How to Grow Flowering Ginger
- 1). Plant in a location with well-draining, moist soil that receives full sun. Red ginger grows and blooms best when it receives less than 30 percent shade.
- 2). Test the soil for pH compatibility. Purchase a soil testing kit from a nursery or home center, or contact your local cooperative extension for a free soil sample kit. Red ginger prefers soil with a pH range of 6.0 to 6.8. Add soil amendments, as recommended by the soil test, to bring the soil to the correct range.
- 3). Dig an adequately sized hole for the red ginger plant. Typically, the hole should be twice the width of the roots. Add the soil back around the plant and firm it in place. Space the plants 4 to 6-1/2 feet apart to allow the plant to spread out and yield larger blooms in the future.
- 4). Water the plant regularly, at least 1 inch of water per week. More water is better though, as the plant is accustomed to tropical conditions.
- 5). Fertilize the plant one a month with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer such as 3:1:5 NPK ratio, per label instructions.
- 6). Trim spent flowers and unattractive foliage from the plant to keep it attractive and healthy.
- 7). Cut the blooms when the plant is about 75 percent open, as close to the soil as possible; the longer the stem, the longer the life of the cut bloom. Trim all but one to three leaves from the stem. It normally takes about four months for the bloom to open from when the stem first emerges from the ground
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