I only have one or two container grown gingers that get over wintered in my greenhouse. All of the others, some 50 or so, are hardy for me in the ground and generally go dormant during the winter. These include Hedychiums, Costus', Zingibers, Globbas, Kaempferias, Alpinias, and Curcumas.

Steve

So do you get blooms on your costus and zingibers?

I get blooms on Costus Barbatus, Spicatus, Pictus, Speciosus, Vargasii and Zingiber Collinsii, Zerumbet, and Neglectum. All of these plants are generally hardy in my zone 9 and, with regards to the costus, will produce blooms on one's years growth, although sometimes, it's late in the season. The Zingibers need a large rhizome mass to bloom as they are basal bloomers. In a harsh winter, all of these gingers will be killed to the ground but reliably, for me, will come back in the spring. They should all be planted in raised beds to avoid root rot during the winter months. Fertilize like heck during the growing season.

Steve

I just dug up my Hawaiian white ginger (sorry, I don't know the proper name) and divided it up to pot up and sell on my website for next spring. I'm in zone 7b, and usually leave my gingers in ground with a nice leaf mulch over them to protect them. I'd love to acquire more these, they are outstanding plants with incredible fragrance!

So with the zingibers I should leave them together and not divide if I want them to bloom? Do you start fertilizing at first signs of growth and what do you use? I was going to put most costus in the greenhouse and maybe alpinia...

I also live in north Florida, I don't bring any ginger inside.I have not had a killing freeze yet just a lite frost, even my banana trees are still green. Usually by this time we would have had a killing freeze. Looks like another wierd winter. I have alpinia, but mostly hedychiums I just cut back all the old stalks and mulch with leaves or straw and they are fine for winter. Sometimes if we have an extended warm period they will sprout new growth and then get killed back again, It doesn't seem to hurt them. I am really glad to see someone on here this is my favorite forum.
James in Florida

Where in FL are you? I am near Gainesville and about two weeks ago we got down to 27, so my bananas I didn't cover actually got hit pretty hard but not the pseudostems! I just aquired almost 100 different varieties so I've got to learn fast LOL! I'm glad to see people answering as I love gingers and want to learn and share as much as I can!!

Kat

Kat,

The zingibers are in the ground so I don't every dig them up. Occasionally, I do separate some of the rhizomes but only to give to others. I start fertilizing as soon as I start to see new growth. I fertilize once or twice a month with a water soluble 20-20-20 fertilizer made by Peters. I used to buy this fertilizer at the box stores but they quit carrying Peters fertilizer. I found a local feed and seed store that sells it in 20# bags. It's a lot less expensive in bulk. None of the other fertilizer manufactures, like Miracle Gro produce a 20-20-20 formula or if they do, my stores don't carry it. I put it in a hose end sprayer and spray. Which Alpinia are you growing?

Steve

Ohhh if that works I know a nursery that went out of business that has peters 20-20-20 in 20lbs bags but I'm not sure how much he wants for them (he's staying his ground on wanting what he paid) how much do you pay for those bags? I have

Zingiber coralinum
Zingiber zerumbet
Zingiber Twice as Nice
Zingiber "Darcyi"
Zingiber Rubens

what all kinds do you have?

Yes, they love that fertilizer. I think I pay about $40 but it will last most of the growing season for me. I use it on just about everything. I'm growing the ones I mentioned in the above post. In addition, I'm also growing Coralinum and the variegated Zerumbut Darcyi as well. I think that's about it. You also mentioned you're growing Alpinias. Which ones?

LOL Sorry I wasn't even thinking when I posted! Yeah I'm doing Alpinias as well I have these Alpinias

Alpinia zerumbet
Alpinia Chinese Beauty Variegated
Alpinia Nutan's
Alpinia Nutans Narrow Leaf
Alpinia Galanga (Thai Spice Ginger)
Alpinia formosana

Those alpinia should be just fine in the ground.

Steve

Hi dreaming of the tropics. Just checked this again today. I live just north west of Tallahassee. I have about 25 hedychium, a few alpinia and one spiral. I have a couple of my own seedlings hedychium. Did you mean you had gotten 100 gingers or 100 bananas? Thats a bunch no matter which. ?Are you buying locally or ordering? Gingersrus is in Tallahasse and he has many different species and varieties. About the Peters fertilize if you can get it at cost you have made a deal. I always cut my gingers back and mulch them well. I have had the shell ginger at least 12 years it makes huge clumps of wonderful foliage but I don't get flowers.I don't have a greenhouse and they do take a two year period of no freezing to flower.
James in Florida

I dug up my spiral ginger and I have 1 clump of my Hedychium indoors and one clump of them outdoors. Im hoping both survive, but the one outdoors is definitely an experment.
I got my Hedys as very small bulbs from Hawaii August of 2010 and they bloomed for the first time in November of this year (luckily the weather was still mild enough to get some nice blooms!).
-Alex

Hi dreaming, I too have hedychiums sprouting and we are having a chill again. They don't seem to quit growing unless it actually freezes them twice already. But today at least 6 varieties are growing. I actually potted one about 6 weeks ago that had sprouted and we were under freeze warning and I was grooming the flower beds this one was about half out of the ground so I potted it and it is over a foot tall sitting in the south window. Hope it will bloom earlier outside when I put it back outside. Did you visit gingersrus website yet?
James in Florida