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How to Grow Turmerics UK | Regional Planting Calendar
Move through the SoilCommander growing library like a course: keep the navigation in place, open the next lesson, and build your garden plan step by step.
In the UK, turmerics go in the ground early March to early May, and are ready to harvest 150–210 days after planting.
Turmerics (Curcuma longa) — perennial.
Timing is the decision that matters most in the UK: there are 4 separate regional sowing windows, ranging from early March in Southern England to early March in Scotland.
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural and university-extension sources — see References.
RHS: plant divided rhizomes in spring in a heated greenhouse, conservatory or indoors above 18C; a single window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since turmeric is grown entirely under artificial heat in the UK regardless of region, with no outdoor cultivation possible.
Midlands - detail & sources
RHS: plant divided rhizomes in spring in a heated greenhouse, conservatory or indoors above 18C; a single window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since turmeric is grown entirely under artificial heat in the UK regardless of region, with no outdoor cultivation possible.
Northern England - detail & sources
RHS: plant divided rhizomes in spring in a heated greenhouse, conservatory or indoors above 18C; a single window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since turmeric is grown entirely under artificial heat in the UK regardless of region, with no outdoor cultivation possible.
Scotland - detail & sources
RHS: plant divided rhizomes in spring in a heated greenhouse, conservatory or indoors above 18C; a single window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since turmeric is grown entirely under artificial heat in the UK regardless of region, with no outdoor cultivation possible.
Plant a divided rhizome piece in rich, moist but well-drained, organic-matter-rich soil, in a warm conservatory, greenhouse or bright window kept above 18C (RHS).
Shoot emergence and establishment
1
Shoots emerge in partial shade and warmth; keep the container in a warm, sheltered spot with consistent moisture (RHS).
Foliage growth and rhizome bulking
3
Clump-forming, columnar upright foliage develops to about 1 metre as the underground rhizome bulks up; yellow-to-white tubular flowers may appear in a cupped rosette of bracts (RHS).
Dieback, harvest and division
8
Growth dies back over winter; lift and divide the rhizome, keeping some for the kitchen and some to replant the following year in a warm, frost-free spot (RHS).
When to pick: Baby/fresh market rhizomes: five months after planting (fall harvest). Mature rhizomes for curing and retail sale: approximately seven months after planting (winter harvest). Longer growing periods yield rhizomes suitable for drying or essential oil extraction.
Storage
Rhizomes divided for vegetative propagation; typical Florida-grown yield 1-2 lb per plant
Tier 1. RHS factsheet on glasshouse red spider mite (two-spotted spider mite), naming tomato and strawberry among the host plants affected under glass or in a polytunnel.
Directly fetched and verified. RHS explicitly does not recommend pesticide use against aphids; recommends tolerance, manual squashing, and encouraging/purchasing natural predators (ladybirds, hoverflies, lacewings, parasitoid wasps, earwigs) as biological control, especially under glass.
5 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I sow turmerics in the UK?
In Southern England, from early March. In Scotland, wait until early March. Treat these as a guide rather than a fixed date — the governing rule is to sow only once frost risk has passed and temperatures are reliably warm enough.
When do I sow turmerics?
Sow early March to early May, at around 21°C for germination.
How long do turmerics take to grow?
Typically 150–210 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.
What problems affect turmerics?
Our data links 3 diseases and 6 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
Most of the advice on this page comes down to timing and spacing — sowing at the right moment, rotating beds, and giving plants enough airflow. The UK Garden Planner lays your plot out month by month so those decisions are already made before the season starts.
UK vegetable growing guides · Checked against RHS & Met Office guidance
Every SoilCommander guide is written and maintained by our editorial team for real UK growing conditions, and reviewed against Royal Horticultural Society growing advice and Met Office climate data before publication.
Sketch your exact plot shape, pick your UK crops, and get a spacing-accurate bed layout with companion pairings, a rotation plan and month-by-month sowing dates — every fact sourced from RHS and Garden Organic.
