Galangal needs a little bit more shade, though I’ve had it grow above the shade plant and the sun didn’t seem to hurt it near the top. Galangal, Alpinia galanga, gets much larger. I’ve had 8-10 foot (2.4–3 M) tall plants. I don’t do the hilling on it because it’s more fibrous and used differently. Galangal also may remain evergreen if brought indoors, kept warm. I’ve also forced dormancy by slowly withholding water during late fall. It can rot if kept too wet when it’s cold. So far, I’ve kept it in very large pots, 5–7 gallon (19–26 L) when destined for harvest. After harvesting, rhizome sections can be put in smaller pots. Galangal rhizomes get cleaned, trimmed, scrubbed with a stiff brush and cut into sections to vacuum seal and freeze. It keeps for years frozen this way. Half-thaw it before use, so you can get a knife through it.
Another “Galanga”, sometimes confused with the Alpinia, is Kaempferia galanga, which can be easier to grow in pots. Notice that both plants have galanga as their scientific species name.
This is the plant used to make “Chinese dried rhizome”. It has a very pungent, different flavor and does not substitute for the Alpinia galanga. The leaves grow flat to the ground, making a lovely bed for the pretty flowers. Kaempferias need about 50% shade and need a dry dormancy around late fall. At that point, they don’t get water. I keep Kaempferias in wide pots and put them in the basement to dry out, go dormant, when frost approaches. I admit, I grow this one for the looks and, as yet, have not used it in cooking.
I appreciate the thanks!
