Turmeric (Ukon) cultivation

Turmeric (Ukon) is a perennial plant classified in the genus Curcuma of the Zingiberaceae family.
Rhizome has been prized since ancient times for its reported medicinal properties.

There are two main kinds of turmeric (Ukon) : autumn turmeric (Ukon) and spring turmeric (Ukon). Autumn turmeric (Ukon) is rich in curcumin and is used as a coloring agent for curry and pickled radishes.
Spring turmeric (Ukon) is rich in minerals and fine oils.

Planting

March–April: Planting starts.
Abundant amounts of organic fertilizer are sprinkled on the soil. Some buds may sprout earlier than others.

May–June: More fertilizer is added before the rainy season and spread with the aid of mechanical cultivators.
The buds begin to sprout in this period and will continue growing steadily during the rainy season.

July–August: Turmeric (Ukon) stems, leaves, and roots start growing faster and, since grass grows at the same rate, weeding becomes important.
Also important are top dressing and irrigation.
All of the steps listed above are critical for the proper growing of turmeric (Ukon).

September–October: Turmeric plants have reached about 1.5 meters in height. Nutrients are absorbed by the roots and it’s usually possible to guess harvest times from the number of side shoots.
All that is left to do is to determine the time of harvest and start harvesting preparations.

November–December: Farmers start harvesting and shipping turmeric (Ukon) (times may vary from farm to farm).

Every year Kangen Foods acquires over 800 tons of pesticide free turmeric (Ukon) from local contract farmers.
This is probably the largest amount of raw turmeric (Ukon) purchased in Japan and represents a great boom for turmeric (Ukon) farmers.