How to Grow Gingers:
The gingers presented here are tropical to semi tropical. They come in a variety of sizes, foliage textures and flower colors. I travel some and have a lot of friends in the Nursery Industry. I love plants and have become very partial to the Gingers. As I collect and enjoy gingers, it is my pleasure to make some of my collection available to other gardeners. The old standbys of the gingers that have been around for a long time are: Hidden ginger, Butterfly ginger and Pinecone ginger. They are still good species, but some of the newer introductions have different qualities. And it is fun to show off some of these newer ones.
Generally these gingers prefer shade. I grow most of mine in the partial shade of pine trees. I estimate that they will get about 50 % sun. Some of the gingers will tolerate full sun if adequate water is provided. As examples, I have Curcuma petiolata and Hedychium coronarium in full sun and they have done well. If I forget to water them enough, the leaves will get scorched on the tips. The Yellow Dancing ladies will tolerate full sun pretty well. Some like the Siam tulip actually thrive in the full sun. If you are in a cooler climate, you may want to plant in more sun for the warmth. I have found here that the rhizomes do not start growing until the ground temperature is 65 degrees F or above.
I recommend an organic soil. They will grow in other soils, but the rate of growth and size may not be as vigorous. They like water and fertilizer. Use the same kind of general fertilizer that you use on your other plants. With proper came, they really grow fast. I get a lot of comments from people about how fast they grow and flower.
In the fall of the year, the foliage is killed by the frost. In south Georgia, the soil does not freeze and I leave all of these varieties in the ground. The further North that you are, the more that you will have to do to protect the rhizomes from freezing. Generally, the Curcumas and Hedychiums are the most hardy. I have seen some species of both of these over wintering in the ground in Raleigh, NC with good mulching. If you are in a colder climate, or you are cautious, you can dig the rhizomes after the frost has killed the tops. Bring them inside into a cool moist environment until the ground warms up in the spring. A basement or root cellar with the bulbs in slightly moist media is good.
One questions how something that has been dug up , disturbed and planted again can perform satisfactorily. Remember these are vigorous and fast growing plants. Curcma petiolata that I planted in April are 4 feet tall and flowering in August here. Dancing Ladies planted in April started flowering in July and flower for about 3 months. The Curcima elata planted in April is 6 feet tall in August. Most flowers shown are from first year plantings except Curcuma zedoaria which has already flowered by the time most of us get the rhizomes planted.. That is not to say that everything will bloom the first year, but a lot of them will. And the second year or third year, they become spectacular.
I have experienced very little pest damage on the gingers. They have few insect pests or diseases.
Try some of the gingers listed here and enjoy the diversity and beauty of these plants. If you are uncertain of which to try, try a variety pack.