Hedychium-what do I do??

Hi all,
my hedychium 'Tara' is still looking very healthy(apart from the stem that flowered where the leaves are brown on the edges). Do I just leave it to do its own thing or do I cut it down for the Winter??? :confused:

 

I cut mine down for the winter,and they always come back the next year.

 

Thanks GF Do you mulch it with anything????

 

Hello Windy,you need to watch out for the frost although I guess that you are generally free of it down there. My problem with Hedychium is getting them to flower am trying for a couple of years now..............

 

I had one flower this year and it's put on lots of new shoots, so if I can get it through the winter I'm hoping to get a few more flowers this year. I'm just a bit unsure of exactly how to get it through the winter successfully???

 

Windy, not sure how exposed you are in Cornwall, but in my garden (Torquay), 'Tara' and various other Hedychiums tend to stay evergreen. There again, I rarely see more than a couple of frosts and they are never harsh or long lived. While it does no great harm to cut Hedychiums down, they continue manufacturing food for as long as the leaves remain alive. The more food stored in the rhizome, the more vigorous the growth for the ensuing year.

This translates into earlier flowering and more flowering stems. 'Tara' starts here in July, sends up more stems that flower by the end of August and this year, yet another set opened in late September. I always leave the plants alone and tidy them in spring when the new shoots are starting to emerge.

As to hardiness, 'Tara' must be one of the hardiest of them all. It does well in Norfolk and gets through quite harsh winters in the more northern counties. A good thick mulch of well rotted compost spread over the roots will make it more snug, but it is not essential.

 

Fantastic stuff DaveP I really like my Tara and didn't want to cut it down while it still looks so healthy. I live over the hill from the sea, so although windy my garden doesn't get many frosts and those we do are very short lived. So glad i hadn't already hacked it down!! Will just leave it alone til Spring and will give it a mulch to be on the safe side!
Thank you soooo much