WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Alpinia zerumbet, WUCOLS IV

How often to water shell ginger in California

In July in the Central Valley, established shell ginger in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 12 gallons a week. Shell ginger is a tall evergreen perennial from Polynesia with long, glossy leaves on canes that rise from spreading rhizomes. In late summer, arching stems carry fragrant, waxy flowers shaped like pink-tinged shells. It is a thirsty plant that wants steady moisture, light shade and shelter from wind.

PerennialShrubRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water shell ginger, month by month

Your city
Plant width
4 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for shell ginger and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area the plant covers, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure plant width

A shrub with its width marked from one side to the other and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the plant, from the tips of the leaves on one side to the tips on the other.

Water the whole area the plant covers, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that area.

A wider plant means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While it is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil dry an inch or two down at the edge of the clump during summer growth signals that shell ginger needs water
  • Long leaves rolling inward along their length in the afternoon can indicate thirst
  • Brown, papery leaf edges on plants in sun or wind can follow a dry root zone
  • Yellowing canes with soft, rotting bases in soggy ground can indicate poor drainage
  • Leaves wilting over cold, wet soil in winter point to too much water rather than thirst

How to water it

  • Water the whole rhizome area under the canes with drip lines or a slow soaker hose
  • Soak the soil about a foot down, then water again once the top inch starts to dry
  • Spread a thick organic mulch over the rhizomes, keeping it off the cane bases
  • Plant in rich soil that drains well, with morning sun and shelter from wind
  • Extend drip lines outward as the rhizomes spread and the clump widens

Through the seasons

Keep a new shell ginger evenly moist through its first summer while rhizomes spread into the bed. Established clumps still drink heavily in the warm months, when new canes and flowers form. The plant stays evergreen in mild gardens and grows slowly in winter, so cut back then. It is hardy to about 15 to 20 degrees F. Winter rain covers the cool months on the coast and in the Central Valley. WUCOLS rates shell ginger high water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, on the south coast and in South Inland. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Shell ginger needs a large, heavy container, since its tall canes catch wind and its rhizomes fill a pot fast. Check the mix often in summer heat and water when the top inch is dry. Water until it runs from the holes, then empty the saucer so the rhizomes are not left standing in water. Divide the clump or move it up a size when canes crowd the rim. In winter, water less as growth slows and shelter the pot from hard frost.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
4.27gal per sq ft in JulyHigh water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
27.38 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
1.12.13.24.30.64JAN1.04FEB1.74MAR2.43APR3.32MAY3.97JUN4.27JUL3.82AUG2.88SEP1.88OCT0.89NOV0.55DEC1.12.13.24.30.64JFM2.43AMJ4.27JAS1.88OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 4.27 in Jul, 27.38 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Shell Ginger: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.60.641.241.24––
Feb0.841.041.291.39––
Mar1.391.741.842.08––
Apr1.882.432.232.58––
May2.333.322.583.12––
Jun2.583.972.783.67––
Jul2.584.273.174.02––
Aug2.383.822.983.72––
Sep1.982.882.382.98––
Oct1.391.881.842.13––
Nov0.740.891.341.44––
Dec0.50.551.041.09––
Year19.227.3824.829.46––

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated high water in the Central Valley, like shell ginger. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

HydrangeaHydrangea macrophylla & cvs.high water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBlueberriesVaccinium hybrids and cvs (CA native and non- native spp.)high water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyJapanese Sweet FlagAcorus gramineushigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyRed GingerAlpinia purpuratahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBog RosemaryAndromeda polifoliahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulySiberian BuglossBrunnera macrophyllahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyMarsh MarigoldCaltha palustrishigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBlood Twig DogwoodCornus sanguineahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyUmbrella Sedge and PapyrusCyperus spp. (CA native and non-native species)high water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyUmbrella PlantDarmera peltata (Peltiphyllum)high water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyFoxgloveDigitalis purpurea cvshigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyRed-veined EnkianthusEnkianthus campanulatushigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyAbyssinian BananaEnsete ventricosumhigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyLeopard PlantFarfugium japonicum cvs. (Ligularia tussilaginea cvs.)high water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyTransvaal DaisyGerbera jamesonii & hybridshigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyGiant GunneraGunnera manicatahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than shell ginger in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

RosesRosa hybrids..bushmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAzaleasRhododendron spp. (CA native and non-native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCamelliasCamellia japonica (SHADE IN DESERT)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGardeniasGardenia spp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBird of ParadiseStrelitzia reginae (shade in desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyDahliasDahlia spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyHibiscusHibiscus rosa-sinensismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySago PalmCycas revolutamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyStar JasmineTrachelospermum jasminoides and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyFernsNephrolepis cordifolia (SHADE IN DESERT)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyDayliliesHemerocallis spp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBegoniasBegonia & ssp. & cvs. (shade in the desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyArborvitaeThuja occidentalis ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBambooBambusa spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCalla LiliesZantedeschia aethiopica SHADE IN DESERTmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyLilacsSyringa hybrids (including Descanso hybrids)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes shell ginger, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water shell ginger in summer?

In July, established shell ginger in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days in the Central Valley, about every 7 days on the south coast and about every 5 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does shell ginger need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established shell ginger needs about 1.7 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 6.9 gallons a day for a plant 8 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for shell ginger change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates shell ginger separately for each of the six California climate zones: high water in the North-Central Coastal zone, high water in the Central Valley zone, high water in the South Coastal zone, high water in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not suited to this region in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Can shell ginger grow in full sun?

Near the coast it tolerates full sun. Inland, give it morning sun and light shade in the afternoon. Shelter it from wind wherever it grows.

When does shell ginger bloom?

Its fragrant, waxy flowers open in summer, mostly late summer, on arching stems. Clusters start as pale buds that look like small shells. Steady moisture through spring and summer supports the new growth that carries them.

How big does shell ginger get?

It reaches about 6 to 8 feet tall and keeps widening by rhizomes. Give it room, or plan to divide the clump as it spreads. A wider clump needs a wider watered area.

Is shell ginger hardy to frost?

Expect damage once winter lows dip into the upper teens. Keep it on the drier side in winter, since cold, wet soil adds stress. Cover potted plants or move them under shelter before a hard freeze.

Why are my shell ginger leaves turning brown at the edges?

Check the soil a couple of inches down first, since dry soil is a common cause. Hot wind and strong inland sun can brown leaf edges even in moist soil. Move potted plants to a sheltered, lightly shaded spot.

More plant watering guides

Ornamental RhubarbWeeping WillowPeking WillowWillowSteviaDelphiniumCoast RedwoodVariegated Sweet Flag

Sources