My quest for ginger - Page 2

Olafhenny · 05-15-2011, 11:17 PM

Just an update on my little pursuit of ginger. I had originally planted two rhizomes, one with one upright
stem and one with two. It took a long time, but the two stemmed one finally sent up a sprout, the tip of it
showing up exactly six weeks ago, today. It could not quite keep up the initial pace of a new leaf each week,
so today it has only 5 still rather small leaves.

Unfortunately the single stemmed one did not make it beyond producing a tiny green tip and then fold.

This thing better make it, because all my hopes for maintaining a line of Costus Spicatus rest on it now.

Richard · 05-15-2011, 11:29 PM

Congratulations on the sprout! I think you are in the clear, because once ginger gets going it is energetic.

Olafhenny · 05-16-2011, 12:03 AM

Thanks, Richard coming from you that is encouraging, but don't underestimate my capacity for screwing up.

Best,
Olaf

palmtree · 05-16-2011, 12:51 AM

My costus also had a stem that stopped growing. It pupped and made a new stem now. Now I have it in the ground and hopefully it will take off after this rainy week ends! Good luck with your ginger! It looks very nice and healthy! Keep us updated!

Steve L · 05-17-2011, 07:18 AM

Olaf,

Your costus is looking good. Keep sending pictures. I'm anxious to see the bloom to positively identify it.

Steve

Yug · 05-17-2011, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Olafhenny

Note:
I intended to post this already a week ago, but after I had exported the accompanying photos from Picasa, to
reduce their size to something manageable, I could locate the exported version with Firefox and with WordPerfect,
but not with the browser facility of this website, no matter, what I tried short of biting the carpet in frustration.
Add to that, that the editing feature had disappeared from my Picasa, lots of things to catch up on, it was only today,
that I finally managed to first restore the editing feature and secondly had the bright idea to copy the attached
photos from the Vietnam folder into another one in Picasa, that I could suddenly locate the picture with the
banana.org browser.

Actually when I set out for Vietnam I had no intention to bring home any bananas (I have reported on
that in the Main Banana Forum).

My stated objective was to bring home a rhizome of flowering ginger. Although a long two months trip through
Vietnam is no help in obtaining plants, unless you stay in one spot and have time to build up a relationship
with local gardeners, finding a flowering ginger proofed not much of a challenge. I mentioned, what I
wanted to the staff of the hotel, where we stayed last before heading for Saigon and home, and the next
day I had one.

Knowing ginger only from the produce section of the grocery stores, I was taken aback by the fact, that my
new acquisition had nothing resembling the rhizome of the edible ginger, but a rather scrawny one. Forced by
luggage restriction I sliced off the stems anyway, in the hope, that there was enough oomph left in the
rhizome to produce a viable plant.

This photo shows the type of ginger I acquired, but not the actual plant

This photo shows my plant prior to my mutilating it. Believe me it hurt!
Sorry about the bad quality of the photos, but they are the only ones I have.

Unfortunately due to jet lag fatigue and scores of items to catch up on, I did not take any pictures of those
sad stumps and, once potted, they do not exactly look sensational either, but here they are anyway:

Now a week later, they do still look exactly the same. The white dust is left over bone meal

Here's to the hope, that they are viable! http://www.bananas.org/images/icons/..._brindando.gif

Olaf

I believe your 2nd photo is not a true ginger. It looks like Costus woodsonii, sometimes called indian head ginger, or scarlet spiral. The 'costus' group is sometimes referred to as 'spiral ginger', but is not in the true ginger (zingiber) family. I don't know if that matter or not since it is still an attractive plant.

Olafhenny · 05-17-2011, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve L

Olaf,

Your costus is looking good. Keep sending pictures. I'm anxious to see the bloom to positively identify it.

Steve

Hi Steve,
I am talking to it every day to try to get it to grow faster, so we can admire (and identify) its flower. But that does not
seem to have a lot of effect.

Olafhenny · 05-17-2011, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yug

I believe your 2nd photo is not a true ginger. It looks like Costus woodsonii, sometimes called indian head ginger, or scarlet spiral. The 'costus' group is sometimes referred to as 'spiral ginger', but is not in the true ginger (zingiber) family. I don't know if that matter or not since it is still an attractive plant.

