GINSENG SPROUT:

Ginseng seedlings normally start to sprout between late April and early June with a small stem supporting 3 tiny leaflets. In about 4-5 weeks, the leaves will be fully developed and the seedling will be about 2-5 inches tall. During its first growth season, the ginseng plant will look like a wild strawberry plant. Under the ground, the tiny plant will develop a small skinny root over the summer months. The root will survive the winter, freezing as the ground freezes.


Ginseng Lice Cycle
GINSENG FOLIAGE:

During the fall, the foliage will turn a rich yellow-orange-reddish yellow color. In its second year, the ginseng plant will be at least 5 inches tall and normally will have 2 prongs branching from the central stem. Each prong will have 3-5 leaflets with saw-toothed edges ending in a sharp point. Every year, the number of prongs, each with about 5 leaflets, will increase with age under good growing conditions. The 2 smaller leaflets will be less than 2 inches long and the other larger leaflets can be 3-4 inches long. Eventually, the ginseng plant will grow to over 2 feet tall. When the foliage falls off in the fall, the stem base breaks off leaving a scar at the top of the root. The remaining bud will grow into the stem, prongs and leaves the following spring and will develop on the opposite side of the scar. This scar will start to produce the ginseng "neck" and the annual scarring will tell the age of the ginseng.

GINSENG BERRIES:

In early summer, a cluster of greenish-whitish blossoms will grow on plants that are at least 3 years old. By July or August, there will be a few to as many as 50 (on older plants) green berries from the blossoms that will ripen to a bright crimson color which will fall from the plant in August or September. Each ripe berry will contain about 1-3 seeds. Under normal conditions, these seeds don't germinate and sprout for 18-20 months after they fall from the plant. GINSENG ROOT:

Each growing season, the ginseng root will continue to develop. Young ginseng roots are long and slender and light in color. First year roots are usually 1/8 to 1/4 inch in diameter and at least 4 inches in length. As they mature, the root will darken and may become forked with tendrils growing from the main body. The root may double or triple their size during the first few growing seasons, but once the plant start to fruit heavily, its growth rate will gradually slow down and will increase its root weight about 20% each year.