Help! My flower bed is being over taken by Ginger. We planted a "patch" of ginger 2 years ago. It does not seem to die back during the winter (we live in Louisiana) - right now it is just about the only thing in the bed flourishing! I am not sure what the official name of this ginger is - it is growing about 2-3 feet high, I have seen no blooms, and it is very aromatic. Should I cut it back, thin it out by digging some out? I am afraid that pretty soon it will take over the entire bed!

Thanks for any advice anyone can give me!

I think that your best bet is to dig it out - the rhizomes should be just under the surface so it shouldn't be too hard. Then decide whether you want it at all, and if you do, choose a nice healthy clump about six inches in diameter at the edge of the root ball and put that back in.
I use large pots with or without the bottoms, sunk almost to the rim in the ground for some of my smaller but strongly spreading heliconias. They are slowed down by the pot but can jump the edge eventually. I think this would work for you if you have a pot or can of a suitable size. I have big (25-45 gallon) pots (from trees) whose bottoms have rusted out, and they have been a perfect size for me. You may have to look around some dumps to find the right size. You can always grow small clumps in pots, of course, and this particular one is great by the side of a path where you brush on it as you walk and can enjoy the fragrance.

Derek.

By the way, please be careful how you dispose of the parts of the plant that you don't want - thrown out in a wet area, tey could take over the state!