Gingers are starting

[JohnJearrard]

Seems to be more like a Roscoea Charlie, shoots grow from a cluster of swollen roots joined by a short rhizome. Doubt it would ever get to the edge of a pot, let alone burst one!

[charlie]

OK, I know its sad but I was quite excited to see multiple flower spikes on the in the ground clump of Hedychium maximum, first time I have seen it flower, even the pot full I bring in has never managed to open any flowers before so to have 6 flower heads on the clump that lives outside is amazing

198 by charliepridham, on Flickr

196 by charliepridham, on Flickr

[PeterS]

I have a few ginger flowers showing now - but I wondered if anyone knew about this.

2016_10170010.JPG (118.22 KiB) Viewed 1910 times

Curcuma (I presume it is alismatifolia) a ginger relative.

I have seen them in the past and was under the impression that they were difficult to get back into growth in the spring, after dying back over the winter. But searching the internet again there is no mention of this and the suggestion is that it is an easy plant. Does anyone have any experience?

I recently saw one again and it's now in my free standing conservatory that will be kept at 10 - 12C over the winter.

PS why is my picture not the same as others? I first added an image - but it was very small, so I replaced it by posting an attachment - the picture is 640x480

[charlie]

Can't help with the plant (its new to me) but the post image function shows as thumbnails that expand when clicked, not tried as an attachment, it seems to have worked :) I think most people link their pictures to a hosting site like "Flickr"

[PeterS]

Thanks Charlie. On some forums you can show a full picture loaded direct from a hard drive - but perhaps not on this.

[kGarden]

the post image function shows as thumbnails that expand when clicked

That embedded image expands on click too (no indication that it does that though, dunno if it would be easy to add some "Click to Expand" text to the INFO that displays under it? If not I'll try to remember to do that for images that show up with INFO below them (i.e. are not linked from remote)

I dislike the images linked from Photo-storing sites. The clicks take me to their site, with delay, and I have to faff about avoiding adverts and the like! to see a larger version. its just a Pet Gripe though ... I upload my images to my Blog (not necessarily in a displayed article) and then link to those - avoids the Forum having to pay to host them, and avoids my Pet Peeve of being diverted to another site ...

... Charlie's Flickr images usually have the plant name in them though, which I greatly appreciate :)

[JohnJearrard]

Lovely Curcuma, Peter. I agree with you that it is C. alismatifolia. I have problems growing them because I have to let then become dormant in winter - they do better in a tropical house. I think the problem is giving them enough warmth early in the year to get them started again - a bit like Caladium in that respect.