I have had a "edible" ginger plant growing for a few months and it has
grown huge. The plant has four stems about three feet high. I noticed
today that there are some large flower buds about to open. Do I need
to do anything special to make sure that the ginger flowers
successfully?

Steve

--
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On 2009-09-22 17:47:34 +0100, Stephen Wolstenholme
said:

I have had a "edible" ginger plant growing for a few months and it has
grown huge. The plant has four stems about three feet high. I noticed
today that there are some large flower buds about to open. Do I need
to do anything special to make sure that the ginger flowers
successfully?

Steve

Water it well - ours get a *weak* feed through a diluter every day just
now - and let it drain well - really let it drain well. But
otherwise, don't 'hover' over it. ;-) 'Helicopter' mums and dads are
bad for plants, as well as children!
Ours are beginning to flower now and the scent is paradisical. Do you
happen to know which you have? David Poole has lots of info on which
are likely to survive outdoors in UK. In fact, if David reads this, I
hope he feels a FAQ coming on. ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

On Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:10:33 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2009-09-22 17:47:34 +0100, Stephen Wolstenholme
said:

I have had a "edible" ginger plant growing for a few months and it has
grown huge. The plant has four stems about three feet high. I noticed
today that there are some large flower buds about to open. Do I need
to do anything special to make sure that the ginger flowers
successfully?

Steve

Water it well - ours get a *weak* feed through a diluter every day just
now - and let it drain well - really let it drain well. But
otherwise, don't 'hover' over it. ;-) 'Helicopter' mums and dads are
bad for plants, as well as children!
Ours are beginning to flower now and the scent is paradisical. Do you
happen to know which you have? David Poole has lots of info on which
are likely to survive outdoors in UK. In fact, if David reads this, I
hope he feels a FAQ coming on. ;-)

It isn't one of decorative varieties of Zingiber. It's the common
edible "root" that is used in cooking or chewed raw. I was advised to
grow it in quite damp soil and that is what I have done. It has grown
well so it must be happy with the conditions. Perhaps it would have
done even better in well drained soil. Its is not outdoors. In this
part of the country I don't think it would grow outdoors.

Steve

--
Neural Planner Software Ltd www.NPSL1.com

On 2009-09-22 18:37:29 +0100, Stephen Wolstenholme
said:

On Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:10:33 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2009-09-22 17:47:34 +0100, Stephen Wolstenholme
said:

I have had a "edible" ginger plant growing for a few months and it has
grown huge. The plant has four stems about three feet high. I noticed
today that there are some large flower buds about to open. Do I need
to do anything special to make sure that the ginger flowers
successfully?

Steve

Water it well - ours get a *weak* feed through a diluter every day just
now - and let it drain well - really let it drain well. But
otherwise, don't 'hover' over it. ;-) 'Helicopter' mums and dads are
bad for plants, as well as children!
Ours are beginning to flower now and the scent is paradisical. Do you
happen to know which you have? David Poole has lots of info on which
are likely to survive outdoors in UK. In fact, if David reads this, I
hope he feels a FAQ coming on. ;-)

It isn't one of decorative varieties of Zingiber. It's the common
edible "root" that is used in cooking or chewed raw. I was advised to
grow it in quite damp soil and that is what I have done. It has grown
well so it must be happy with the conditions. Perhaps it would have
done even better in well drained soil. Its is not outdoors. In this
part of the country I don't think it would grow outdoors.

Steve

Damp but not sodden soil sounds okay, just so long as it does drain.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

Being a purely utilitarian vegetable, the culinary ginger (Zingiber
officinale) is a disappointment as an ornamental. Modern cultivars
are bred to yield large rhizomes and tend to be fairly compact growers
with relatively short, erect growths to maybe 80cms. high, dull,
linear foliage and few if any flowers appearing on separate, 15 -
25cms. high spikes that arise directly from the rhizomes. Some forms
do not flower at all, but when they do the spike consists of a stem
terminating in a cone-like head of tightly packed, overlapping, green
or brownish green bracts from which emerge small, insignificant, short-
lived (1-2 days), translucent white or greenish flowers with purplish
markings on a well-concealed lip. Structurally they are interesting,
but you have to be a dyed-in-the-wool botanist to appreciate them
fully.

It can be grown in a humus rich, very well-drained compost, but needs
warmth and humidity and a long (8 - 10 month) growing season to give a
good crop of roots. Temperatures lower than 10C. result in poor
growth and encourage early dormancy so 15C min. and rising should be
the aim. Plant one or two rhizomes in a large (30cm. diameter) pot
just below the compost surface and keep light moist until growth
starts. Gradually increase watering as more shoots appear and keep
the plant in the brightest position possible.

Once growing strongly, ginger needs to be watered very freely and a
liquid feed such as Maxicrop can be applied every 14 - 20 days. The
best time to start is in early spring with increasing day-length and a
February planting should give you something to harvesting by October/
early November. You can certainly produce your own ginger roots that
are use-able for the kitchen, but they don't compare with those bought
in the shops. I tried it outside here many years ago and although it
appeared to grow quite well, the resultant rhizomes were about a
quarter of the size of those planted!

"Stephen Wolstenholme" wrote...
I have had a "edible" ginger plant growing for a few months and it has
grown huge. The plant has four stems about three feet high. I noticed
today that there are some large flower buds about to open. Do I need
to do anything special to make sure that the ginger flowers
successfully?


You've done well Steve, all I've ever got was a sickly stick of a plant not
worth the effort.
I presume you have a heated greenhouse or very light conservatory?

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London