Its red cone attracts hummingbirds.
Red button ginger is best planted in early spring (or year-round in tropical environments).
Soil
Plant your red button ginger in a soil mixture that is moist but well-draining.
It will thrive best in a rich and moderately fertile soil mix.
you’re free to increase the nutritional value of your soil by amending it withorganic matter.
Ultimately, never let the soil dry out completely.
Temperature and Humidity
Red button ginger loves warm and humid temperatures due to its tropical nature.
After light frosts, it generally wilts and bounces back.
After a hard freeze, it can sometimes grow back from its root system.
Types of Red Button Ginger
Two types ofCostus woodsoniiinclude the primary specimen and the dwarf jot down.
More than 150 species belong to theCostusor spiral ginger genus.
Pruning
Regularly pruning red button ginger throughout the year keeps disease and overgrowth in check.
Foliage damage can occur during periods of drought or frost.
If leaves or stems appear discolored, use sterilized pruning shears to remove the damaged branches or leaves.
Deadhead or remove faded flowers by snipping or pulling off the dead flowers from their base.
Also, cut or remove dead, browned leaves at the stem.
Prune the tops of any drooping stems.
Snip off any remaining leaves and stem offshoots that make the plant too wide.
It doesn’t matter the time of year you propagate if environment conditions are right.
However, spring is generally regarded as the best time of year for propagation.
However, root division is the fastest and easiest method of reproduction.
The root of red button ginger is arhizomea thickened tuberous-looking root that grows horizontally just under the soil surface.
This plant reliably reproduces by seed.
Seeds are harder to source.
And, plants grown from seeds can take two to three years before flowering.
In general, stem cutting and division are faster routes of propagation.
It’s a vigorous grower and will likely need repotting annually.
Keep the same pot, add fresh soil, and divide the rhizome to propagate new plants.
In cooler parts of the world, red button ginger can be cared for indoors as a houseplant.
Overwintering
Red button ginger is cold tolerant to 30 degrees Fahrenheit with mulch protection against frost.
In subtropical climates, the plant will go dormant in the winter but will return with the warm weather.
Red button ginger has exotic, vibrant yellow-orange, waxy spiraling blooms along thick, upright stems.
If its conditions are suitable, red button ginger will bloom year-round.
To maintain its blooms or increase the chances of flowering, bring the plant indoors during the winter season.
If you want an increased chance of flower production, select a fertilizer higher in phosphorus.
Common Problems With Red Button Ginger
Red button ginger is relatively disease- and pest-free.
A change in environmental conditions might result in some health issues.
You might also have stunted growth and a waterlogged, grayish-brown discoloration of the rhizomes and stems.
In severe cases, the rhizome will rot.
Plant Turning Yellow
Bacterial wilt can turn a plant yellow, but leaves will quickly brown.
This fungal disease is soil-borne and can affect nearby plants.
Red button ginger is perennial in its hardiness zone, reaching full growth after two to three years.
When tended to properly, it will continue growing for years to come.
Red button ginger can be grown indoors and kept inside in non-tropical climates.
Unlike true gingers,Costusspecies do not have aromatic oils and have no culinary value.
Costus woodsonii.Hawaii Ecosystems at Risk Project, University of Hawaii.
Spiral Gingers.IFSA Gardening Solutions.
Costus scaber -Spiral ginger.
University of North Florida.
Bacterial Wilt of Edible Ginger: Pathogen, Symptoms and Management.
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.
Meenu, G., & Jebasingh, T.Diseases of Ginger.
), Ginger Cultivation and Its Antimicrobial and Pharmacological Potentials.IntechOpen, 2019. doi:/10.5772/intechopen.88839
