TOPIC: Hey Latt ???

Latt, I was just reading one of your responses in the forum. Just outta curiositywhen you mensioned your plants dying off, I was wondering if you have sprayed round up everytime when you are getting a site ready, or have you made beds without using the weed killer the year before. I have been doing some sit prep and was planning on trying a small raised bed but I decided I was not going to use the killer beforehand because I use round up around the farm and I know that if you mix it light then most weeds will come back the next year. But if you mix it stronge then Ive had totally bare spots up to 3 years! Im gonna try and stake heavy plastic down for a few months like I do in my veg. garden not sure if it sufficates the weeds or burns them up but I have always had great success doing it this way. I was just wonderin what your thoughts or anyone else thinks as to if maybe the round up still leaves minuit traces of killer in the soil. my theroey would be that the first seedlings to die out would be the weeker plants and the last ones standing would be the stronger of the strain. Maybe Im wrong just was wondering have a great day guys!

cpdunit1,
I have never used a spray to kill weeds or any sprays afterwards on the plants for controlling disease or pest. I have planted using the rake and scatter method and left to grow wild simulated style.

Consequently I have watched the ginseng in my ginseng patches decrease by about 10% annually. This is what happens when you plant ginseng and do not take care of it once it has come up.

I am all for spraying roundup the year prior to planting a ginseng bed. Hit your planting bed in the spring and then in the summer prior to planting in the fall. Roundup becomes inert once it hits the soil. Your planting beds will do much better without the weeds. I also recommend spraying your plants for a minimum of the first 3 years to prevent disease. Also use Deadline blue pellets to control slugs.

Why am I recommending doing something that I have not done? Answer is simple. I have seen it done by others and they have a lot more ginseng growing now than I do.

Wild simulated style will disappoint you if you are hoping to have thick green areas filled with ginseng plants. Most likely you will end up with ginseng scattered thinly among the weeds and woodland plants. Trust me I speak from experience. I have had ginseng come up in the 85% germination ratio or better and it was a sea of green the first year with ginseng babies everywhere. Lose 10 % a year and after 5 years half of it is gone.

Woods cultivated is the way to go in my opinion. Take care of your ginseng if you what to have something to show for your efforts.

I have seen woods cultivated roots at 12 years old and they look like 12 year old wild simulated roots if not better. I am not trying to start a debate again on Wild simulated verses Woods Cultivated. But if you can take care of your plants and have more ginseng to sell after 12 years this only makes sense. Some say the root looks different on Woods Cultivated and does not appear to have the same look as Wild Simulated. But I cannot tell the difference. Maybe some can but I cannot and apparently most buyers cannot as the people I know are getting top dollar for their Woods Cultivated roots.

Some will disagree with that last statement and that's OK

After planting over 50 lbs of seed wild simulated style, I think I have the experience to know that I am done planting Wild Simulated style.

When I plant again it will be Woods Cultivated or sometimes called Woods Grown.

Take care of your ginseng if you want it to take care of you.
Latt

Thanks Latt, I wasn't by any means trying to bust ur chops. I only planted a few seeds last season and caught the seng bug! I have never really studied what happens to the weed killer once it hits the soil, just was thinking from what I observed using it around the fences and barns. Let me run another thought I have by you and and see what you and others think. Last year I sparingly planted seeds here and there up in the woods. I planted in many different areas just to see if I could get them to come up West facing slope etc. What I thought about doing this year was to raise a bed in the woods close to where I have wild plants already growing, I didnt plant those ones. Once the plants spring up in the bed, GOD willing, I was going to retransplant those yearlings out into the woods in selective spots. Im at this point not really looking to get \"rich from it\" Im looking at it as more of an investment for my boy who is 10yrs old. So if your saying that they die off eventually, are my chances better to transplant once the first batch pops up? would this be a better survival rate for seng babies? And trust me Im baseing my newly aquired seng growing knowlegde on what you experienced growers are handing down in here. So thanks again for any and all your input Take Care Brian

Welcome to this forum, cpdUnit1.

there's a wealth of knowledge in many members on this forum, and sage advice as well. Most of the folks here are not as sarcastic as I am, however I do have some realtively calm moments as well. Having one now, actually...

Hope that you can glean the info you require to be successful. It's really helpful to your focus to develop a business plan.

I'm with Latt on the Roundup. I think your black tarp will work well if the area gets direct sun to really heat the ground under the plastic. You might also see some reduced disease pathogens similar to steaming or fumigation used by commercial growers. I am doubtful, however, that it will work as well in the woods.

I think the key to wild simulated is to plant sparringly and at the right depth. I have not had good luck with this using the rake and scatter methods. Like Guy said in the other thread, you can't really control your planting depth with the rake and scatter methods, and this in turn might lead to reduced or delayed germination (whatever the mechanism).

Here is a picture of the wild sim patch I was telling you all about before...



As far as I can count in the fully blown up picture, there are over 60 wild sim plants visible here. I know I planted a few more than are there, however. So, like Latt says, some just won't make it.

I think if you plant your seed sparringly, and then go back a couple years later and reseed some of the bare spots, not only will your plant numbers increase, but your age classes will be varied and more consistent with a truly wild patch of seng.

The plants in the picture have never been sprayed and were planted with my tool (ECF Seeder). I think there is something about disturbing the ground that we have yet to connect. But, I\"m suspecting there is a definate connection with tilling and disease. That is why like Latt, I recommend tilling beds (at least for now), then spraying for a few years.

I see where you are comming from Brad I didnt factor in no direct sunlight with my plastic. Thats a pretty nice looking pic as well. I think I may have to study up on my additives before I get much further with my site prep.

I don't disagree with any of the advice offered in the above posts. I just want to add that if you are going to be tranplanting roots I would recommend waiting til the fall of their 2nd growing season before doing so. I just don't know if they will be strong enough to do well on there own in the wild after just one growing season. Give me a call sometime Brian.

I agree with 5prong. I used to sell 1 year old woodsgrown roots, and it was just like digging match sticks. Also, I might point out Brian, I didn't do ANYthing to that wild sim bed but clear some of the small sapplings and rose bushes to allow better air flow up the hill.

Lovely patch there, BCastle.

cpdunit1 - hope you decide to stay with us here... Nice to talk to new growers.

Thank you Sir.