I was (and am) not really into the specifics of Ginger, when I set out to get some. I had during previous visits admired
this beautiful flower and loosely identified it as ginger, and that is what I set out to get. Now, that I have something
similar, I am, of course, interested to learn exactly what it is

Steve L · 05-17-2011, 12:27 PM

Yea, I know what you mean. I've been talking to a stalk of Heliconia Rostrata that's been showing signs of blooming for a month and just over the weekend finally peeked it's head out. I love this heliconia and look forward each summer for the blooms to appear on this plant. Regarding your costus, I think Yug has come up with another possible ID on yours. It could easily be Costus Woodsonii "Dwarf French Kiss". The nickname Indianhead ginger strictly refers to Costus Spicatus. You can see how confusing this family of plants is. Lots of common names applied to similar looking costus. If it is Woodsonii, not quite as hardy as Spicatus, but since you are growing it in a container, it shouldn't matter. Woodsonii will bloom at 2 feet which looks to be the height in your original picture of the plant .

Steve

Olafhenny · 05-29-2011, 10:42 PM

The pace of a new leaf each week has slowed considerably. It is now barely a new leaf every two weeks.
Too bad, at the original pace I had great hopes, that it would still bloom during this growing season, but
that is now dashed, unless the pace will pick up again once we finally get seasonal temperatures.

So far it has been an exceptionally cold spring. Maybe I should start hauling the pot in every night.

palmtree · 05-29-2011, 11:53 PM

Mine has slowed down too and we have been getting 85F weather all week long. I just gave it some plant food and Im hoping for some quicker growth. They seem to sprout quicky and then the growth rate starts to slow down when it grows a few leaves.
It might be the cool weather slowing your ginger down, but it will pick up with some warm summer sun, and some plant food. I wouldnt feed it until warmer weather comes.
Good luck!

Steve L · 05-31-2011, 07:20 AM

Cool weather will definitely slow down the growth. I've alreade got one showing a bloom. Oddly enough, it is the shortest one. Can't be more than 2 1/2 feet tall but it is in the most sun.

Steve

Olafhenny · 04-22-2012, 02:00 PM

A story of survival

This is now almost a year later and that time has not been good to my ginger. It started to look
sickly after the previous picture was taken.

Moving it outside, when the weather got warm enough, did not help either. It withered away slowly
all summer, fall and then again most of the winter, after I moved it inside, despite its decrepit
appearance.

I do not know what did it, but eventually it ended up on the window sill between my wandering
jews, which really like to have their feet in water. Accordingly I just fill up the ‘catch bowl’ with
water once a week (the one you see under the pot in the first picture). And because the ginger
happened to be in the same line-up, I inadvertently filled it up too, two or three weeks back and
just kept on doing that since. Maybe that did it or maybe it just got over whatever ailed it.

This picture shows the whole plant and how decrepit it got. But…

…here we see the ’resurrection’ with not only one new sprout, but three of them. Could lack of water have
been the problem, even though the soil was moist all the time? I am going to bet on it the next little while!

Steve L · 04-23-2012, 07:26 AM

I don't think I've ever seen a Costus do that. With that said, at least you know it didn't croak. I wouldn't doubt if it sent up another shoot soon.

Steve

Olafhenny · 04-23-2012, 12:12 PM

Hi Steve,

I have no familiarity with costus, other than that I thought it had a very attractive flower, but
as far as I can remember all the costus I have seen only had a single stalk and then (hopefully)
a flower on top. Is that what you meant by “I don't think I've ever seen a Costus do that.”?

I wonder if the three branches will prevail or if one will take over.

Best,
Olaf

Steve L · 04-23-2012, 12:39 PM

Costus bloom at the end of the stalk. As far as I know, one stem, one inflorescence. Several of my costus are already blooming. We really had a mild winter.

Olafhenny · 04-23-2012, 01:25 PM

Hi again, Steve,

I notice, that the Shoot #2 in the picture below has a shape (bulbous), which is quite different from
the other two. Surely this cannot be a premature blossom on such a tiny and still recovering plant?

Though it is known, that some plants in distress try to produce flowers and subsequently seeds
prematurely for the purpose of propagation.

Steve L · 04-23-2012, 02:19 PM

If it were, it should have the color, or begin to show the color of the bloom. In other words, I can tell when my gingers are going to flower when the last leaf is much smaller than the one before and when the tip of the stalk begins to buldge and the tip starts to show a color closer the the final bloom color. Does this make sense? In your picture, #2 looks just as green as the stalk. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Olafhenny · 04-23-2012, 02:51 PM

No Steve, you are not wrong. I presume, that we should know in a week or so, why this shoot has
a different shape

Thanks,
Olaf

Steve L · 04-23-2012, 02:57 PM

A week should be enough time.

