TOPIC: plant survival rates

Steeltrap,I talked to Scott Persons {author of growing and marketing ginseng,goldenseal and other woodland medicinals} the other day and he told me to spray with maneb and a copper based fungicide,rotating the two.Spray every week and after every rain. He said this should work as long as you spray thoroughly.If you dont have a copy of his book,you should buy it.He is also a very good place to get seeds from. I personally think planting close together maximizes your land,but it probably is far more likely to have diseases.I have also talked to larry Harding and got the same answer about spraying. Good luck,Lenno

Guys i agree with everyone on this subject. Planting more dense lets you maximize your lands potential, but also asks for a lot of trouble if you don't maintain it. I mean even if your gone for more than a week during the summer you had better have someone taking care of your patch. My opinion its to much work. Planting that dense is also the best way to go if you don't have a lot of land to plant. I am lucky enough i have lots of ground to plant so i just go the wild simulated way and just leave it alone. Because i don't have the time to take care of a patch planted that dense. If i did though i probably would plant some more dense. Steeltrap i hope me and lenno answered your questions good enough, but take some advice from Lenno and get the book. I also own a copy and it has taught me so much stuff i didn't even know about ginseng. You can get a copy off of hardings ginseng website thats the only place i know that sells it, i'm sure others do though. Good luck with the patch steeltrap.

Just want to add, as others have said, that if planting more densely, greatly increases the need for constant care! Keep in mind, with Larry Harding, that ginseng is all the guy does and he hires help. He is not holding down another job and trying to do ginseng a a sideline like most of us. Even then, I am sure he puts in some very long days tending his plots. These are things to consider, when planting because you all know how hard it can be to find the time to \"take off for a walk in the woods\" let alone plane on a continual regiment of spraying and care. And, as others mentioned, those viruses and fungus's don't take a day off. You miss one spraying a couple years into some nice plants and your whole bed could be ruined. JMHO. Have a good one

Don't forget Bob Beyfuss; he's has three reports or books that are a must read for anyone into ginseng.
I have tried the spraying, and lugging in pesticide a mile into the bush a few times a week, every summer for a few years, it gets to ya. Then you sell your crop for 35 bucks a pound. IMHO wild simulated plantings produce a better quality root, and it is almost fun. As long as you have lots of good land, safe from poachers.
Do you guys need licences to by pesticides down there?
Here in the north you need a licence to buy pesticides.

Guy

We can buy what we can afford where I am from. Spraying takes a lot of time and energy but if the weather is dry, you won't need to spray very late into the year.
As far as holding down a regular job and spraying, I just have my wife do it while I am out working for the man, (I hope she don't see this) AND she does a dang good job!! A few more years and I won't need to work for the man.

Shoot, she knows more about Ginseng than I do at this point.

MMG