Ginger

Ginger can be grown from a root purchased in your local supermarket but most of it has been treated to prevent further growth in the store, so you need to purchase a starting piece wisely. Look for a piece with lots of potential shoots and especially ones that are turning green.

It took me nearly a whole year to get a piece of edible root ginger to sprout and then two bits sprouted at the same time! I basically put them in a pot, covered with an inch of compost, and left them in my conservatory. I kept the soil moist and after about 5 months, a shoot appeared. I only noticed them as I was about to throw the contents of the pot away, so be patient.