Hey all you green thumbs,

During Hubby's week in hell stay in Hawaii (poor baby), he had a few moments that he got to sneak away and do a little shopping at the exchange. Lucky for me, he purchased me one pack of every kind of seed that the exchange carried. :) He doesn't really know that much about plants, but he is learning. ;)

Along with numerous palm tree seeds, tree fern seeds, red ti plant, bird of paradise, orchid, were numerous gingers.

One specific ginger has me concerned. That ginger is the Kahili ginger otherwise known as wild ginger. In doing research on how to best plant the seeds I noticed that some places completely ban the sale/transport of this plant due to the invasion tactics it sometimes has. While I am sure that my climate is nothing like that of Hawaii or New Zeland, I am wondering if any of you green thumbs have grown this here in the continental states and if it is bad here. I am really concerned about this plant, because at least in NZ, it is starting to threaten the natural forrests. I'd hate for my trees to be choaked out by the stuff, but the wild grapes seem to be doing that just fine.

[note - I spent the weekend pulling huge wild grape vines out of trees. Some of the base trunks of these grape vines are 6" diameter and they go into the trees for at least 200 feet. They are killing my trees. Hubby cut down 5 dead trees this weekend due to the grape vines killing them. You can feel free to have visions of me swinging thru the air like Jane, because while trying to pull some down I did indeed swing thru the air!]

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

Answers

Apoc, you could check with the college extension agent for sure, but I'll bet that it wouldn't be a problem in the TX climate. I would think that the winter would curtail its growth significantly; in fact, you may need to shether it or bring it inside during the colder months, and this is true of many native tropical plants.

Our winters in Ohio are the only reason we don't have more problems with kudzu, although I've heard that it's trying to make its way north, and our mild winter last year is helping to encourage it.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

Oh WOW............LUCKY you!!!! I love to try new things, and I would agree, your climate might require some sheltering for this ginger. I have those invasive grape vines also. I take heavy duty clippers and cut them at the base and they eventually just fall out of the trees. We had some we actually had to chainsaw through cause they were too thick for the clippers.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

Diane,

We did have to take the chainsaw to the base of every single one of them. There are a few (5 or 6) that we cut last fall and couldn't get out of the trees then. We were hoping that over winter when they dried out that they'd come out more easily. So far, not yet. I think what makes it much worse is that they are spread over multiple trees for each vine. One of the vines I kinda want to leave where it is. We cut that vine last October. I swing on that vine when I feel like Jane. Hubby does let out the Tarzen call when he sees me. ;)

Hubby has visions of our living room being covered in all these wonderful palm trees. I'm wondering.... if he hates Hawaii so bad, why does he want palm trees in the house? Some of these suckers in their natural habitat can get to be 80' tall. Of course I had to tell him that since we are going to be growing them in pots they wouldn't get anywhere near that tall. His question... Why Not? Geeze, that man knows nothing about growing plants. He's learning though. He didn't even complain yesterday when I purchased tons of pots with the correct soil to plant them. [That man used to complain when I'd spend 2 bucks for a six pack of flowers...]

Another thing he got me seeds of (there were only 4 or 5 seeds in this pack) were Wood Rose. They looked beautiful and we looked them up. They are a member of the morning glory family, but the seeds are huge I'm talking about the size of a normal meatball. They said to take a file and file the seed or a hammer to crush the outter shell before soaking in water. I'm thinking that is one hard seed!

Also, I got a small pack (only 4 seeds) of Kona Coffee. It will be great to grow my own coffee plants whether they produce or not. The instructions say with plenty of TLC, they will produce.

apoc

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

Good grief! I used to play hookey in my teens and spent the time in a museum, art gallery and botnaical hothouse, which contained exotic plants from all over, including tall palms. It was like a bloody rainforest in there, what with the heat and humidity! Tell hubby you need a solarium of some sort to provide a proper climate for these suckers. In the Rainforest club at the New Orleans Hilton, there was a gizmo that turned on the rain every 30 mins so their tropical plants could thrive and, besides, it created a great atmosphere for us drunks.

There is a type of wild ginger sold for ground cover through various catalogues, I forget the name but will look for it, very pretty leaves. You may be right in that it won't become a threat in a cooler climate.

I have GOT to see you swinging through the trees. Just don't do a George of the Jungle number!

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

I hope that the ginger doesn't become a pest. It has splendid flower spikes. I'm just worried that the seeds will be dropped in the wheat and corn fields which are relatively close to the house. The things I have read said each flower could have over 100 seeds. There looked to be more than 50 flowers on each spike, plus they run from the roots as well. Maybe I should just try to grow them in a pot indoors.

Speaking of greenhouses... Where I work they just built this fantastic greenhouse. I'm wanting to find out what kind of fabric (???) they used to cover it with. It is a silvery color. I want to buy some. I told hubby about it and he said when I get the chance to try to talk to the guys to find out what it is. He knows I want another greenhouse badly. While I loved the PVC and plastic greenhouse I had at the rental house, it didn't hold up to well to the winds that we get here. It would be good for a season then I'd have to replace the plastic. The hail from the big storms didn't do it to good either, but it kept the animals out of the veggies that I was growing.

