🧡 Lakadong Turmeric

What it looks like

Photos show the species; no verified photo of ‘Lakadong Turmeric’ itself was found, so these species photos are used with attribution rather than a padded substitute.

Why this variety

Lakadong is the turmeric that made headlines for a number: curcumin content of 7 to 7.8 percent in Indian Council of Agricultural Research trials, against 2 to 3 percent for ordinary turmeric — roughly three times the pigment that gives turmeric its color and its reputation. It is a local genotype from Lakadong village in the West Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, India, granted a Geographical Indication tag in 2024, which is India’s version of Champagne protection: the name means it comes from that place and that plant. It is a mid-maturity type, ready in eight to nine months, with medium yields and that remarkable curcumin figure.

For a Florida gardener, the practical point is not the percentage on a lab report — it is that Lakadong is a genuine Curcuma longa variety that grows exactly like other turmeric, in a long, hot season, and produces rhizomes that are noticeably deeper in color. Plant it in spring, give it heat and steady moisture, and harvest when leaves yellow in fall. A quick honesty note, in the site’s spirit: this guide is about growing the plant, and curcumin percentages vary with soil, season, and testing — Lakadong’s edge is documented, but your garden’s number is your garden’s business, not a promise.

For the general picture, start with the Turmeric growing guide — this guide covers what makes Lakadong Turmeric different.

How to grow

Plant firm, plump seed rhizomes with visible buds from a garden supplier — not dried spice powder, which will never sprout, and preferably not grocery-store rhizomes, which are often treated to prevent sprouting. Cut large rhizomes into pieces with at least two buds each, let cuts dry for a day or two, and plant two to four inches deep, twelve inches apart in rows two to three feet apart, in rich, well-drained soil worked with compost or worm castings. In Florida, plant in spring after frost danger, in full sun to part shade with afternoon shade in the hottest spots — turmeric leaves scorch in brutal afternoon sun on sand.

Water steadily through the growing season; turmeric is a tropical plant that sulks in drought, and mulch heavily to hold moisture and keep rhizomes cool. Feed modestly with compost or castings through the season — turmeric is not a heavy feeder, but a long-season rhizome crop in sandy soil appreciates steady fertility. As fall approaches, ease off water and let leaves yellow naturally: that yellowing is the harvest signal, not a disease, and it means rhizomes have finished filling.

Water & feeding

Water steadily through the growing season — turmeric is a tropical plant that sulks in drought — and mulch heavily to hold moisture and keep rhizomes cool. Feed modestly with compost or worm castings through the season; a long-season rhizome crop in sandy soil appreciates steady, small feeds rather than one big dose that washes past the roots. As fall approaches, ease off water and let leaves yellow naturally: that yellowing is the harvest signal, not a disease.

Common problems

• Rhizome rot in waterlogged soil — plant in well-drained soil and never let beds puddle.
• Leaf scorch in brutal afternoon sun on sand — give afternoon shade in the hottest spots.
• Frost — harvest before cold weather; save the best rhizomes indoors for next spring’s planting.
• Sprouting grocery-store rhizomes that never sprout — often treated to prevent sprouting. Buy seed rhizomes from a garden supplier.

Harvest

Harvest at eight to nine months, when leaves turn yellow and die back, by digging the whole clump carefully with a fork — rhizomes bruise easily, and bruised rhizomes rot in storage. Save the best, firmest rhizomes with good buds for replanting next spring, and use the rest fresh: grate into curries, juice, or tea, or boil, dry, and grind for powder. Fresh rhizomes keep weeks refrigerated; dried powder keeps months in a jar. Wash hands after handling large quantities — turmeric stains everything it touches, including, famously, everything you own.

Save the firmest rhizomes with good buds for replanting, and use the rest fresh or dried — fresh keeps weeks refrigerated, powder keeps months in a sealed jar away from light.

Saving seeds

Lakadong is the turmeric that made headlines for a number, curcumin content of 7 to 7.8 percent in Indian Council of Agricultural Research trials, against 2 to 3 percent for ordinary turmeric, a local genotype from Lakadong village in the West Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, India, and it is grown from rhizomes — plant firm, plump seed rhizomes with visible buds from a garden supplier, cut large rhizomes into pieces with at least two buds each, and plant two to four inches deep. The Propagation section of the Turmeric guide covers propagation for the species.