TOPIC: First Ginseng Expierence

Hello everyone. Figured I would write an article about my first expierence with ginseng. It was an expierence that I will never forget. Actually, I know beyond reasonable doubt, that I would love to grow it on my own piece of property till it reaches maturity. If time and weather permitted, I could have stayed for days in the forest. Loved it! Appalacian hardwood forests are enchanting. Their a magical place that I guess not all people are able to conect to. To me it was also spiritual. Gods beauty in what he created. The sounds, the smells, looks are all incrediable. Its everything I thought it would be, but better. I know why you guys have a love for it now. What a wonderful expierence. Coming back to Florida was hard getting back to this society here. Man has to do what he has to do. Even when we dont want to. Thank you for the expierence!

Good morning Gareth,
I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed your little stay in the Appalachians. It can take your breath , especially if you're a flat lander. It'll make you want to come back. I hope you got to see and learn some things about that mystical little plant that has all of us wanting to go back and see if we can find more. Hopefully, soon you will find that piece of property that has been waiting for you all these years.

I rounded up another picking of ginseng berries yesterday morning and headed back to the mountains to plant them. I found another small spot of Black Cohosh that I've driven by many times and I said to myself, \"this spot looks like it might grow ginseng well\", so I got out and walked over to the place to plant some berries. While I was moving some of the cohosh, I looked right at my feet and there was a nice 3prong hiding under the canopy of those large cohosh plants. It was a great find and now it has some friends to grow along with it.

I hope you get back up soon.

Hugh

Hugh,
I was just reading this post and told my gal that you plant a lot of ginseng seed in the mountains and a lot of it is in areas you are just trying to repopulate. Your efforts are much appreciated by me and many others. You are a modern day \"Jonny Appleseed\" when it comes to getting our favorite plant re-established in the mountains.
Thank you Hugh.
Latt

Thanks Latt,
You have to be pretty old, like me to really understand what the ginseng plant has meant to many families in Appalachia. My former Father in Law was born around the turn of the century and he explained to me how it has helped many mountain families to have a few essential things they would not have had the money to afford, otherwise. In the wintertime, when you have children who need shoes, or clothes to make it through the year until the next crop comes in; this little plant was a life saver to these needy people. It has been a desire on my heart to give back a form of income to these areas. All of my life I passed through areas that would grow ginseng well, but there was none there. There is now, and it is a beautiful site to see. The season is closed now, but in the near future the populations will be high enough to persuade the Forest Service to reopen it. I just hope that I can add more. Gareth can tell you a little more about what it looks like.

Hugh

Hey Mr. Hugh. I hope I can make it back soon. I wish I could leave today! This time, I think I better take the family! The wife made sure I understood that. Hahaha. I learned so much on this trip. The trip was hard with the rains in the mountains and interstate grid lock on the way up. But, what I learned has no price tag. It was very educational. I think it might have put a little hook in me and isn't going to let go! One day, it'll happen. Just not my timing, Gods. They are beautiful plants. Amazing to me they take so long to grow and reach maturity. Very healthy plants that I seen. Dark green leaves with the jagged side going torwards the tip. Most of them had 5 leaves on each prong. Very similar structure to a puerto rican umbrella tree. They reminded me of \"hands reaching up\" on each prong. 5 leaves, with 3 large and 2 smaller by the stem. One thing that is distinguishable is a soft, tender stem. Amazing climate that they were growing. Black kohosh peppered the landscape everywhere. Hogs weed also. Never heard of it till I seen it. Tender, single leaf vines. I'm ashamed to learn how young poachers dig them. Very dissapointing, but thats the nature of the plant and people. Great job at your hard work Mr. Hugh! It was a pleasureable expierence. I understand why you gentlemen love and respect the plant. My hat is off to you. Learning the climate and what they are up aginst was an eye opener.

Like I told u it is a hard crop to grow and it take lots of time and has many predators.It seems that poachers have no hope of returning at a later date to collect mature plants, they would rather take a chance on replanting the smaller ones where they can get them later if they survive.I am a hobbyist that has learned to try and collect seeds and try and spread them anywhere. Hopefully the plant can survive.If you are still looking for some property I know where around 30 acres is that is great for growing sane.They were asking 75000 if i am not mistaking.No timber on the land it was cut several years ago,i have planted and dug sane on it so I know it can grow their.location is avery county,nc.