Gingers are excellent choices for accents or screens or at the back of aborder

Tag : Gingers
Gingers belong to the Zingiberaceae family. Their large leaves --which are sometimes variegated or attractively patterned -- andvigorous clumping growth habit create an effect of tropicalluxuriance, which many gardeners desire. In addition, most gingerswe grow feature exotically beautiful and sometimes-fragrantflowers. Many varieties
The plants we call gingers actually include many genera with manydifferent sizes, growth habits and flower shapes. Low-growinggingers, like Kaempferia pulchra -- smaller species of Curcuma orGlobba -- make great ground covers or clumps at the front of shadyborders. Medium-sized gingers 3 to 6 feet tall include species ofCurcuma, Hedychium and Costus, while the shell ginger (Alpiniazerumbet) grows 8 to 10 feet tall. These larger gingers areexcellent choices for accents or screens or at the back of aborder. Shady space lover
Gardeners who are working with shady areas will find a gold mine ofshade-tolerant plants among the gingers. In their natural habitats,most gingers grow under the canopies of trees in filtered light,although some grow in the open at the edge of water or in sunnierconditions. Most gingers will do best where they receive direct sunfor about two to four hours a day and should not be planted in hot,sunny, dry locations. Shell ginger and some species of Curcuma andCostus will, however, grow in full sun.
Gingers thrive in moist, fertile soils rich in organic matter. Whenplanting gingers into the landscape, choose a location withappropriate light and generously amend the soil with compost,well-rotted manure or peat moss. A 2- to 4-inch layer dug into theupper 8 inches of soil would be fine. Also, the addition of somegeneral-purpose fertilizer will help create the nutrient-richconditions in which gingers thrive.
Under favorable growing conditions, many gingers grow vigorouslyand form clumps that should be periodically dug and divided. Thiskeeps gingers from spreading into areas where they are not wantedand prevents the clumps from getting too large. This is best donein early April, although, many gardeners successfully dividegingers through the summer if new divisions are kept well-watered.Depending on how fast the plant grows and the amount of spaceallotted to it, dividing and replanting is generally done everycouple of years.
Gingers, such as Curcuma, Globba and Kaempferia, go completely dormant in the winter. Their foliage turns yellow and brown in thefall, and the plants should be cut back at that time. Mark wherethey are growing, lest you forget and accidentally dig into themwhile they are dormant. They will sprout again in the spring andbloom during the summer. Keep them well-mulched over the winter.
Other gingers are evergreen (if they don't freeze back) and bloomon new shoots that grow each year, although old shoots may persistfrom the previous season. Plants in this group -- such as butterflyginger (Hedychium) and spiral ginger (Costus) -- may be cut back tothe ground in winter or early spring much as you would cannas. Ifplants are frozen back, all brown growth should be removed to justabove ground level.
A few gingers, such as shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet), areevergreen and bloom on the previous year's growth. Stalks that grewthe summer before should not be cut back unless killed by freezesduring winter. Shell ginger rarely blooms except in the mildestareas of the state. The variegated shell ginger is shorter-growingthan the standard species and reaches 4 to 6 feet tall. The greenfoliage with brilliant yellow streaks is truly eye-catching and hasmade it one of the most popular gingers today.
People have occasionally asked me about the edibility of gardengingers. I would recommend you stick with common edible ginger,Zingiber officinale, for your cooking. Rhizomes are available atthe supermarket, and it has the flavor we generally are looking forwhen a recipe calls for ginger.