TOPIC: some pics of a test plot

I've been slow taking pictures, but wanted to share a few with y'all. I'm just getting started, so have only planted some small 10x10ft test plots throughout the Virginia blue ridge and western piedmont. The pictures here are from what turned out to be one of the better sites. I was surprised since the site isn't exactly in the mountains, had been selective cut for poplars about 15 years ago and there are a lot of small trees and a few indicator plants but not many of them (very occasional bloodroot, rattlesnake fern, and what I think is twisted stalk). Here are the details: Planted January 17 2011, calcium poor (1000 ppa), gypsum treatment April 5 brought it up to 2000 ppa, initial seed spacing roughly 4 per sqft (didn't count, just guessed), seedling spacing now 0.7 - 1 per sqft. If I was close to planting 4 per sqft, then I ended up with 25% germination/survival. Wish that number was higher but I think I might have started with less than 4 per sqft. In some plots, there was heavy slug damage in May but a second count yesterday indicated that virtually every seedling present in May survived to yesterday (even if it only had 1/2 a leaf). Anyway, here are some pictures. I'd love to know what you all think, and what to do next! Will certainly keep adding the gypsum and plant earlier this year.

Congrats

vafiddler wrote:

Is this slug damage (left picture)? Anybody know what causes the white/light gray spots in the image on the right? I noticed that it was on other plants in the area as well and does not scrape off, at least not easily.

vafiddler

Could be slugs or worm/caterpillar. Usually slugs are not a problem during the summer months. Unless it's been unusually wet.

Leaf rollers are a problem in my beds. The worm folds the leaf over to form a a sort of home for it's self. At night the worm will come out to eat on the leaves. When I find these, I unfold the leaf and kill the worm inside the folded leaf. They can do alot of damage. But it's usually just an eaten up leaf and the root continues to live on.

The white spots, I don't know.

Here's a plant I think is a combination of slugs and worm damage.

classicfur

Vafiddler,

I have similar carnage on some of my 3 leafers, expect there is not much we can do about that, other creatures just like to munch on those seng leaves.

A suggestion on your bed size. I realze these are just test plots but it would be best to keep your beds at a 4 or 5' max width. Eventually you will be collecting red berries off the mature plants and you want to be able to reach the middle of the bed without having to step in and possibly step on a few plants.

Scott recommends 5' x 50' in his book.

I am not sure about the white/grey stuff either. Could be some kind of fungus or mold, not sure. I do see little yellow spots on some of your 3 leafers and I had some of that show up on mine this year.

I have also seen it on wild seng and Billy posted some pics recently of wild seng that had the same type of little yellow spots.

Most likely a bit of alternaria blight, but not absolutely sure about that.

I do see wild seng around here that is big and stout and has excellent roots and it often has some of those yellow spots so although it is not ideal, they wild stuff can survive it to be nice mature plants, hopefully the wild-simulated will too.

I bought some organic fungicide \"Actinovate\" online a couple weeks ago and have not used it yet, but may get to that this weekend and at least spray my seed producing bed. I would rather not spray anything, and just let it live completely as wild does, and if I feel I have to spray it will be something organic - that is as far as I am willing to go with doing something to keep my plants as disease free as possible.

Best of Luck to you on your plantings !

TNhunter

I still can't decide what to do about the bed sizes. Though Scott Persons recommends the 5 ft wide sections in his book, if understand it right, you won't end up with walking spaces if you follow his extra-efficient rake method where you only move the leaves once. Since you're raking leaves off the current bed to cover the bed you just planted, then that implies they are immediately adjacent, right? I asked him about this when he gave the workshop earlier this year and he told me he didn't worry about putting in walking rows. I guess I'm not terribly worried about damaging mature plants since I know they'll grow back, but the spaces sure would be nice when trying to count new stems and doing any disease control that might arise. I figure most of the other tasks (gypsum, weed control) could be done mostly when the ginseng is dormant. Since I'm pressed for space and time right now, I guess that's how I'm leaning. Do you think that's a mistake? Do y'all really wish you had more space for stepping between plants/rows?

vafiddler.

You are right that in that \"most efficient\" method that Scott mentions you would not have any walkways between planting beds. You would basically end up with the entire hillside planted in seng.

It is the Hankins method that suggest 5x50' beds with 3' walkways.

If you are pressed for space that most efficient method may be the way to go.

If you have room, then I would suggest leaving room for walkways. Not only does that make it easier to collect berries without stepping on plants, also should help with disease issues. I think some diseases like root rot will just continue to spread unless there is a break (like that 3' walkway).

You are right that applying gypsum could be done late fall after tops are down and could be done again in spring before tops emerge.

TNhunter