Question
Over a year ago i got 3 beautiful ginger plants, and was told they did not like sun ... so i immediately planted them in the shade.  They were fine for almost 8 months, but throughout the winter (I am in Central FL) they started turning brown in the center, and that spread to the outer leaves (including stems).  They are now all looking really bad and if you just apply a little pressure, the entire leaf will come out of the ground.  1.  Can you tell me what is going on, and 2. can the leaves be rooted and then potted to start a new plant?

Answer
hi john, they do like shade, but has happened to yours is they received too much water/irrigation, this caused the roots to rot, which often happens when plantings are in the shade. The night temps are low and when the soil doesn't dry out during the day, the roots sit all night wet and cold, and this is the recipe for rot to set in. You were right in keeping them out of the sun, but care must be taken so that they don't retain too much moisture. Once the roots have rotted, the plant is doomed, if the roots were still viable it could be sectioned and repotted, but you said the leaves are just pulling out, this tells me the roots are gone, if they weren't then you may be able to cut the leaves back, uproot the plant and repot it. Nick