How,when and do you prune a kahili ginger

Hi Mainecagrower. I cut mine right back in autumn (fall) when I bring them under glass for the winter. You don't say what USDA zone you are in but I am 8b so they aren't quite hardy. You may have a different procedure if you are much above that.

John.

All hedychium (ginger) plants are tougher than they seem. The best time to prune them is just before the plants go suddenly much darker. They go a horrible black-brown when hit by frost. Usually as much a matter of convenience, for us Brits that means like SarraC says. Mine are chopped to the ground once the last flowers are over - usually around November in my neck of the woods.

You do not want to leave any brown/black rotting stems still attached to your plants that will allow their rotting state to pass through to the corms. So take off your stems as low as you can and ALSO cut out any associated soft parts at or just below ground level. Healthy hedychium corms should be rock hard.