Peacock Gingers & Hanging pots
Kem - Thanks for the very interesting post. (anyone may reply)
I too am a drama shade gardener, (at least I try to be Ha!). I have 3
Kaempferia (Peacock Gingers), that get broken shade under a huge oak tree
with lot's of light. I planted them in summer 1999 = got them from Kmart in
mini-gallon pots.
It seems like they are struggling to survive. Two are about 2 feet high, and
the other about one foot. I originally had 4, but one died. I see leaves
curling up on them, turning brown, and dieing. Would you know what the
problem is?
I water all my shade plants every 2 days in this heat. I sometimes suspect
that I am watering them too much. All of my shade plants are well mulched
with leaves. Should I fertilize the gingers? How often do you fertilize all
your shade plants? You can't tell me enough about the Gingers.
I also added color to my garden by using hanging pot variegated "philly",
vines that I let trail on the ground & root. They will freeze with a frost,
but will come back again in the spring. Sometimes they over winter, and the
leaves get huge and exciting = climbing anything they can.
I also have variegated hanging pots of Spider Plants, and some just sitting
on the ground that I let root. They lend lot's of color also. If the frost
kills them so be it. I do take the pot plants in for protection, if a 28-30
degree freeze is predicted though. My SG area is sort of protected from
wind, but not by heat.
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Anyone can have these hanging pots over their shade garden by stringing #9
galvanized wire (cheaper), or cable, from tree to tree over your shade
garden. If you use a cable, you will need 2 cable clamps when attaching the
cable to the screw eyes. A 5/16 turn buckle somewhere in the middle of the
wire /cable for adjusting the slack out of the cable / wire would be
necessary. Don't put the turnbuckle on the very end, because eventually the
tree will grow over the screw eye, and that may interfere with the
adjustment of the turnbuckle.
NOTE: Don't just tie a wire to a tree, because it will embed itself in the
tree, and over time kill it if you are not careful.
If you use cable, two more cable clamps would be necessary to attach the
turnbuckle to the cable.Use a heavy metal screw eye, about 6-8" long or
more, to screw into the tree to attach the cable to (pre-drill a hole).
Install the cable 6' 6" or more high, so no one will bump into the cable
while walking. Don't screw the screw eye all the way into the tree, screw it
about 3-4" in, and let about 2 1/2" stick out. This will help prevent the
tree, over time, from growing over the screw eye.
Then make hanging pot wire extenders to put on the cable, with eye on one
end, hook on the other, to drop each individual pot to eye level, or what
ever level you prefer. A coat hanger, and a pair of pliers will make the
extenders. You can buy all of this at Home Depot, or a large hardware store.
It will last you forever and ever.