05-15-2011, 11:17 PM	#21 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 297,528 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: My quest for ginger Just an update on my little pursuit of ginger. I had originally planted two rhizomes, one with one upright stem and one with two. It took a long time, but the two stemmed one finally sent up a sprout, the tip of it showing up exactly six weeks ago, today. It could not quite keep up the initial pace of a new leaf each week, so today it has only 5 still rather small leaves. Unfortunately the single stemmed one did not make it beyond producing a tiny green tip and then fold. This thing better make it, because all my hopes for maintaining a line of Costus Spicatus rest on it now. __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

05-15-2011, 11:29 PM	#22 (permalink)
Richard un-Retired Richard's Photo Gallery Location: Vista, CA Find me on the map! Zone: USDA 10b Name: Richard Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 9,674 BananaBucks : 994,995 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,636 Times Was Thanked 12,537 Times in 4,719 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,685 Times	Re: My quest for ginger Congratulations on the sprout! I think you are in the clear, because once ginger gets going it is energetic. __________________ Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

05-16-2011, 12:03 AM	#23 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 297,528 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: My quest for ginger Thanks, Richard coming from you that is encouraging, but don't underestimate my capacity for screwing up. Best, Olaf __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

05-16-2011, 12:51 AM	#24 (permalink)
palmtree palmtree's Photo Gallery Location: New York City Find me on the map! Zone: 7b Name: Alex C Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,016 BananaBucks : 133,470 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,492 Times Was Thanked 1,428 Times in 644 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 103 Times	Re: My quest for ginger My costus also had a stem that stopped growing. It pupped and made a new stem now. Now I have it in the ground and hopefully it will take off after this rainy week ends! Good luck with your ginger! It looks very nice and healthy! Keep us updated! __________________ Location: New York City, zone 7b

05-17-2011, 07:18 AM	#25 (permalink)
Steve L Steve L's Photo Gallery Location: Lake Charles, La Find me on the map! Zone: Zone 9 Name: Steve L Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 612 BananaBucks : 61,596 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 412 Times in 166 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3 Times	Re: My quest for ginger Olaf, Your costus is looking good. Keep sending pictures. I'm anxious to see the bloom to positively identify it. Steve

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05-17-2011, 12:27 PM	#29 (permalink)
Steve L Steve L's Photo Gallery Location: Lake Charles, La Find me on the map! Zone: Zone 9 Name: Steve L Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 612 BananaBucks : 61,596 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 412 Times in 166 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3 Times	Re: My quest for ginger Yea, I know what you mean. I've been talking to a stalk of Heliconia Rostrata that's been showing signs of blooming for a month and just over the weekend finally peeked it's head out. I love this heliconia and look forward each summer for the blooms to appear on this plant. Regarding your costus, I think Yug has come up with another possible ID on yours. It could easily be Costus Woodsonii "Dwarf French Kiss". The nickname Indianhead ginger strictly refers to Costus Spicatus. You can see how confusing this family of plants is. Lots of common names applied to similar looking costus. If it is Woodsonii, not quite as hardy as Spicatus, but since you are growing it in a container, it shouldn't matter. Woodsonii will bloom at 2 feet which looks to be the height in your original picture of the plant . Steve

05-29-2011, 10:42 PM	#30 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 297,528 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	8 weeks, 6 leaves The pace of a new leaf each week has slowed considerably. It is now barely a new leaf every two weeks. Too bad, at the original pace I had great hopes, that it would still bloom during this growing season, but that is now dashed, unless the pace will pick up again once we finally get seasonal temperatures. So far it has been an exceptionally cold spring. Maybe I should start hauling the pot in every night. __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

05-29-2011, 11:53 PM	#31 (permalink)
palmtree palmtree's Photo Gallery Location: New York City Find me on the map! Zone: 7b Name: Alex C Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,016 BananaBucks : 133,470 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,492 Times Was Thanked 1,428 Times in 644 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 103 Times	Re: My quest for ginger Mine has slowed down too and we have been getting 85F weather all week long. I just gave it some plant food and Im hoping for some quicker growth. They seem to sprout quicky and then the growth rate starts to slow down when it grows a few leaves. It might be the cool weather slowing your ginger down, but it will pick up with some warm summer sun, and some plant food. I wouldnt feed it until warmer weather comes. Good luck! __________________ Location: New York City, zone 7b

