BULLETIN - Heliconia Society International

PAGE 10 THE BULLETIN / DECEMBER / JANUARY 2005 2010Stem and flower cuttingsSome gingers, notably the Costus group and Zingibers,will propagate from stem cuttings, and flowerbases.Heliconia and ginger seedlings can be germinatedin moist sphagnum moss.Be aware that some species of heliconia and ginger arevariable in form and colour, as well as the possibility ofhybrid seed when it is sourced from a collection.Rhizome divisionVegetative propagation is the only way to propagate anidentical plant, and for heliconias and most gingers,rhizome division is the only possibility. Rhizomesshould be trimmed of leaves and damaged roots,washed thoroughly, to remove all soil, rinsed in a chlorine(1%) solution to minimize bacteria and fungalspores. All rhizomes should ideally have a new shootalready emerged, since this shoot will readily carry ongrowing, and will establish more quickly and reliably.Roots can emerge on axillary aerial shoots of somegingers even while attached to the mother plantPestsAnts and mealy bugs often go together since ants harvestsugar syrup from mealy bugs. Mealy bugs can be controlledwith soap sprays or summer oil. Grasshoppers arerelatively uncontrollable, since if you spray one lot, anotherwill fly in, and cursing is also ineffective.Basal stem and rhizomes cleaned and ready topropagate. Note new shoots (arrows)Costus spicatus damaged by Case Moth larvae