NORTH FLORIDA MONTH-TO-MONTH GARDENING GUIDE   September 2006 by Nancy George

Zingiberaceae, commonly known as Ginger, is a family of 40 genera and over 1000 species of tropical flowers.  The southern region of the United States is well suited for growing these beautiful jewels and mid to late summer is the time to shop for the many varieties.  Gingers grow from 1 foot up to 10 feet or more and come in a rich array of colors.  All prefer shade to dappled sunlight and are wonderful in tropical floral arrangements.  Alpinia, Curcuma, Dichorisandra, Globba, Hedychium, Kaempferia are some of the easily found genus. 

For edible ginger used for cooking, you only need to purchase ginger root from the grocery store and plant it in a well-drained shady area.  Dig up a rhizome and grate or finely chop in your favorite recipes.

What to Buy/Plant

Ginger is not the only plant that looks great in summer.  Look for other sensational tropical plants such as Calliandra, Ixora, Erythrina and the many varieties of Hibiscus.  Also, summer blooming shrubs and perennials like Thyrallis, Tibouchina, Clerondendron, Odontonema, Rudbeckia, Thunbergia and Hydrangea ‘Lime Light’ or ‘Endless Summer’.  Begin to purchase spring flowering bulbs to be planted in fall.

Prune/ Propagate

Pruning roses will help revive your roses and encourage a big fall bloom.  Remove about 1/3 of the plant and crossing or awkward growth.  Be sure to fertilize after pruning.  For bigger blooms this winter, start disbudding camellias.  Look for round flat flower buds and remove all but one on each cluster.  Divide Iris if needed.  Keep salvias tidy; continue deadheading spent flower blooms on annuals and perennials.

Fertilizing

The last fertilizing of the year should be done by early fall.  Check last months article for tips on organic fertilizer.  Fertilize Christmas cactus with 0-10-10.

Edibles

Plant seeds for fall and winter vegetables such as spinach, radish, scallions, carrots, and lettuces, kale and collards, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, cabbage, peas, and turnips.  Don’t forget herbs, parsley, dill, fennel, thyme and sage can be planted from 4” containers.

Pests

Rain, extra watering and hot weather make weeds a big pest in late summer.  Expect weeds to germinate and drop their seeds faster; pull them out as soon as they pop up.  A thick layer of mulch, averaging about two inches, should be maintained year-round, add more as needed.  This will cool root systems from hot summer temperatures, reduce irrigations as much as half, reduce weeds, and improve soil quality.

For Fun

Tallahassee Nurseries will present their annual Butterfly Festival, Saturday and Sunday, September 2nd and 3rd, with talks and entertainment. Take the kids for a fun family outing. 

Alpinia		Curcuma		Dichorisandra		Globba
Hedychium		Kaempferia		Calliandra		Ixora

Hibiscus		Lord Baltimore Hibiscus

Thyrallis		Tibouchina		Odontonema		Rudbeckia

Thunbergia		Lime Light Hydrangea		Endless Summer Hydrangea

For questions about gardening, please contact Nancy George at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

This article originally published on September 6, 2006. 

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