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Bulbs - Ginger
(December) Last spring I
purchased a small ginger plant at Benton's spring fling. It grew quite large
during the summer and I repotted it into a large container. I have now brought
it inside and it is approx. 5 feet tall. Recently, however, I read that ginger is
a perennial in our zone. Is that correct and if so, may I plant it in the ground
in springtime and leave it there? Also, I have a large calla plant that I have
in a container and have brought inside. What is the overwintering procedure for
this plant?
It depends on
which ginger plant you have as to how hardy it is, but many of the ornamental
gingers will overwinter outdoors in central Arkansas without much problem. I
have even had some overwinter in containers on my deck, which is not as easy
to do. Plant yours outdoors next spring, and as winter approaches, mulch it
after a hard killing frost. I would say the same approach for calla lilies. We
have had excellent results in the past few years leaving them in the ground
from central Arkansas south. Make sure you allow these plants to experience a
hard killing frost before adding extra mulch, so that they are dormant before
winter sets in.
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