TOPIC: Berry update from seed producing bed 07-02-2011

Morning Folks,

I got out this morning and checked out my seed producing bed and happy to report that things are moving right along there - lots of berries showing up filled out today.

Plants still looking strong, with the exception of that one nice 3 prong that a limb fell on and seriously bent the stem. It is completely yellow and down today so looks like it will be a goner for the year.

Happy to only have one casualty in 42 tops up this year so far.

Here is a pic of that earliest producer - one of the nice 4 prong tops - root I got from Billy. It has the tallest berry stem of all of my plants and a nice wad of berries with most of them filled out at this point.

It's also obvious that most of those have 2 seeds per berry.

Here is the berry pod on another of the tops I got from Billy.

It is a smaller 4, but still a nice wad of berries.

Now here is a big 3 prong, again one of Billy's roots. I think this is one of the ones he showed on the video where he collected my roots. It is a nice tall 3 and looks much like that first plant he showed in the video.

It's got a nice wad of berries too.

Now here is a pic of the largest/stoutest plant in the bed.

It is a BIG 3, that I found local.

It is way behind those KY Mountain roots in making berries but looks like it will have a nice wad when done.

Also notice how my local seng plants have much shorter berry stem. Even on this big stout plant, the berry stem just reaches up to the level of the leaves.

That is very common for around here. It is quite rare to find one that has a wad of berries reaching higher than the leaves and many are down below leaf level.

Here is the view under the leaves from anotehr of my local - smaller 3 prong tops.

Got to look under many of them to get a good look at the berries.

And last pic for the day.

If you watched my seng hunting video's from last year. I found a plant with double 3 prong tops.

It came up a double 3 prong again this year.

Both prongs appear to have 10 or so berries coming on.




I will be spending a couple hours mowing my 1.5 acre yard with my 50\" Cub Cadet rider - then off to my brother in law's for a family get together. Grilled burgers, deep fried turkey, hot dogs, potato salid, baked beans, fresh sliced home grown maters, and home made ice cream - then about dark-thirty going to fire up the fire works.

Have a Great 4th Everyone !

Looks great TN. You are way ahead of us.How many plants do you have in your seed bed?

I scouted all week for an hour or two after work and found some nice ones and some good new spots, but none of the berries had swelled yet, then my son found this dandy yesterday that had a few swelled! I got to get more pics from there, it's a beautiful ravine that probably drops about 150-200' in elevation in about 4-600'. The entire area is maidenhair. Gorgeous!

Have a great weekend!

Maya,

That is a wonderful pic of a nice 4, with berries coming on, and all that maidenhair fern - just lovely.

That maidenhair fern is one of my favorite woods plants and when you find it big and healthy looking you sure better be looking around for seng.

I noticed just this morning in Scotts book (back in the back) it says that the leaves of MHF can be harvested and used to treat coughs and colds. Not sure how you prep it or take it, perhaps in a tea ? Not sure but I am going to look in to that.

In my seed producing bed, I made it 4' wide and 14' long, and I translpanted 44 roots in there late last year. 39 were local roots that I found in 3 different areas of my county, and 5 were nice KY Mountain roots I got from Billy.

The Ky Mountain roots are quite a bit ahead of my local seng, but some of my local seng has several berries on filled out now.

That ravine you mention - man I would sure like to look around in there. Sounds like you have found a great spot. Enjoy it and best of luck !

TNhunter

Tell me how you transplanted to your seed bed. I would like to get one going. I planted some stratified seed but have not had the best of luck.

Another pic from that spot. Yes maidenhair puts me on alert!

I agree maidenhair is probably one of the best if not the best companion plant when finding wild ginseng. Jack-in-The-Pulpit, Trillium, Blood Root, Yellow Root, Green Dragon, Jewell Weed, Twin Leaf, Wild Yam, Wild Ginger, Black and Blue Cohosh, Baneberry and Mayapple are all good at times but do not always produce ginseng growing near by. Maidenhair must love acidic soil. I find it in Eastern Ohio near my property with the ginseng. However not in large quantities like I have seen in your fellas pics. I do not see much of it here in central Ohio thou.

I have to say my favorite indicator plant is the \"Spice Bush\" understory woodland tree. Google it and you will see what it looks like of you are not familiar with it anyone. The bark, leaves and red berries are all useful in many ways too. I remember a post a while back where a fella on Wildgrown.com once said \"Does anyone know what that little bush is in the woods that has red berries on it. If I find this tree I normally find ginseng\".

Here is a pic I took last weekend when I sent that pic of my 2 and 3 year old plants. These ferns were on a North East facing hill. I planted some seeds just up the hill from this beautiful patch of wild fern. It is a pretty dense patch of fern and nothing else is growing in the entire patch as it is very thick. I am not sure what kind of ferns these are either.
Latt