As for me swinging on the vine, I'll try to get hubby to snap a picture of it the next time "I'm in the mood". I haven't done a George of the Jungle yet, and hope that I don't.

apoc

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

According to Wayside:

Culture: Gingers are easy and trouble free in well-drained, moisture retentive soil high in organic matter (well rotted manure is ideal). and semi-shade. Rhizomes are easy to dig and store for overwintering in northern areas. Zones 7-11. Bulb.

So it looks as if the Kahili won't survive over the winter anyway. I hate anything that has to be dug and stored--why not just grow the little buggers in pots?

Greenhouse: there are several English imports (and US lookalikes) available which use the excellent polycarbonate, which my doc insists I use in my spectacle lenses for safety. You'll find some here. I intend to get one if we move. Also see some good clearance buys at Gardener's Supply here.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

I am thinking, forget the house..........just build me a great big greenhouse and I will live in that!!!

Too bad I am so far away apoc..........after this winter of sitting around playing with the computer, I would bet ME swinging on those vines would bring them down ;>)

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

The Victorians were very fond of conservatories (from conserve as in exotic plants), the rich ones, that is. Some of them were very large and there were even orangeries--I think those dated from Elizabethan times, actually. I knew someone whose family home was a sort of raised plantation house in the Garden District of New Orleans and it had a huge Victorian conservatory. It was marvellous! Flagstone floor, huge tropical plants towering to the God-knows-how-high roof (20 feet or more?), tables and chairs set here and there, it was a fabulous place to eat brunch or have a glass of something cold. Lush, very lush. I'd love to have a sunroom next house we get. I would call it the conservatory, of course. We don't call them living rooms, btw, we call them sitting rooms, lol! Sometimes they're called the lounge, but that's kinda lower middle-class, maybe cos they don't sit up as straight as upper middles, lol.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

I'm having two Queen Palms removed tomorrow. Um, I mean Tuesday. If you want to come dig em up you can have them. They are currently about 25' tall. Maybe taller if you count the leaves. I've decided they are in the way of other things I want to do. Can't find anyone local to give em to, so in the morning the chain saw starts.

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002

Be careful with that chainsaw, Barefoot! Be sure you've eaten, had coffee, etc., before running it.

I don't blame you, though. The "tree experts" charge $200 just to take out little dogwoods!

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002

That chainsaw would have to come into the house and get me. I'm just watching the operation. You think I'm nuts enough to do that kind of work and then go to work at night? Wait a minute, forget I asked that.

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002

One tree down, one to go.

He's working on the remaining part of the stump. We should end up with a flat circular base, level with the ground that we can then allow to rot. Palms aren't supposed to take too long to rot, but I have some stuff called Stump Rot that hastens the process considerably. Then we can think about what to plant there next, if anything. We would like something to block the afternoon sun...

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002

Save the chemical rot stuff. Just cover the stumps with dirt--the organisms in the dirt will eat the stump.

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2002

I have a palm stump out front the size of a dinner plate. Still hard as ever, after three years or so. The tree died in 1998, the stump lives on. fortunately it is level with the ground. this one out back is about six inches above the lawn. There is definately some work to be done on it before we can do anything other than grass, let alone any type of garden.

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2002

I vote for the stump rot compound. If it's what I used, it ate a 6" diameter maple tree stump between May and September, made that area of the garden look a lot better.

Glad to hear you're not running that saw, Barefoot. I will be soon, but I'm used to being up during the daylight hours.

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2002

Apoc - meant to tell you: if you haven't already discovered cleome, you might like to try some. Since it's getting a bit late, see if you can buy a plant or two at a garden center (not a chain, usually). They self-seed very well--I have a little jungle of them on the back yard from ONE plant last year. They come in white, pink and violet, seed or plants, and you can get packages of mixed seed too. (Parkseed.com) I'm going to try to get around to transplanting some to bare areas in teh next day or two, quick, before the temp goes HOT again.

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2002

Old Git,

I have planted the seeds for cleome and they have started to sprout. I have had a strange fasination with those plants since I was a small child. One of my favorites, but then again it seems like most things are my favorites.

apoc

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2002

I'd love to send you (Apoc) and OG some rain (if it's needed), but those pilots who fly around in the unmarked white planes that spray chem crud would probably get jealous if I tried to control the weather or send you water via supernatural technique. Maybe I could send you a gift certificate, instead?

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2002

We've got some good rain today so I'll take a raincheck on the gift certificate. . .

Still working on the pebbling, have taken to using hardwood fire logs for the borders--looks surprisingly good and offers good holding power for the mulch it contains, which is kicked up by some birds as they hunt for bugs. I do highly recommend using pebbles for pathway areas otherwise covered by grass. If I had known it would look this good, I would have done it years ago.

-- Anonymous, May 18, 2002