I would pop it out of the ground, hose off the dirt, wrap the rhizome in slightly damp newspaper, place inside a plastic bag, and then put in box with lots of crumped newspaper to keep it from banging around.

The rhizomes look a lot like a Bearded Iris Rhizome. If healthy, the rhizome should be firm.

Maureen, if your Tara is alive, and you have any to spare for another trade, would you check my trade list? I have lots of hummingbird plants, and also white butterfly ginger.

My ginger is making little red growth knobs, but some of the large tubers were dry, unfirm, and had shrivelled roots.

I'm curious if Tara bloomed for you this far north, even if you can't trade.

Lisa