TOPIC: The quest for a few good roots....

I need another 8 roots or so to get my fill of eaters for the season.

Going on a hunt close by home today. Don't expect to find anything huge, but usually do find some nice ball roots, and usually some with 20+ flats on the neck.

It is a nice morning... looking forward to a 3-4 hour hunt (if that long).

I will post some pics when back.

TNHunter

good luck...

Here is what my seed bed looked like this morning.

Near half of them have yellowed and shriveled up, with a few still green.

I picked the last berries off the bed this morning and planted in a nice new place.

TNHunter

That is one of the better plants I found today and it still had some red berries on.

Here is that the root on that nice 3 looked like...

Mission Accomplished...

I was hoping to fine a few good roots with some age to them and I did that.

I ended up digging 24 roots, and showing the ones with longer necks below.

I will be keeping most of those to eat myself.

TNHunter

Wow TN,
Those roots have some age on them. I bet some are 30 to 40 years old from the looks of those long necks with lots of flats.

In your ginseng seed bed, are the ones that are still green from a different area than the ones that went yellow right beside them?

Thanks,
Latt

Latt...

Not sure why some have turned yellow when others are still looking pretty good. I dug most of those seed bed roots within a couple miles of my house with the exception of the ones I got from Billy. Some of Billy's roots the tops have yellowed and others are still green.

But that is about what I found in the woods today too. Several, mostly younger plants were yellow and some almost down and out, where some larger more mature plants were still doing well.

The hollow that I dug in today, I have dug it no telling how many times... I only harvest older 3 prongs or 4's (only found 1 four in that hollow ever) and leave the smaller 3's.. and I only hunt it every 3 years or so.

And every time I dig there, I always come out with some nice older roots.

I think the deer just browse so many of them, that by the time seng season opens about half of them no longer have a top. That explains part of why I just keep bringing older roots out of that hollow even though I have dug it a dozen times of more (over the years).

TNHunter

nice roots and pics tnhunter. I'm sitting here right now trying to decide whether to go tomorrow morning. I think I might. Love finding those pretty gold ones this time of year. They really stand out. Great job finding some nice ones!

TN, in your seed bed plot, do you use any fungicides ?
Also, do you still add the gypsum and bone meal ?
Thanks and btw nice looking plants/roots.