How to Grow White Ginger

White ginger needs a great deal of water to survive.

White ginger, or hedychium coronarium, is native to the hot, tropical regions of southern Asia. It blooms between summer and fall, with fragrant white blossoms. Cutting white ginger and displaying it in your home can give the air a sweet and spicy fragrance. White ginger also is referred to as the butterfly flower, since its delicate petals appear as butterflies hovering above the heartier stems.

Things You'll Need

• Containers
• Peat moss
• Gardening sand
• Loam

Instructions

1. Mix 2 parts peat moss, 2 parts gardening sand and 1 part loam in a container that can hold at least 2 gallons of soil. White ginger can be planted outside with the same soil mixture in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 8 to 11. These zones are located primarily in the south, where the temperatures rarely dip below 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Press your fingers at least 2 inches deep into the soil. Drop the seeds in the pockets created and cover with dirt.

3. Place the plant in a setting with partial shade. While the white ginger can take full sun, it will produce more blooms if it receives sun and shade.

4. Water the plant two times per day. Add 1 cup of water, then pat the soil by hand to check for dampness. Continue adding water, 1/2 cup at a time, until the soil is damp to the touch. In winter, it may need only one watering per day. Watch for drooping leaves, a sign of water deficiency. The sand in the soil should help create the drained environment the white ginger needs.

5. Add a pH balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or 20-20-20 to the soil once every two weeks. Apply the fertilizer based on package directions. The white ginger prefers slightly acidic soil.

References

• Plant of the Week: White Ginger
• Plant Files: White Ginger

Resources

• USDA: Hardiness Map