Hi:
I just received 5 white Butterfly Ginger by mail. They arrived as shown in the photo. They are in moist dirt and ready to plant. What would you do? Plant them now or wait til spring? I could plant them now since our weather's fairly mild but if there's sudden freeze..? If not, what would be the best way to keep them til spring? Dry them out? Keep in pots? Any suggestions appreciated!
Deb
Deb, they look like they are ready to grow-I dug some up in late October and planted them and they are in the grhouse-around 60 degrees at night and they are sending up shoots.
If you can provide that type of warmth, have a sunny window on the south side of your house, I would pot them up now and they will grow. I would defintely use a well draining peatmoss soiless mix-even add some shredded bark to the mix, and keep it moist until the shoots start growing, then water as needed. I did give it a bit of bottom heat until the shoots came up, but not sure that that is critical.
tigerlily: Thanks. No greenhouse, but I do have a window that should fill the bill.
Deb
Deb, I think they will do fine in S'ville; they grow well there. Why don't you put a couple right in the ground and see what happens and keep the others indoors. My hedychiums have not even gone dormant yet. I had one blooming (just 2 flowers) on Christmas day.
Thanks, Ardesia, I think maybe I'll try it. Two out, three in. ..I'll just wait for this little freeze to pass...
:)
Deb
:-) and if the two out don't make it I have plenty to share.
Very kind of you! =)
I know the weather down your way is a tad milder than ours, but - as you seem to have had luck with Hedychiums, do you mind my asking if you have yours in full sun or not? I have one variety in pretty close to full sun, and it did fine this year and bloomed. One in part shade and it grew beautifully but didn't bloom - but it was planted pretty late in the season. This will be my first try with the White Butterfly, but I've been told they can do well in part shade. Has that been your experience?
Thanks,
Deb
They definitely look better with a bit of shade; the leaves get pretty ratty in the sun. Mine get morning sun and do well. They take a year or two to get settled I have found. Once they are happy they will bloom their heads off.
Just an update: The outside ones have just come up this week, which surprised me, considering how cold it's been. The indoor ones haven't.
Deb
..and so on. The outdoor ones are about 4" high, the indoor ones: nuttin'.
I moved the indoor ones outside to a tiny little portable greenhouse thing I got a few weeks ago. Nuttin'. They're now going in the ground in hopes they will come to life. :)
Deb
Lastly, all are now in-ground. The ones who were there all winter are well ahead of the ones started "inside", but all are up and growin'
(And now we have a hard freeze predicted. :) Go figure.)
Deb
How did your Gingers fair? Mine, in Rock Hill, were thankfully still asleep when the freeze came. They have been rising up above the soil for the past week or so. I want to figure out a way to keep them upright. They are on the backside of the fishpool waterfall (a man-made steep hillside about 6' tall) and they like to flop down instead of stand up. I've tried several things but not been totally happy with any. Haven't decided what to do for this year. Love the aroma when they bloom!
Baagrant: Mine survived the freeze. I covered them with sheets and thankfully, that seemed to do it. The ones that were started outside are now about a foot high. The ones I had started inside re only about 3". I'm not sure what to do about them flopping over. I have a different variety in the same place that I had to stake last summer, but it's a sun-lover and I'm hoping these new ones won't have the same problem. Maybe someone who knows alot more than I do will chime in and tell us if "floppiness" can be prevented! :)
I'm looking forward to that famous aroma, too!
Deb
LOL,
Hi Deb,
I love the "flopiness" prevention. If you discover a way let me know, in the mean time I stock up on green bungee cords and "bungy" them up. I also buy thin bamboo sticks that are 6 feet, and also colored green. I'm always proping and tying something up.
Rj
RJ: I have a feeling there's no permanent cure for floppiness, only temporary treatment. :)
aaahh shucks...thought as much. I relocated alot of gingers to the side of the house with lots of loose mulched leaves. So far they are at pre-floppiness height.
I found a clever place for my shell ginger next to the deck and stairs so it's got two sides to lean against something, which is a good thing as they are rediculously tall. I have to stand on the deck to get a picture of the blooms..The deck is 4 feet off the ground. They get around 12 feet tall. They don't have as much flopiness factor though as the butterfly ginger.
http://davesgarden.com/journal/ed/viewimage.php?did=12878
