TOPIC: Southern Indiana Diggers

Hi all, new to the forum and digging. Hunted as a kid with my Grandfather but haven't for years. He passed away two years ago but had a nice patch on his property that my grandmother asked me to dig last year. Needless to say I'm hooked. Having problems finding it anywhere else though. I did plant about 100 roots on my Grandmas place last year but spent 4 hours in the woods yesterday only to find 2 plants. Ferns were very spotty except in the exteme bottoms of the hollows, may apples here and there but no patches like around grandparents farm, jack in the pulpits spotty, lots of oak trees. Any Southern Indiana diggers around? Could use a mentor, I so regret not spending more time with my Grandfather digging before he died, the man was a fountain of knowledge. Family, work and life just got too busy......

Welcome to the forum cdowell1072. Sounds like your grandpa was a really great fella. Check out the \"planting ginseng\" forum. If you are having a tuff time finding ginseng you may want to consider planting seeds or rootlets.
Some areas it is hard to find ginseng due to various reasons.
Good luck,
Latt

Thanks for the welcome Latt. I have planted some roots(about 1000 last year) and plan on planting seed and more roots this year. I've just been looking for some new places to hunt. My grandparents property is a great place to hunt and the woods work well for planting, but it's 25 miles from my home. Were I am here by Louisville, KY I haven't had much luck in my past 2 outings. Also, does anyone else get eaten alive by chiggers and deer ticks? The woods around here are crazy with ticks, deer ticks especially.

Some of my ginseng beds are on my property 83 miles from where I live now. And some of the other planting beds are in friends and family's woods anywhere from 5 miles to another 60 miles from my home. Glad to hear you are already planting.
Where did you get your 1000 roots from if you do not mind me asking?
Thanks,
Latt

Sorry Latt, fat finged typo. It was 100 3 yr old roots, and I think they came from Hardings if I remember right.

Another welcome to the forum!

It sounds like you had the best mentoring available, when your grandfather taught you! I'm thinking how interesting that must have been.

I just wish I could remember everything. It was probably 25 years ago and I wish I would heve spent more time digging with him, and yes He was an amazing man! Any suggestions on where to get seed and roots this fall?

cdowell,

I am with you friend on the ticks and chiggars.

I am down in Middle TN and man that is two things we sure got plenty of.

When you step over into the woods around here you can almost hear them crawling your direction.

Some Tips to help with Ticks.

Tuck things in !!!!

I always wear two pair of long thin cotton socks.

I pull one up as normal, high as I can get it then I fold my pant legs over and wrap them tight against my ankle area on top of that first pair of socks.

Then the second pair gets pulled up over the folded in pant legs.

Then my snake boots or rubber boots go on.

Then up at belt level, I always tuck my shirt into my pants.

If you tuck things in like that, the ticks can't get easy access to you (go right up your pants leg or up under your shirt for example).

They have to crawl up.

Then on our pants - we pre-treat with permanone, and also put on some 40% deet Repel.

The permanone can not be sprayed on your skin, it is for clothing only and man it will kill the ticks as soon as they land on you.

The 40% deet Repel product will also help with ticks and it will stop the chiggars too.

I don't spray it on my skin either, just on my pant legs (at top of boots) and around my waistline.

Hardly ever get a tick/chiggar with that prep on clothing and spray combo.

Good luck not getting eaten up by those buggers...

TNhunter

TNHunter, thanks for the suggestions, I'll have to give them a try. I know what you mean on hearing them crawling toward you, I'm scared they're gonna carry off my son sometimes!

Anyone from around southern Indiana?