ABOUT THIS COSTUS GINGER Hilo Rainbow Ginger Plant (costus sp) – Simply the most colorful Costus ginger available. Hilo Rainbow is a bit more delicate than other varieties of Costus and should be grown in a shadier location due to some of its pale variegation. These gingers are heavy feeders and grow at their optimum potential when fertilized regularly. Very easy to grow. Our Hilo Rainbow plants allow you to enjoy amazing tropical blooms in the first year or so. All the Costus Ginger we offer are vegetatively propagated from healthy flowering mother stock, grown right here in our nursery. This means, you receive an exact clone, true in form and bloom and won’t have to wait years to enjoy fresh tropical flowers, as is often the case with seed grown or tissue culture plants. Truly a better plant! The growth rate of Hilo Rainbow will vary greatly depending on soil type, sunlight, temperature and other factors. A few leaves are often trimmed prior to shipping to reduce transpiration and travel stress. QUICK SPECS OUTDOOR Zone 9-11 PATIO Zone 4a-11 SOIL TYPE Rich Moist % SUN 80-90% POT SIZE 4″ Round INCLUDES One Plant COSTUS GINGER CARE Costus Gingers (aka Spiral Ginger due to the stem growth habit) are easy to grow, tropical flowering plants that produce lightly scented, waxy, cone shaped blooms throughout the summer. Costus Ginger will grow happily and flower in a pot or in-ground. They add a tropical accent to any outdoor space, garden or patio. In cooler zones a containerized Costus Ginger can be relocated indoors for the winter months. When you receive your new Costus Ginger, there is no need to worry about planting right away. Your new plant can be stored for a while by simply placing it in a bucket with about a 1/2 inch of water in the bottom and moving it to a shady location, simply keep moist. This will give you plenty of time to select the ideal location for your new Costus Ginger. CONTAINER SIZE All Costus Ginger varieties grow very well in containers, indoors or on the patio. Smaller varieties grow best indoors in 10″ to 14″ diameter pots while larger varieties need enough room for growth, generally a 14″ to a 24″ diameter, 14″ deep container will suffice. Remember the looser the roots, the taller and healthier your Costus Ginger will be. When the plant becomes root bound its growth will slow, at that point it is time for a larger pot. SOIL Hilo Rainbow Costus Ginger enjoy a well drained, general potting mix easily found at your local box store. Remember try to stay away from arid or wet, mucky soils. FERTILIZER To help establish your new Hilo Rainbow Costus Ginger, fertilize sparingly ten inches away from the base, tri-annually with a slow time released product. Unfertilized they will tend to grow at a slower pace. Note: The heavy salts in cheaper fertilizers will damage the roots and possibly kill the plant. Its best to use a brand you know and trust. GROW ZONE & LIGHT Best outdoors if grown in zone 9-11, find your zone here. This Costus Ginger requires 80-90% sunlight. Depending on your location partial sun is often best. In the northern end of their grow zone Hilo Rainbow Costus Ginger should be brought indoors or protected during the winter months. The patio zone is 4b-11 which means the potted plant will flourish over the summer months in colder zones but must be brought inside before winter. BEFORE YOU PLANT OUTDOORS At the nursery these Costus Ginger are grown under 20-40% shade cloth. If you plant this Costus Ginger in a brightly lit area you may experience leaf burn. It is best to acclimate this plant to its environment by keeping it outside and slowly moving it into a sunny area over a week or two to avoid stress before planting. WHAT IS THE SHIPPING SIZE All Hilo Rainbow Costus Ginger for sale will vary in size. In the spring, plants are often smaller than plants shipped in the fall. Plants designated with a sku ending in -4, -6 or -8 will arrive in a standard 4 inch, 6 inch or 8 inch round growers pot respectively. Our new, reusable, recyclable deep plugs are 7 or 9 inches deep and 2 or 2.5 inches in width. Products growing in these pots are easy to transplant and allow for deeper roots and faster growth, they are designated with a sku ending in -7 or -9. (Note: The item sku number can be found just below the buy button.) The color and style of these pots may vary. If we are out of a particular size item, we may ship a larger size at no additional charge. For more information, click the “best packaging” link at the bottom of this page. Note: Before leaving, Costus Ginger are inspected, watered, and pruned. Larger plants, generally those that ship in 8″ pots, will be topped to 36″ or 48″ overall, depending on the variety, if necessary, to facilitate shipping. Your new plants’ pot is then bagged to ensure that the soil stays in the pot and not loose in the box. Plants are tissue or kraft paper wrapped and generally secured in place with natural biodegradable peanuts. You may want to order your Hilo Rainbow Ginger Plant (costus sp) online now while they are in stock, supplies are limited. Zone.9b Zone.10a Zone.10b Zone.11a Zone.11b
