Late start for the Hedychium

[charlie]

David, if they are older just soak for a few hours before sowing, I have never had a problem with Hedychium not germinating even a year after harvest.

[Mark]

It,s a shame they don't self set....well I have never had any do it in the garden anyway. I thought Hedychium had a fairly long shelf life anyway?

[David Matzdorf]

I've never read anything that would suggest that Hedychium seed need to be sown fresh, it's just what I found myself. I've never got seed to germinate if I left it until after the fleshy coating has dried out before sowing it. Might be something else I was doing wrong.

I've had H. densiflorum self-sow in the garden - I think it was in Spring 2012 - and they survived the following growing season, but they didn't reappear the next year.

The same spot is gradually being invaded by self-sown seedlings of Begonia sutherlandii, which I am encouraging, and Corydalis lutea, which I am not. And stolons of Persicaria sp. 'Kunming' are not far away...

[charlie]

Sad to say I spent the day yesterday cutting down the frosted stems of the gingers, maximum and flavescens failed to open any flowers (again!) and very few have set seeds this year. I dont need the seeds but I like the autumn colour.

Any one still got live stems?

[David Matzdorf]

There's been no frost in London, so all of my evergreen Hedychium are still green. The deciduous ones have yellowed, but the stems are still erect. Cautleya spicata has died back entirely now.

I have a large number of seeds from H. densiflorum 'Stephen' and a smaller number from H. densiflorum, all of which I harvested on Saturday and sowed in pots indoors on Sunday. None of the others flowered this year except the Cautleya, but that's as usual.

[Mark]

Like david I have a few seed s left on Stephen and I think there's still a few on yunnanese. Flavscens has a bud on it but I expect the frosts to get it soon , a few feet away coccinia has been frazzled :? :?

[charlie]

Never found coccinea to be the most reliable flowerer here, needs a good long season. Mine is the form angustifolia with narrow leaves, makes the thing look a bit like sweet corn until it does flower :)

[AndyC]

Any one still got live stems?

I've still got some live stems on H. urophyllum and H.coccineum 'Tara' but they are in very sheltered spots.

I have seeds ripening on H. densiflorum 'Assam Orange' and a very good form of H.spicatum so if anyone wants some let me know.

[kGarden]

Any one still got live stems?

I cut mine for the vase a good 2, maybe 3, weeks ago when the first frost arrived. Don't think we have another [air frost] since, and although the flowers have finished, and been chopped off, the foliage is still looking good. I shall definitely cut for the vase again in future years.

I read somewhere on the internet of a Ginger fanatic and he said he keeps his indoors until well into July before planting out, and that that brings forward the flowering by at least a month, thereby beating the frosts. That's, therefore, become my plan for 2014 :)

[JohnJearrard]

Plants still growing here, though I don't think I will be getting any more flower.


Hedychium 1 101213 by John Jearrard, on Flickr

Brown stems on the deciduous forms and some decent colour from the seed heads - it was better a fortnight ago before the leaves curled.


Hedychium 8 101213 by John Jearrard, on Flickr


Hedychium 5 101213 by John Jearrard, on Flickr

Lots of lush growth under cover but again I'm not expecting any more flower. H.maximum has flower cones forming but I doubt they will mature. 'Tai Alpha' has just finished - a few manky flowers left but not worth showing, though they still smell good. All the plants were slow to get started after a cold spring but they had a good summer and I have cut down some of the trees that were shading the greenhouse, so there has been more light.
Hopefully it will all pay dividends next year.


Hedychium 9 101213 by John Jearrard, on Flickr