Planting your Roscoea Tubers
How to plant
Please keep the tubers moist at all times and plant them as soon as possible after receiving them. They are quite brittle so handle them carefully to avoid breaking off any roots.
Compost and feed
Where a pot or container is to be used, use free draining multi-purpose compost. Put a handful of compost at the bottom of the pot and place the tuber into position making sure that the crown of the plant is at least 10-15cm from the surface. Add several more handfuls of compost on the top and then tap the pot firmly on a surface. This shakes the compost in and around the tuber and prevents air pockets. The soil contact will also bring moisture and nutrients for the tuber to grow. Water well after planting and as the plant establishes. Ensure that they don’t suffer from drought in the summer or waterlogging in the winter.
Where to plant
Roscoea grow well in dappled shade. They grow in any moist, free draining soil. Their tuberous, fleshy roots (similar in appearance to dahlia) become dormant in late autumn through to spring. Strap shaped leaves appear from April onwards – some come up as late as June in the case of Roscoea ‘Red Gurkha’. It is worth marking their planting position with a cane or label so that they don’t get overlooked when forking over your flower border! Some frost protection is recommended during severe weather.
If planting in the garden, Roscoea are frost hardy in the garden when planted at the right depth. Plant the crown of the tuber at least 10-15cm below the surface of the soil, using the same principles as when planting in a pot.
Occasional problems
Roscoea do not like drying out when in full leaf and flower. Ensure they are well watered during dry, sunny spells as well as keeping them shaded.