How Long Do Red Ginger Rhizomes Take to Grow?

Growth and Care

• With a preference for warm, sun-filled growing conditions, red ginger requires at least one year of being left undisturbed for the plant to produce flowers. It can reach anywhere between 4 to 6 feet in height and has a "slow, indefinite spread," according to Texas A&M University. Preferring a moist, slightly acidic soil with a pH level between 6 and 6.5, red ginger plants benefit from being mulched and require at least 1 inch of irrigation each week. If growing the plants outdoors in pots, move them indoors when the temperatures go below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rhizomes

• Red ginger plants are most commonly propagated through rhizomes that grow underground. To propagate, unearth and then separate the rhizomes. There needs to be one to two buds on each rhizome. Once separated, allow the rhizomes to dry for 24 to 48 hours. The rhizomes can then be planted in a well-draining growing medium, such as vermiculite. Keep the planted rhizomes in a warm, sunny location where the temperatures reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit or more in the evenings. As they start sprouting, the rhizomes can be transplanted to a larger container. If left undisturbed for one year after planting, the red ginger plants will produce showy red blooms.

Offshoot Sprouts

• When fully mature, red ginger plants sometimes produce offshoots from the flower bracts, the stem that holds the flower. These offshoots can be removed and planted in a well-draining medium such as vermiculite. If the offshoots are kept moist and warm, they will develop roots and can eventually be transplanted into a larger flowerpot. An alternative to removing the shoots is to bend the bract so that the offshoot can be buried in the soil. In four to six weeks, the offshoot will develop roots and can be cut from the parent plant, uprooted and transplanted for a new red ginger plant. When grown from an offshoot, a red ginger plant produces flowers within two years.

Seeds

• Almost never produced from seeds because they are tiny and rare, red ginger plants can still be grown successfully from this stage. You can germinate the seeds in moist, warm potting soil mix in covered pots or seed flats. A plastic cover helps conserve moisture and keep the humidity levels high for the two to three weeks required for the seeds to germinate. Once germinated, the seedlings can be carefully transplanted into a larger pot or outdoors if the growing conditions in your area are amenable to this. When started from seed, red ginger plants start producing flowers sometime between two and three years after transplanting, and they require monthly fertilization with a 10-10-10 fertilizer throughout the growing season.