After watching a gardening show on TV (Gardening Australia) I decided it was time to snoop around my ginger.
The presenter warned that when the leaves start to die, it’s time to harvest. And if you leave your ginger in the ground for too long, it gets tough and woody. My problem is I don’t really need to harvest ginger – or, more accurately I am more interested in a huge crop during summer (which is apparently not when you’re supposed to harvest it, but that’s when I need it for my ginger beer) than in bits now, in winter.
I believe (not a lot of experience here so I can’t be sure) that I should leave this batch alone for at least one year to let it get really established then I can harvest when I want, just taking what I need. The other option would to go for a big winter harvest, freezing my surplus, and planting back what looks ready to grow. Maybe I’ll try that next year? A side benefit of leaving the ginger untouched is that ginger only flowers when it’s at least 2 years old.
And, because it was on a hot sale (500g $5) I bought a bunch more ginger and plan to plant that out as well (best time to plant in Sydney is October to December – oh well, it’s sink or swim for this batch).
Laura Rittenhouse's Gardening Journal 
It must be nice to live in a part of the world where you can grow ginger. I envy you. I have tried recently to grow ginger here in the UK but nothing has happened. I can only assume that it is down to a lack of warmth (another typical British summer).
Ian, every day I go out in the garden I’m thankful for this climate. I grew up in Seattle and never dreamed I could grow foods like ginger and lemons in my own yard. I’ve also lived in the tropics (Darwin Australia) and, though my ginger did well, things like lettuce collapsed under that pounding sun.
I must confess that I think ginger will be marginal here – it’s growing but won’t take off like it would if I were closer to the equator, but it does grow and I can eat it so I’m not complaining.
I grow mine on the bedroom window cill in a 12″ pot and it grows well there, have done 2 down allotment in greenhouse this yr and they are growing, look for ginger that’s got little shiny nodes on them as they are the new shoots
I’ve talked to a lot of people who grow ginger in pots. I think I’m going to have to try that. I now live in a place that gets below freezing and the ginger does NOT like that!