How to Grow Galangals Canada

By the SoilCommander Editorial Team, under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder · · How we check our facts

On this page
  1. Galangal (Alpinia galanga)
  2. Growth Stages
  3. Quick Facts
  4. At a Glance
  5. Harvest & Storage
  6. Diseases
  7. Pests
  8. Plan your Galangals planting
  9. Growing Galangal in another region
  10. Sources
  11. Frequently Asked Questions

Galangal (Alpinia galanga) — Missouri Botanical Garden.

Unlike an annual crop, the work here is front-loaded into establishment: get the planting and the site right and the same plants crop for several seasons.

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.

Galangal (Alpinia galanga)

Galangal (Alpinia galanga), also known as lengkuas — “Lengkuas (Alpinia galanga)” by Boesenbergia is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

2 sources cited · Verified

Growth Stages

A galangal flower spike among its long leaves — “Languas galanga 34” by Vengolis is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Languas galanga 34” by Vengolis is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Stage BBCH Notes
Propagation 0 PFAF (tropical): propagate by rhizome division as new growth begins -- described as "very easy," with shoots emerging about a week after planting and 2-3 leaves developing within 4 weeks. Seed can also be sown as soon as it is ripe, at around 20°C.
Clump growth and flowering 6 MOBOT: forms a clump of stalks up to 6ft tall with long green leaves. PFAF (tropical): flowers and young shoots can be eaten raw, steamed, or used as a spice as they develop.
Rhizome harvest 8 PFAF (tropical): dig rhizomes for culinary use once they reach best quality, about 3 months after planting; rhizomes intended for medicinal use are instead left to mature for 4-6 years.

Quick Facts

Galangal (Alpinia galanga), also known as lengkuas — “Lengkuas (Alpinia galanga)” by Boesenbergia is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Lengkuas (Alpinia galanga)” by Boesenbergia is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Factor Value
Drainage Well-drained, humus-rich soil (PFAF tropical); MOBOT: moist, fertile, organically rich, well-drained soil; PFAF pH 5.5-6.5, tolerating 5-6.8.
Lifecycle Missouri Botanical Garden: a tropical evergreen perennial, winter hardy only to USDA zones 11-12. PFAF (tropical): does not tolerate temperatures below 15°C, thriving at 27-32°C.
Edible parts rhizome, flowers, shoots, fruits

At a Glance

Galangal flowers with yellow-marked lips — “Alpinia galanga 2989” by Vengolis is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Alpinia galanga 2989” by Vengolis is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Alpinia galanga Galangal Galangal leaf spot (cau… Root rot (unspecified) Glasshouse red spider m… DISEASES PESTS

Harvest & Storage

A harvested galangal rhizome showing its roots and flesh — “Langkawas, unod” by Ringer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Langkawas, unod” by Ringer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to pick: PFAF (tropical): the rhizome reaches its best culinary quality just 3 months after planting; roots intended for medicinal use are instead left to grow for 4-6 years before harvest.

Storage

Use rhizomes fresh, or dry them for longer storage as a flavouring; fresh rhizome keeps best refrigerated, similar to fresh ginger.

Diseases

A mature galangal plant — “Alpinia galanga1” by Meneerke bloem is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
“Alpinia galanga1” by Meneerke bloem is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Galangal leaf spot (causal agent not yet confirmed)

MOBOT: fungal leaf spot may occur; no causal species named, so kept as a generic entry.

Root rot (unspecified)

MOBOT: root rot may occur, particularly in poorly-drained conditions.

Pests

Close-up of galangal's white and pink flowers — “Alpinia galanga 2980” by Vengolis is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Alpinia galanga 2980” by Vengolis is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Two-spotted red spider mite with silk threads, magnified — Gilles San Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0
Gilles San Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0
Glasshouse red spider mite (two-spotted spider mite)

Tetranychus urticae

Plan your Galangals planting

When to sow and plant Galangals depends on your own frost dates. Check the Canada vegetable planting calendar. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.

Growing Galangal in another region

Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.

Sources

The full list of 2 sources behind this guide (Missouri Botanical Garden (Plant Finder), PFAF -- Useful Tropical Plants (tropical.theferns.info)) is in the references of our UK guide to galangal; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.

Frequently Asked Questions

What problems affect galangal?

Our data links 2 diseases and 1 pest to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.

Plan next season before the problems start

Short-season growing is arithmetic before it is technique: days to maturity against frost-free days decides what will finish at all. The Canada Garden Planner does that subtraction for your region before you sow.

Get the Canada Garden Planner →

Instant PDF download · Written for Canadian growing conditions

SoilCommander Editorial Team — under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder

Every growing guide is checked against RHS, USDA Cooperative Extension, and other named horticultural authorities before publishing. How we check our facts.

How this guide is put together

The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against Canadian hardiness-zone and frost-date data, with provincial agriculture and university extension sources cited directly where one exists for a crop. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.

Vegetable Growing Guides Canada

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Last verified 2026-09-05

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