3x Summer tulip Curcuma alismatifolia pink

The Siam Tulip should be planted in a large, deep pot with a layer of pot shards on the bottom, filled with fresh, humus rich, well-drained, potting compost. Stand it in a sunny spot indoors. The rhizome should be planted about 8 cm deep. Curcuma prefers a moist soil that dries out between watering. It is possible to put Curcuma alismatifolia in a sheltered spot outdoors come late spring as long as the temperature stays above 15°C. The Siam Tulip in the garden The Siam Tulip can be planted in the garden in humus-rich, well-drained soil in a sunny spot. Improve the soil with a mix of compost if necessary. Plant the rhizomes 8 cm deep. Siam Tulips rhizomes cannot survive the winter outdoors so dig them up and store them in a wooden box covered with compost or sand, in a dark, frost-free place. To stimulate new growth in the spring it is a good idea to start them off indoors before planting outdoors again.

Water your Curcuma alismatifolia well in the summer but allow the potting compost to dry out between watering. We advise using plant food in the watering can when watering to encourage profuse flowering. Do not allow to stand in a saucer full of water. Snip off all overblown flowers, not forgetting the stems to encourage reflowering. Curcuma alismatifolia does well outdoors in a sheltered spot from late spring, as long as the temperature is never below 15°C. What to do with your Siam Tulip in the winter The Siam Tulip will not withstand frost so it is best to grow them in pots that can be moved to a cool, frost-free area to survive the winter. Keep the potting compost on the dry side during the winter but do not allow the root ball to dry out. Pot up in the spring, water more and fertilise, then bring into the living room. If the plant has been indoors all year round, a cool room is sufficient to survive the winter.

The flower of the Siam Tulip is mostly a large number of bracts – did you know that? The pink 'flower' is therefore not really a flower. The real flowers are very, very small and hide deeper inside the bracts on a cob, which is practically totally surrounded by the elegant bracts. The Curcuma alismatifolia is very much loved as a cut flower because the bracts stay lovely for a long time. Would you like to use it as a cut flower from your garden? Carefully snip the complete stem from the plant and, as soon as possible, put it into a vase of luke-warm water containing cut flower food.