I would say plant more shallow rather than deep to keep from rotting. But in NM there is little chance of that unless it floods. But planting deeper will keep them from drying out so fast in the summer.
Now are you confused??
So are you now in NM or still in coastal Ga.?
In NM you will need to add more humidity in the form of misters or hosing down a few times a day. Just water at the roots will probally not keep the leaves from drying out. You can keep them as house plants but still need to mist every few days when you have the heat on.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ginger information

Thanks Cactus, for your comments. Still confused...you didn't give a hint for the depth...?? Don't worry about EVER flooding, we will be high desert, up on a "bench" beneath the Organ Mt.s I was hoping NOT to have to mist plants, but I s'pose I could rig up some little "tropical corner" with misters. I was hoping to make a "tropical" garden within the front, east-facing courtyard, it would be difficult to conceal misters. Won't elephant ears have a similar problem? Would I gain anything planting gingers within a couple feet of an in-ground fountain (water staying "within" fountain)? We are still in GA, for the next couple months....will have to soon decide which of these reserved plants make the trip.

I plant mine no more than 2-3 inches deep here.
HD carries Toro misters that are very tiny.
I use these to mist my greenhouse and around my spa area to keep it cooler.
They are very similar to the ones in the link below but much cheaper.

Here is a link that might be useful: Misters

Thanks again, Cactus,..for your comments. The freebie ginger that I got looked like it may have been planted four or five inches deep. I will try 3" in NM? Checked out your link, to the misters. I am taking irrigation line and heads with me, 'cause I have a good supplier not far away. I did not get any misters 'cause I am afraid of gobs of problems resulting from the hard water in NM. The in-line filter looks like a great idea. We have a number of "sprinkler & soaker" lines at our GA residence, but, here, I did not try misters either, because we have hard well water. Have never had a problem with the fine-spray heads in GA. Thanks........

I used to live in Albuquerque -- because the elevation is so high and the air is thinner, plants (and people) sunburn more easily. Your ginger should be protected from sun during the hottest part of the day. Even here in Seattle, where it almost never hits 90, gingers will start to turn brown in full summer sun.

Also, because it gets very cold (though dry) in the winter, you should probably keep them in pots so you can bring them inside. My hedychium, alpinia and zingiber all do fine in pots if I keep the soil moist. A simple way to provide some indoor humidity is to put the pot on a large shallow tray filled with pebbles, and keep the tray filled with water; however, if you do this outside, you'll breed mosquitos.

I think most rhizomes like to be close to the surface, even slightly exposed.

Thanks Jeff.....My sympathy for you & your seven goldfish.

Las Cruces is warmer in the winter, as compared to Albuquerq..so I was think that they may be o.k.?? in the ground?? When you move your gingers inside...what kind of exposure do you give them? I was afraid that they would not receive enough light, if moved into the house. I had only a couple of gingers when we lived in WA, about a half hour south of Seattle...I DID keep them in partial shade there, and moved them into my greenhouse during the winter (greenhouse went down to 32 degrees, though). It is interesting that we seem to be "trading directions"...We moved from just below Seattle to GA...now going to NM. You moved FROM NM to Seattle....good luck to you.

I have planted store bought ginger rhizomes several times one of which rotted but did get stems and leafs ( pardon my technical terminology). The last time ( all indoors) they grew about 14 inches hich then started to dry up.
Desperate to find some ginger "root" for a dish I was making "Ma Po Doufu" I dug up the dead ginger. There were several rhizomes, the freshest i have ever seen with what appeared to me white roots going down into the pot. The rhizomes were not nice long expanses but were sufficient and really tasty.
I had planted the ginger just below the surface but still don't know if those greenish white knobules become the leafy part or roots.
I m trying to find out if I should plant pieces with just one knobule in an area and wheter it should be facing down or up.
Unfortunately Tim Chapman's piece is no longer available.