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should I cut back curcumas?
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Posted by ree_ree nth qld (My Page) on Sat, Jul 15, 06 at 4:33
| G'day from sunny North Queensland Australia,
I'll start by letting you know that we are in having a mild winter here at the moment (lows of 19 degrees celsius or 66 fahrenheit) and I am not sure whether I should cut my C. Rubescens back.
My thinking was always that they needed to die back on their own to aid in the formation of storage tubers, however it has a few new shoots at it's base and now I'm worried that it is using all it's energy to struggle along in winter.
What should I do? any info would be most welcome.
Cheers
Ree |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: should I cut back curcumas?
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| Curcuma rubescens (at least the form grown here in the US) is a pretty vigorous species, and it should not hurt it much either way. It creates the running type of rhizomes (the fingers)and spreads quite rapidly to fill a bed, especially with a little helpful dividing once a year. The winter temperatures should not make much difference in that range - well above freezing, but if you are having a particularly wet winter, that might be keeping it going unnaturally. How long have you been growing it there? Has it had time to acclimize to the southern hemisphere yet? I know that some deciduous gingers have problems adjusting when moved from southern to northern hemisphere, or visa versa. Could that be what is going on? Dave Skinner
www.gingersrus.com |
RE: should I cut back curcumas?
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| Hi Dave, How are you? I often visit your page it is one of the more informative on gingers and has been very helpful. I bought the plant 2 summers ago so this is the second time I have wintered it. First winter it died back completely, when it broke dormancy it went like the clappers, I had to repot it every 2 weeks until I just gave up and put it in the garden where it proceeded to grow to about 1.3m.
It has yellowed a little but from memory it has the red margin in the leaves. It hasn't flowered since I have had it. We have had a damp winter so that may be the reason, I have others but they have all gone to bed. Thanks for the help anymore that you can offer would be well received. Ree |
RE: should I cut back curcumas?
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| I have had Curcuma rubescens for over six years and still no flowers. It grows vigorously, the foliage looks great, but nothing I have tried has induced it to bloom. What's more I have never seen it flowering anywhere else, nor seen photos of flowers for this one. Has anyone else here gotten flowers on this species? Dave Skinner
www.gingersrus.com |
RE: should I cut back curcumas?
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I found a few with google images but I can't get the link to work.
the one here is the same as the photo on my plant tags address is www.pacificbulbsociety.org. Hope this helps Cheers
Ree |
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