Finally cut the bloom on the shampoo. It is so beautiful and red. Don't know what to do now. Don't really want to destroy it. Shall I put it in a vase with water or let it dry? Only had one bloom this year...pretty good...it is the first year for the plants.
Christi
Wow, that is so beautiful!
Adding it to my wish list...
Ordered this from Ona Lees Seeds in Florida. She is listed in the Garden ....oh, gee...something. go to Products and Sources. Cannot say enough good things about her. got lots more than I ordered and paid for and everything has grown like gang-busters.
Thanks for the info on Onalee's seeds. She is only about 2 hours north of me. I will definitely be browsing through her website. I like to buy locally when possible and support the "little guys!"
Cathy
No answer so I have just put it in a vase and letting it dry out.
I juice the inflorescence of zingiber zerumbet. I use the glycerine like liquid on my skin. I know they are beautiful when they are red, but I also like them while the inflorescence is green and the little cream colored blooms are emerging from the bracts. I have a customer who 'milks' her inflorescence all summer and saves the juice in ice cube trays in the freezer, so that she has the juice available during the winter.
You can also take and cut the inflorescence and place it in a bowl in the refrigerator so the juice inside gets nice and cool, then when you've been outside working in the garden you can come inside and swipe yourself with some of the juice for a wonderful pick me up and it doesn't fry out oyur skin the way wipees do.
Liz :)
Thank you very much. Think I will milk/juice mine tonight. It is loosing the red color since I cut it and isn't quite as pretty.
You are welcome, very much :) Someone told me that if you dip the cut tip in oaraffin the inflorescence will stay ice looking longer. Some gingers just do alot better than others as cut flowers. Some will last for as long as 2 weeks looking nice.
Liz :)
another picture, that isn't so fuzzy...lol
Gorgeous. I hope mine survives the freeze we are bound to get. Maybe I will have more than one bloom next year.
Zone 8a, you are fine, just keep your dormant ginger dry all winter and it will do great! My son tested Z. zerumbet as far north as zone 6b and it survived.
Liz
Where can I get this shampoo plant? It looks neat.
Lavina
It is called shampoo ginger as its properties are often used for shampoo. I purchased the ginger rhizomes from Ona Lee Seeds. You will find her listed in the Garden Watchdog. I highly recommend her. Mine are just now coming back from last year.
I have lots of these awapui plants growing under my noni tree. I've tried shampooing my hair with them but it doesn't lather. Does anyone have any information about how to use it as a shampoo.
And do I understand that you are drinking the liquid?
Do we give these gingers sun or partial shade? Those with experience to share is greatly appreciated.
Kim
I cannot qualify myself as an expert on anything. Last year was my first time to plant this ginger and it was/is in dappled shade. The foliage is again big and healthy. Can't remember just when it bloomed. Hoping for another this year. I leave everything in the ground to over-winter. So far all of the tropicals have been root hardy and returned.
LouC
Christi, thank you for sharing of your experience with the ginger.
Mine are in full afternoon sun in FL.
Mine are in a partly to mostly shaded area under a noni tree. They go dormant in the winter even here in Hawaii and start reappearing again around March. They begin to bloom in May and June not turning red until July or August.
So did no one have any experience with using it as a shampoo?
I'd like any information you could give me.
Also about drinking the liquid that someone suggested.
Mahalo
Hey, guavagirl. I was so enamored with the beauty of my one bloom that I dared not destroy it for shampoo. I missed the part about drinking the liquid. Don't think I would try it myself.
Just scroll up a tiny bit to Birdlady_liz's note from December 6, 2007. I would have never thought about drinking it either, but.....
I interpret her post as using the fluid for a skin softner. Most especially after being exposed to the sun. Made ice cubes so she could save it longer. I don't think she drinks it.
LouC
It mentions in the plant files about the shampoo
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53328/
Mahalo fleurone, I will try again. I didn't find that it lathered at all and wondered if I needed to add something to it to make it lather.
Hi guavagirl, I have never tried it either I might get brave and try it when mine start flowering :)
May 25th I ordered some of these and still haven't gotten them or seeds. I am excited but wish they would arrive.
I want these and a few more of the odd ones.
Lavina
guavagirl-when I lived on Maui, up a valley next to a stream, there were tons of them growing next to the stream and I used to use them for shampoo. They don't lather, you just squeeze the liquid onto your hair and rub it in and then rinse it off. The Hawaiians used to use them that way.
guavagirl,
I wouldn't worry about it lathering. Shampoo does not need to lather in order to clean. Shampoo or any soap that is on the market now have additives to create the lather because we, ever evolving, humans need to 'see' it working.
Working it into your hair and massaging your scalp is enough. Make sure to rinse well, rinsing well is what gets rid of all the excess oils and dirt from your hair and scalp.
Jackie
Question for LouC, in your zone do you dig your ginger up at the end of the growing season and store them indoor? Thank you.
Kim
Hi, Kim. No I don't dig and protect much of anything. We don't have the problem of the earth actually freezing so most things are root hardy. Last year was my first time for the gingers. They died to the ground and are now even bigger than last fall. I do remember that the shampoo ginger bloomed rather late. Mid-July or later.
Christi
Thank you, Christi. I planted some in the ground, but keep a pot to move indoor just in case. I've two Kahalii gingers that I moved indoor last year. They grew leap and bound, so far the Kahalii is the tallest, they're over 5 feet tall, while most of my shampoo gingers roughly are 1.5 feet. Do they grow bigger if the condition is right?
Mine are currently about 4'. I understand they can grow up to 7-8 feet. Maybe not in my zone as they must start over every spring. They got to about 5' last year. Again that was the first year growing from tubors.
I am so jealous as mine are not here yet and they have been paid for way over a month. I want some of these and they were not cheap.I also bought a few other kinds.
I can not wait mental wise but guess I will have to. I love these pictures.
Lavina
Mae, I do remember that my plants seemed to take forever to come up last year. Later than everything else. I still don't have a bloom this year. I think I planted them too deep in the beginning. Perhaps someone with knowledge about them can give some accurate information. I just plant and hope for the best.
LouC
wow i want one. hehe those are so cool looking. hmm will look at on lees.
I check every morning to see if there is the beginning of a bloom. Not yet.
Christi
