Do gingers prefer full sunlight or patial shade? I have a Hidden Ginger I planted in full sunlight.
Dean_W
Do gingers prefer full sunlight or patial shade?
Hello Dean, I have hidden gingers planted in full sunlight too and they all bloom profusely.
heavenscape,
Thanks, for putting me at ease. Now I don't have to move it. I guess it is only the variegated varieties that need partial shade.
Dean_W
Most gingers prefer part sun/part shade. Depending on where you live many can take more sun. We grow a few Costus in Full sun, but most in morning sun and afternoon shade. Then you have some that do better in shade/filtered light all day.
Some Hedychiums and some Curcumas will tolerate more sun if they receive a little extra water.
Liz
Thanks Liz!
I need filtered shade to grow all my gingers. First year of growing I planted in full sun and all the foliage turned brown.
cannagirl,
Mine are getting burned right now but I thought it was because they were new plants. I got them in a trade.
Dean_W
Canna girl, I used to live in Breaux Bridge, La. All the hedychiums were planted in filtered shade, and unfortunately only the costus and alpinias did well.
Like Liz says, it depends on what type of hedychiums.
Where I am right now, I can't help but plant the hedychiums and curcumas in full sun. But I do water frequently. Blessed am I cause they bloom well.
I'm dealing w/ a Hidden lily Ginger (Curcuma petiolata).
Heavencape, it may have had something to do with the soil turning my foliage brown. The area I first planted in didn't have the best of soil. It was also no shade at all, and got only full sun...up to 100 plus degrees in the summer. Also, I live about 30 minutes from the Gulf. The foilage started curling & turning brown. I had to water everyday, even with a heavy mulch to help retain water. Once I moved to filtered shade they grow well, and I only water once a week. All my gingers bloom & flourish in filtered shade. I guess it all depends on your location.
Breaux Bridge is a charming place! I love going to the Cajun Christmas on the Bayou every yr.
Here is some of my hedy's growing in filtered shade.
Here's a picture of my Butterfly Ginger. For me, this one wouldn't grow in the sun in my area of Louisiana. These blooms were the first of the season, and by mid season were loaded down with butterfly blooms.
Hidden Gingers growing in shade.
Oops! Forgot to send pic!
Here's my Spiral Ginger.
This is my Pinecone Ginger that I planted under a Pine Tree, where it gets several hours of full sun each day. The picture is of the plant when I first purchased it, nice & healthy. It's not doing too well now, limp & turning brown. I plan on moving it to my ginger garden under a large group of pine trees where it'll get more shade, grow big, bold, & healthy.
It's really odd how some gingers will grow nice & healthy in full sun, my sister Trish for one grows gingers in full sun. While others like me need lots of filtered shade.
Cannagirl, yes, whatever works in one's area. Geaux Tigers!!!!!
LOL. Geaux Tigers!! I think the LUS Tigers are 6 to 1 so far. They lost last weekend :(
You ever want some Louisiana plants up your way LMK....I'll send you a La. lagnippe full of tropicals. I know when you move it's hard to bring all your plants with you.
Cannagirl, you are so kind!!!! You got mail!
I think it must depend on where you live whether you can plant in full sun or not. Here we have no humidity and the sun is way too intense in the summer. The few I have would fry very quickly. I keep them in the shadehouse with the bananas and other stuff. In the fall winter and spring they can either come out or go dormant in the garage (depending on what kind). When I was in Louisiana, I had them in more sun but the peacock ginger I kept in filtered afternoon sun.
Awesome pics heavenscape and cannagirl.
Dang, stop talking about Louisiana LOL! Now I am craving cajun food!
Angel, you must be smelling the shrimp etouffe'! Lol!
It's really too general of a question for gingers. It should be narrowed down to a specific one.
Costus in general can tolerate morning sun.
Curcuma are all over the place. Most C. alisimatifolia varieties thrive in full sun. C. cordata prefer filtered sun, but can tolerate morning sun. C. rhabdota like a bit of shade.
Zingiber prefer no direct sun, but can tolerate mottled morning sun.
These are all central Florida conditions. What is typical here, may not be typical where you are growing them, but it's a decent reference.
Chris
LOL, Angel don't let Heavenscape fool you....she's missing her good ole spicy Cajun food too :)
That's a good guide to go by Chris when planting gingers. If the growing conditions doesn't work well for your gingers, you can always move to another location. Just experiment with them until you find growing conditions your gingers love.
I think humidity makes a huge difference in sun tolerance. I went from mega humidity to none. The suns rays must be more intense without that water cloud/vapor whatever it is lol.
I make my own cajun food here but its kinda hard without FRESH shrimp, and forget about alligator, or crawdads :D You would never find them here. The shrimp here tastes nasty in comparison too. Oh well...I am substituting with Mexican food lol. Now that I can find!
You are right about the humidity factor too Angel. I do spray all over the plants like twice a week and tend to "flood" the beds occasionally.
Look into your local Walmart, Angel. I can find alligator meat there from St. Martinville, La.