TOPIC: New to digging ginseng.

Hey everyone me and my husband are both newly interested in hunting for ginseng. We live in the north west Alabama and do happen to know we have ginseng here where we live. Like I said we are new to this and are honestly asking for any pointers and anything you would like to share to help us get ready for it. We believe digging ginseng will be something we will all enjoy along with our two children. We love the outdoors and discovering this was very exciting. I'm by no means thinking I will get rich or anything like that but it would be nice to earn a little. I understand that the digging has to wait until Sept. 1 or later and that there should be berries on the plant and at least 3 or more prongs before they are ready. I don't plan on digging them with only 3 prongs though. I know to plant the berries in exactly the same place where I remove a root and that I should always plant more than I take. I've read where you have to get permits and all but most of the digging I will be doing will come from my own property. Anyway anything and everything you know of that you could share we would greatly appreciate it! If this works out for us we do plan to grow a small area of ginseng for ourselves and yes we know it will be years before those can be dug.

Welcome aboard. I would recommend you cruise the Wildgrown forum as much as possible. I think all of your questions can be answered on here for the most part. You can even key in words in the search bar and it will bring up all related subject matter.
Good luck,
Latt

Thanks a bunch

Bamadigger3856,

Welcome to the Wildgrown forums, I hope that you enjoy reading the posts from it's many fine members! I also hope that you will stay with us as well as share some stories and pics of Ginseng hunts in the future! If you ever have any questions, don't hesitate to post them on the forums or email a member through the Wildgrown system.

My recommendation would be to get out and start scouting for Ginseng and Ginseng growing locations early. While Ginseng may be up in your area late in March or early April, I would recommend waiting until mid-May or early June to scout for the plants. I say this because many folks may not be able to identify Ginseng plants when they first emerge from the ground or even up until the time they have reached a fully emerged stage with or without flowers. It might be a good idea to use a GPS, map or note geographical markers where the plants are found. This will make it easier to return to these. Also, you might want to count each and every plant and possibly take pics of them on your' property. By doing this, you will be able to determine any losses, possibly determine if the losses are from natural causes, animals or poachers, then devise a plan to mitigate future losses. If you see the need to search for and later dig Ginseng on other private lands, then the earlier that you get permission, the better it will be for you to scout these properties well before Ginseng Harvesting Season. Also, if you plan to dig on National Forest lands, you will need to check into the laws, rules and regulations for the harvesting of Ginseng, the dates of the seasons and the information for obtaining permits.

While you are out digging and harvesting only 3 pronged plants or bigger plants, it would be a good idea to leave a fair amount of mature plants to continue the propagation of the plant. This is especially important for any areas you plan to grow Ginseng for future crops. This will guarantee that there will always be a propagating population of the plants, even when you can't afford or obtain Ginseng seeds or rootlets for planting for your future.

Last but not least, prepare appropriately for Ginseng scouting and digging. You will probably want to purchase Snake Chaps or Snake Pants or make your' own. These not only protect you from snake bites but also protect your' legs from briars, sharp rocks and sticks and serves you fairly well during a fall (tumble). Pack whatever clothing, food and drink you deem necessary for the weather, where you are going and how long you might be out. Myself, I pack extras in case of injury and in case of an extra unexpected night in the woods. I also carry something to start a fire (lighter, matches, extra paper towels or toliet paper and sometimes Sterno) to keep warm in case of an emergency and to ward off any unwanted animal visitors.

Good luck and be safe!


Frank

Welcome to the forum!

There's divisions to the forum here, and there is a specific one to digging, as opposed to growing, and well, interest specific forum. Hope you enjoy this forum, and we look forward to your future posts!

huntsman53 wrote:

Bamadigger3856,

Welcome to the Wildgrown forums, I hope that you enjoy reading the posts from it's many fine members! I also hope that you will stay with us as well as share some stories and pics of Ginseng hunts in the future! If you ever have any questions, don't hesitate to post them on the forums or email a member through the Wildgrown system.

My recommendation would be to get out and start scouting for Ginseng and Ginseng growing locations early. While Ginseng may be up in your area late in March or early April, I would recommend waiting until mid-May or early June to scout for the plants. I say this because many folks may not be able to identify Ginseng plants when they first emerge from the ground or even up until the time they have reached a fully emerged stage with or without flowers. It might be a good idea to use a GPS, map or note geographical markers where the plants are found. This will make it easier to return to these. Also, you might want to count each and every plant and possibly take pics of them on your' property. By doing this, you will be able to determine any losses, possibly determine if the losses are from natural causes, animals or poachers, then devise a plan to mitigate future losses. If you see the need to search for and later dig Ginseng on other private lands, then the earlier that you get permission, the better it will be for you to scout these properties well before Ginseng Harvesting Season. Also, if you plan to dig on National Forest lands, you will need to check into the laws, rules and regulations for the harvesting of Ginseng, the dates of the seasons and the information for obtaining permits.

While you are out digging and harvesting only 3 pronged plants or bigger plants, it would be a good idea to leave a fair amount of mature plants to continue the propagation of the plant. This is especially important for any areas you plan to grow Ginseng for future crops. This will guarantee that there will always be a propagating population of the plants, even when you can't afford or obtain Ginseng seeds or rootlets for planting for your future.

Last but not least, prepare appropriately for Ginseng scouting and digging. You will probably want to purchase Snake Chaps or Snake Pants or make your' own. These not only protect you from snake bites but also protect your' legs from briars, sharp rocks and sticks and serves you fairly well during a fall (tumble). Pack whatever clothing, food and drink you deem necessary for the weather, where you are going and how long you might be out. Myself, I pack extras in case of injury and in case of an extra unexpected night in the woods. I also carry something to start a fire (lighter, matches, extra paper towels or toliet paper and sometimes Sterno) to keep warm in case of an emergency and to ward off any unwanted animal visitors.

Good luck and be safe!


Frank

Thanks Frank that was some great pointers. You have answered some of the questions I had. I understand leaving as many plants as possible so that they can continue to multiply. Again I thank you lots!!

1 other thing, if you are thinking of having some patches on your own property, you need to get started right away. You gotta get those seeds in the ground and give them 10-15 years to grow before you start digging them up, if you want to harvest nice sized roots.

For me here in PA, the law says a plant has to be 5 years old minimum to dig/sell. I can tell you, a 5 year root isn't even worth digging, they're about the size of a peanut shell. For my soil conditions and shorter growing period, I typically don't dig a plant until it is 10+, and even them I'm often disappointed by the small size of the root.

Mortis, Well said and you're exactly right on at least 10 and better to wait 15 years.