a friend with advanced lung cancer asked me to start these for her.....I can not fail under the circumstances. Can one of you tell me how to plant these up in pots....I am in zone 9a in Texas...plenty warm..
would someone be kind and give instructions???
gessiegail;
In your zone, perhaps this edible ginger will even grow and flourish outdoor. Plant them about 1-2 inches deep in good garden soil. (tilled, admended with compost preferably). Keep them moist. They take several weeks to sprout, but then they're care-free vertually. Those big tubers can even be divided into smaller segments. Be sure they have couple "swollen" eyes to each cut. You could have at least a dozen to start out with, they will multiply too. The leave are aromatic when you pick and crush them. The root can be cooked in many recipes. They typically look very dark green. Appx. 3-4 feet tall. In my zone they will not survive the winter to give blooms. Even if they did, it's very insignicant. For ornamental, it leaves look exotic.
gessie-if you are starting them in pots, then use a well draining potting mix-preferably a soiless peat mix (not straight peat moss), like Promix or any other soiless mix, or even a potting soil from Home Depot if that is all that you have. Gingers like wide, shallower pots if you have a choice. Plant where the base of the shoot, that is already coming up, is just under the soil. You can lay the tuber any way you need to to get the shoot pointing up. Keep the soil moist until the roots start and then you can cut back the water a bit. Give it some full sun, but maybe not all day. The more sun it gets ( to a point), the faster it will grow. Good luck! So sorry to hear about your friend
Thanks so much to both of you....I don't think she can tend them in the garden, so I will do it in pots and you both are a terrific amount of help.....she is simply amazing with her attitude. Again, many thanks....I do have many sizes of both azalea pots and the very shall bulb pans.......
gail
That you would undertake the job of caring for this plant too aid your friend in her time of need speaks volumes of you. While I have no experience with this plant - I still wanted to mention how impressed I am.
Good luck to you and your friend. You are both in my thoughts and prayers.
how nice of you Dyson!!!!
G, the recommendations give by Lilylove and tigerlily (what do you know two lilies!) are good. The only comment I would add is that the soiless mix will require more watering but if your pot(s) are conveniently located, then not a problem.
I had some potted and they perished because of no water. I will plant again, directly inground.
Vossner, I agree about this medium needing more water in the summer, but in the winter ( where it is more crucial for good drainage when overwintering in a container), this medium will help more to prevent the rhizomes rotting. I don't think she plans to put them in the ground. I put all mine in the ground too.
just to check back in and say the gingers are doing great!!!! I wished now that I had cut them into pieces like someone suggested......they do require a lot of watering that is for sure!!!