How to Grow Ginger Flowers – Indoor and Outdoor Ginger Care

Looking for information on how to grow ginger? Here, you’ll find information on growing ginger plants, as well as tips on indoor and outdoor ginger flower care.

The Alpinia variety is among the most common and stunningly beautiful of tropical flowers. From the startling red ginger to the subtle shell ginger, these attractive plants are easy to grow in home landscapes in tropical and semi-tropical areas.

If you live in a temperate climate such as the southern United States, you can grow ginger plants in large decorative pots outdoors in the summertime when they bloom and then move them indoors so they can be protected from cooler weather and frost in the fall and winter months.

Refer to the tips and information below on caring for ginger flower arrangements as well as how to grow ginger in plant containers and in the landscape.

How to Grow Ginger

Indoor Ginger Flower Care

Red ginger is quite popular as an ornamental and cut flower, both for the home and for commercial sale.

Bracts are cut off for lei making. Red ginger inflorescences are widely used in flower arrangements, from cemetery bouquets to extravagant hotel centerpieces.

Before arranging ginger stems, cut 2 to 3 inches from the base, remove any foliage that will be under water, and put in a bath of warm water containing a floral preservative for a few hours or overnight.

Do not place floral arrangements in direct sunlight or near heat vents, air conditioners, or drafts.

Water and remove dying blooms and foliage daily.

To prolong vase life, recut the stem bases every 4 to 5 days, clean the container thoroughly, and rearrange the remaining flowers, adding a mixture of warm water and floral preservative.

How to Grow Ginger in the Landscape

Red ginger is a very useful perennial with diverse forms. With its long, attractive red flower bracts and lush green leaves, it works well in tropical-themed landscapes.

It is useful as a tall informal hedge or screen. It is a good backdrop or foundation planting, especially in front of blank walls.

It can be used as a shrub border in mass plantings or as a specimen plant. It can also be harvested as a cut flower.

Red ginger is easily grown and maintained. The plant is more productive when started from rhizomes.

When blooms fade, remove stems to ground level. Since this plant can spread extensively, use caution when planting it near natural areas that it might invade.

In such cases, plant it in containers or surround beds with a physical barrier such as a plastic mow strip.

How to Grow Ginger Plants: Planting Tips

An in-row spacing of 4 to 61⁄2 feet is recommended. Thin out weak flower stalks, leaving 8 to 12 heavy stems per yard of row.

Closer spacing increases yield per unit of production area, but yield per plant is reduced. Less dense plantings permit greater per-plant yields.

Consider growing ginger in a container. In colder climates, outdoor planters can be moved indoors for overwintering.

How to Grow Ginger Plants in a Container

  • Ginger plant(s)
  • Well-draining commercial potting soil
  • Perlite or vermiculite
  • Peat moss
  • Trowel
  • Large decorative pot(s)

  1. Fill a large pot about half full with a good potting soil, a little peat moss and perhaps some perlite.
  1. Take the ginger plant out of its nursery pot and center it in the middle of the large pot you have prepared.
  1. While holding the plant with one hand, fill the pot to within one inch of the rim with potting soil/peat moss/perlite combination.
  1. Pat the soil down around the base of the ginger plant so it sits securely.
  1. Water the new plant well and keep it moist but not overly soggy.
  1. Place your plant in a spot where it will get plenty of light. Most gingers need bright, indirect light in order to flower; some even prefer full sun all day.
A few gingers can thrive in filtered shade, but if your plant doesn't flower, you probably aren't giving it enough sun. If you bring your ginger plant indoors for the winter, make sure it still has lots of light.

Note: Gingers are susceptible to spider mites. If your ginger plant has mites, introduce a natural predator such as lacewing or ladybugs.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 - 12

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