Gingers in the ground for the summer?

I'm trying an experiment here and am hoping someone can offer tips if they've tried this. I have several non-hardy gingers (Zone 10) that I really would like to grow out of pots here in the summer. I think they'll grow larger in the ground. Problem is, while I can likely mulch my other gingers to survive the winter (even those a zone below us) I doubt I'd get lucky enough with two zones out of my range.

So my question is... if I put those non-hardy gingers in the ground, can I just dig them back up in November? I put my Torch Ginger and a Red Ginger in the ground yesterday, and notice their root structure (at this stage) is less rhizome and more roots - they are both young plants. Will they develop rhizomes like my other gingers (Beehive, Kahili, Shampoo, etc)? If so, hopefully I will be able to just dig them up each winter and put them back in the ground come Spring again. Anything with a rhizome seems hard to kill, LOL.

Thanks for any tips on this.

Have you read bwilliams thread in this forum on zone pushing for northern gardeners? Assuming his techniques are compatible with gingers you should be able to get an extra couple zones out of them. He's in a colder zone than you and I'm amazed at what he's able to overwinter in his garden.

Sure did, great thread. In fact that's what gave me the idea to take the existing gingers and put them all in the ground. I still worry that I'd be pushing my luck with plants like the Torch Ginger though.

Most of the plants that I'm throwing caution to the wind with and putting in the ground I have kept a backup of, just in case.

Keonikale, if you succeed with the Torch Ginger, let me know.
I have 2 crepe gingers in the ground since last year, mulched about 6 inches. So far, nothing has appeared. But I do have 2 more just in case, in the GH. I never could get the torch gingers, costus, and alpinias to survive this area's winter. Hedys and curcumas do well here.

Just got one of the Curcumas, so that's good to hear. I'll let you know how it comes out with the dig up method. I may try and get a larger rhizome when I'm in Hawai`i this coming weekend, and if I do, I'll leave the current one in the ground and see what happens. I put it next to the house, so that should help some IF I do leave it in the ground.

For the record, most of my gingers are still dormant here; so maybe that's why you haven't see them yet. Especially with the weird weather we were having. Only the butterfly ginger has really started growing. I suspect the shampoo ginger is right behind though. When I split it a few weeks ago, I noticed the start of the new nodes.

On the note of Gingers... what's the difference between the yellow Hedys and Kahili Ginger? Or is Kahili a type of Hedys?

Edit: NM, I just found this. Kahili Ginger = Hedychium gardnerianum. Now that makes sense.

This message was edited Apr 19, 2008 6:56 PM

Wow you are lucky!!! No zingibers (shampoo) made it here!!
All my hedys are coming out. Curcumas will be later.

keonikale,
I grew many non-hardy gingers last year in gardens and dug them to overwinter in the GH, they all did well.

I'm not really sure how much extreme zone pushing would really work with non-hardy gingers, maybe a zone up but I really doubt two unless you have plenty of the plant to spare. The reason I say this is that so many gingers, especially less hardy ones require a longer growing season to flower, and/or bloom on second year growth, so even if they come back, it's not likely they'll bloom. Generally the rhizomes don't go all that deep with gingers, so cold seems to affect them more. I mulched some alpinias like crazy and they're alive under there, but I have to wonder how big they'll get this season, considering they were full grown plants when I planted them this time last year.

All this and as stubborn as I am I have to try a few costus all winter this year...lol

they do make awesome bedding plants, at any rate

I do this all the time in summer. Just like the cannas.
Alice

Kara, I'll try the extra mulch method on alpinias. But as for spiral gingers, I had some mulched at least 8 inches, and nothing peeking out.
Sheesh....
Alice your cannas are doing very well for me here. You should see Jivago and Autumn Gold taking off!
~Jaye

ouch, Jaye...which ones did you try so I don't make the same mistake

no new growth on the alpinias but I'm sure they'll be later like curcumas

Costus Barbatos and pink Crepe gingers.
I have a couple of the crepe kept alive in the GH. I think I'll transfer these into a bigger pot, and see whether they'd bloom this year. All we need is one more month of warmth.
Jaye

Thanks, Jaye.
If slow poke 'Jivago' doesn't come up here soon, I may have to get it back from you ..lol

I have had a number of gingers bloom in my zone 6/5.
They come to bloom in fall as it cools. Very nice :-)
I grow them in pots for the most part. Usually they get so full, they break the pot.
Outside in summer, they increase nicely, too .. and grow differently.
Alice

Thanks Jaye, I have a couple of different costus, ...so we'll see....