cut the stem off... you want to encourage root growth at this time... it will produce more stalks later.

Hi, I have just obtained some butterfly ginger as well and I'm not sure how to plant it and how to overwinter it. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
AncaG

Using Heathen1's advice (above), I cut off the stems and planted the rhizomes. Already there are shoots coming up so I'm really happy with them.
I planted mine in a raised "holding" bed and will transplant them again later. Haven't decided exactly where I want to establish them but wanted to get them started. Hope this works for you too, AncaG.
Sara

I'm of the mind that to cut or not to cut might depend on the type of ginger and the condition and maturity of the rhizome in question. My costus barbatus rhizomes are very large and tough and very adaptable to long periods of dry storage , but a rhizome I bought for the Hedychium was very thin, green and quite 'tender" and fragile looking , had few roots , only one tiny dormant eye and a brand new stem that had been cut all the way back. I really think with such a fragile looking thin rhizome that most likely had little food reserves stored for regrowth , might have appreciated some already growing leaves on a new stem to help the young rhizome in it's efforts to root, but I understand the priciple behind cutting off the shoot, though I'd still think it depends on which type of ginger and the condition and maturity of the rhizome. My problem , and it's possible since I didn't use sterilized soil, was that the replanted rhizome began to rot within a week of planting it in a container, and the plant was gone within two weeks. On the other hand the costus rhizomes I get from my mature plants can sit right in water for weeks and still not rot. Are all Hedychiums rhizomes so tender and fragile looking or did I just get some rhizomes from a very young immature plant. I'd add that the rhizome in question looked more like a "stolon" than a true rhizome.

Can these be cut back now and transplanted? We're moving soon and have too many to put in pots but thought perhaps if we put them in the new flower beds and cover with plenty of mulch they'd survive the winter here in zone 8 and come back in the spring. Thanks for any information, I'd greatly appreciate it

HI,
I'm also in zone 8 and the gingers I originally asked about in this thread have thrived and all of them have put out growth. We've had a couple of cold nights (40) and I checked them this morning and all are doing good. I'll probably mulch them this weekend just to be careful. In previous years I have left rhizomes unpotted and covered them with papers or mulch and they have survived well.
Hope this helps and your gingers thrive.
Sara