This is my first year with ginger and I have a LOT of white butterfly ginger. Can I cut them down now or do I need to just let them die back on their own? Some of them are just finishing up blooming. The whole planting of them got so much bigger than I thought it would. I would also like to move them. Should I do that now or wait until spring? Also, can you dig the rhizomes and store them like caladiums and such?
Sorry to have such elementary questions but I really know nothing about them. I moved here from a colder climate and I'd never even seen a ginger until someone gave me these. Any help would really be appreciated.
What to do with Gingers in the fall?
Because of your zone I would think you could divide them now if you would like...I think spring is usually when it is done because they have died back and it is easier to handle dividing or moving. The trade I have recieved are normally around this time of year form some and others in spring...I am not sure about cutting them back, I don't think it would hurt them if it makes it easier to move them around and divide. They are actually pretty tough plants. I haven't heard of storing them at all, so someone else may know that answer..I would of course wait till they are done blooming..they smell wonderful don't they! There are others here with much more knowledge than I have on this subject, I am sure someone will jump in with help.
Thanks so much. The person who gave them to me doesn't know anything about them either so I didn't have much info to go on. If I can just cut them back it will help. I didn't realize they were going to get so big so I planted them at the end of the porch and now they're about 5 to 6 feet tall and some of them have fallen over. The blooms did smell heavenly and to top it off, I had moonflowers growing right next to them. Most of them are done blooming and those are the ones I'd like to cut.
It won't hurt a thing if you go ahead and cut off the spent pseudostems. It actually allows the plant to use it's energy for other things than making seed. In you're zone you're fine with just leaving them in the ground, no need to dig up and store, the rhizomes are acrually hardy up to zone 7.
Liz
liz@gingerlandtropicals.com
Thanks so much. I'm going to whack those puppies back tomorrow! I just never expected them to get so tall and multiply like that in one season!