for the duration there is no knowing where the roots are except by digging, possibly damaging them.

When later I got the roots into the house and cleaned them, I learned something important: the portion that had been aboveground was dried out and spongy, hence no longer ginger. The actual firm spicy racy ginger commenced at what had been ground level.

Therefore, keep your ginger roots completely covered with soil at all times, even when through swelling due to growth they push up out of the ground. If you don't, the portion above ground will be unusable at harvest. I speak of course only of actual ginger; metaphorically you got ginger, let it show.