No, turmeric rhizomes soaked before planting is not the best approach in most cases. Soaking can lead to rot problems in wet soil. Letting cut pieces dry out for a day or two works much better for healthy sprouting.
I tested both methods side by side one spring to see which gave better results. Half my rhizome pieces went into a water soak for four hours before planting. The other half sat on my counter to dry for two days first. The soaked pieces had twice the rot rate in the first month of growing.
Pre-sprouting turmeric in a warm damp paper towel is a safer way to speed things up. Wrap your rhizome pieces in moist paper towels and put them in a warm spot. Check every few days for signs of white root tips starting to form. Once you see roots, move the pieces into soil right away.
UC Master Gardeners say you should let cut pieces dry for 1-2 days before planting them. This drying time lets the cut surface heal over and form a thin skin. That skin blocks soil germs from getting into the fresh wound and causing rot problems.
Good turmeric rhizome preparation starts with a sharp clean knife. Cut large rhizomes into 2-3 inch pieces with at least one bud on each chunk. Look for small green or white bumps on the surface where new shoots will emerge. Make clean cuts rather than rough breaks to speed up healing.
Place your cut pieces on a paper towel in a warm dry room out of direct sun. Turn them over once each day so all sides dry out the same amount. The cut surface will change from wet and bright to dull and dry in about two days. This tells you the piece is ready to go into soil.
Callusing turmeric pieces this way gives you a natural barrier against rot and disease. The dried surface seals off the inner flesh from soil germs. Skipping this step sends fresh cut tissue right into damp soil where problems start fast. I lost several pieces my first year before I learned this simple trick.
Plant your dried pieces about 2 inches deep with any visible buds pointing up toward the surface. Use loose potting mix that drains well but holds some moisture. Water the soil after planting but do not soak it to the point of standing water in the saucer.
Keep the soil moist but never soggy while you wait for sprouts to appear. Stick your finger an inch deep to test the moisture level before adding water. If the soil feels damp, wait another day or two before watering again. Too much water kills more turmeric than too little ever does.
In my experience, the dry and callus method gives the best sprouting rate of any prep I have tried. Nearly all my callused pieces sprout within eight weeks now. The few failures I still get tend to be pieces that were already soft when I cut them up.
You might hear other growers swear by soaking their turmeric before planting. Some folks do get good results that way in very well drained soil. But for most home growers using regular potting mix, the dry method works better and safer. You reduce your risk of losing pieces to rot without any extra effort.
Your prepared rhizomes will sprout faster in warm soil around 70-85°F (21-29°C). You can put your pots on a heat mat or near a warm window to speed things up. Check your soil temp with a cheap probe if you want to be precise about it. Warmer soil means faster sprouting for you to enjoy.
Read the full article: How to Grow Turmeric Indoors Successfully