05-31-2011, 07:20 AM	#32 (permalink)
Steve L Steve L's Photo Gallery Location: Lake Charles, La Find me on the map! Zone: Zone 9 Name: Steve L Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 612 BananaBucks : 61,596 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 412 Times in 166 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3 Times	Re: My quest for ginger Cool weather will definitely slow down the growth. I've alreade got one showing a bloom. Oddly enough, it is the shortest one. Can't be more than 2 1/2 feet tall but it is in the most sun. Steve

04-22-2012, 02:00 PM	#33 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 297,528 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	While there is still breath, there is hope A story of survival This is now almost a year later and that time has not been good to my ginger. It started to look sickly after the previous picture was taken. Moving it outside, when the weather got warm enough, did not help either. It withered away slowly all summer, fall and then again most of the winter, after I moved it inside, despite its decrepit appearance. I do not know what did it, but eventually it ended up on the window sill between my wandering jews, which really like to have their feet in water. Accordingly I just fill up the ‘catch bowl’ with water once a week (the one you see under the pot in the first picture). And because the ginger happened to be in the same line-up, I inadvertently filled it up too, two or three weeks back and just kept on doing that since. Maybe that did it or maybe it just got over whatever ailed it. This picture shows the whole plant and how decrepit it got. But… …here we see the ’resurrection’ with not only one new sprout, but three of them. Could lack of water have been the problem, even though the soil was moist all the time? I am going to bet on it the next little while! __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

04-23-2012, 07:26 AM	#34 (permalink)
Steve L Steve L's Photo Gallery Location: Lake Charles, La Find me on the map! Zone: Zone 9 Name: Steve L Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 612 BananaBucks : 61,596 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 412 Times in 166 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3 Times	Re: My quest for ginger I don't think I've ever seen a Costus do that. With that said, at least you know it didn't croak. I wouldn't doubt if it sent up another shoot soon. Steve

04-23-2012, 12:12 PM	#35 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 297,528 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: My quest for ginger Hi Steve, I have no familiarity with costus, other than that I thought it had a very attractive flower, but as far as I can remember all the costus I have seen only had a single stalk and then (hopefully) a flower on top. Is that what you meant by “I don't think I've ever seen a Costus do that.”? I wonder if the three branches will prevail or if one will take over. Best, Olaf __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

04-23-2012, 12:39 PM	#36 (permalink)
Steve L Steve L's Photo Gallery Location: Lake Charles, La Find me on the map! Zone: Zone 9 Name: Steve L Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 612 BananaBucks : 61,596 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 412 Times in 166 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3 Times	Re: My quest for ginger Costus bloom at the end of the stalk. As far as I know, one stem, one inflorescence. Several of my costus are already blooming. We really had a mild winter.

04-23-2012, 01:25 PM	#37 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 297,528 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: My quest for ginger Hi again, Steve, I notice, that the Shoot #2 in the picture below has a shape (bulbous), which is quite different from the other two. Surely this cannot be a premature blossom on such a tiny and still recovering plant? Though it is known, that some plants in distress try to produce flowers and subsequently seeds prematurely for the purpose of propagation. __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

04-23-2012, 02:19 PM	#38 (permalink)
Steve L Steve L's Photo Gallery Location: Lake Charles, La Find me on the map! Zone: Zone 9 Name: Steve L Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 612 BananaBucks : 61,596 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 412 Times in 166 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3 Times	Re: My quest for ginger If it were, it should have the color, or begin to show the color of the bloom. In other words, I can tell when my gingers are going to flower when the last leaf is much smaller than the one before and when the tip of the stalk begins to buldge and the tip starts to show a color closer the the final bloom color. Does this make sense? In your picture, #2 looks just as green as the stalk. Correct me if I'm wrong.

04-23-2012, 02:51 PM	#39 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 297,528 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: My quest for ginger No Steve, you are not wrong. I presume, that we should know in a week or so, why this shoot has a different shape Thanks, Olaf __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

04-23-2012, 02:57 PM	#40 (permalink)
Steve L Steve L's Photo Gallery Location: Lake Charles, La Find me on the map! Zone: Zone 9 Name: Steve L Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 612 BananaBucks : 61,596 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 412 Times in 166 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3 Times	Re: My quest for ginger A week should be enough time.

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