TOPIC: Virgin grower growing

BigRoots wrote:

I don't think i would sell them.... but i might trade for some seed;)

I few things I would like to learn/master...

1.) When is the best time to plant seed in the fall(Iowa)? Some say plant earlier so the seeds can adapt to the soil. Some say later... so seed will not dry up?

2.) When will my plants start producing seed that I can harvest and replant. My plants are 2 years old now.

3.) What is the best way to plant the seeds that you harvest?

4.) How to get the best germination rate. Soil, shade, moisture,seed quality, planting methods- till, rake, etc...

This is a learning experience for me.... and I enjoy watching my plants grow.

BigRoots,

1. Due to the fairly harsh Climate in Iowa, it would be best to plant Ginseng seeds in the Fall before heavy snows begin to fall and before any deep freezes.

2. Most if not all of the 3 pronged plants and all of the 4 pronged plants should produce a seed pod and seeds. Also, you will likely find a few of your' 2 pronged plants that are healthy and have good Genes will produce seed pods and seeds.

As for 3. and 4., I will leave those questions to folks on here that have been planting Ginseng seeds and growing Ginseng as a venture or business. I have only harvested Ginseng seeds in the wild while digging Ginseng and planted them in pretty much the same areas as they were harvested by just digging small holes, dropping in a seed and then filling and covering the hole.


Frank

I check my pictures that I took while planting.... 2 years ago I planted on Oct. 17. The leaves were mostly down. Some told me to plant sooner:blink: so idk...

It will be nice when my plants start producing seed. Trying to learn how to plant them.... Is stratifing them the best way? and if so what is the best method?

BigRoots wrote:

I check my pictures that I took while planting.... 2 years ago I planted on Oct. 17. The leaves were mostly down. Some told me to plant sooner:blink: so idk...

It will be nice when my plants start producing seed. Trying to learn how to plant them.... Is stratifing them the best way? and if so what is the best method?

I would have thought that you could start planting in September but after looking at a fairly close location's CF6's (Monthly Climate Reports) from 2008 to 2012, it appears that in many years, you have not had at least 3 killing frosts in which to put most if not all plants into dormancy! Based on that, a mid October planting schedule seems pretty good but you may have to do the plantings earlier or later in some years depending upon the current and expected weather.

There are those folks that say stratifing is the best method and I can understand their reasoning! Many Ginseng berries contain more than one berry and by stratifing, the pulp is removed from the berry and any seeds therein are released and made ready for planting the next year. I am old school being raised in or around the mountains of East Tennessee where Ginseng was fairly plentiful in the past. Myself and my old Ginseng hunting buddies would just gather as many berries as possible and then replant them as they were collected (in their natural form) across the mountain that we were on at the time. We might save a few berries to plant on a piece of property where conditions were perfect for Ginseng but had been over-harvested and had very little or was devoid of any Ginseng.

As far as how to stratify the Ginseng seeds, I will leave that question for the folks on here that have done it and know how!


Frank

1.) When is the best time to plant seed in the fall(Iowa)? Some say plant earlier so the seeds can adapt to the soil. Some say later... so seed will not dry up?

I don't know much about the climate in Iowa. However, I am much less worried about seed drying after it is in the ground than I am before it goes in. If you plant ginseng seed in a place suitable for it to grow, it will be just fine in the ground from the time the berries turn red (starts here in early Augest). In addition, we have learned that seed can tollerate being more dry than traditional wisdom would suggest.

2.) When will my plants start producing seed that I can harvest and replant. My plants are 2 years old now.

It all depends on the conditions where they are growing. Most commercial seed is harvested from 3 year old 3 prong plants (they pick the buds off the 4s the year of harvest). I've had 3 year old three prongs...and I've even seen seed on a 2 year old plant....but that was incredibly exceptional conditions. On the other side, I've seen 40+ year old 2 prong plants that might have never produced a seed. -It really does just depend.

3.) What is the best way to plant the seeds that you harvest?

Seed is seed. Green or stratified. Plant them all the same way about an inch deep. I would suggest you stratify the seed first though. You can make quick container for a small amount out of window screen and maybe some hardwire cloth. Fold the screen around the depulped (and maybe treated) seed and fasten it with staples. Then, if you need to protect from critters, wrap that in 1/4 or 1/2\" mesh hardware cloth and burry it about 8\" - 12\" deep in a place ginseng should grow. Take them out in August, or whenever you are ready to plant, bleach them, rinse them, and let them soak for a few hours or over night then float test them. If you stratify in the ground, you can normally skip the soaking part.

4.) How to get the best germination rate. Soil, shade, moisture,seed quality, planting methods- till, rake, etc...

That's the $64 question! You need all of those things for good germination, but all of those things can't always guarantee good germination. Experiment some. Find a combination that works for you and stick with it...and still don't be afraid to try new things or learn new stuff.

This is a learning experience for me.... and I enjoy watching my plants grow.

I think we all do or we wouldn't be on the forums in the off season. And, it should always remain a learning experience. When we stop learning, we start to die.

Thanks guys! I do appreciate all your information as growing is new to me.

Ginseng is a family tradition for me. My dad grew up with my uncles roaming the woods for ginseng. That tradition was passed down to my dad then to me. None of my family members have ever bought seed.... I am the first.... I am only 29 years old and hopefully have a few years left in me:huh:

Right now i am gathering all the information I can and use trial and error method. Finding out what works best for me.

I know one thing..... Everyone in the family is enjoying watching the ginseng plants grow:cheer:

BigRoots,

When the berries on your' Ginseng plants start to turn red, you might want to encircle the seed producing plants with a thin cloth or clothlike material (cheesecloth might work) to insure that you will be able to harvest each and every berry (seed). You might want to do a test of planting immediately versus stratifying to obtain the best germination results for your' Ginseng beds. Once harvested, count every berry then immediately plant 20% (or more if you want) in a test bed but keep track of how many berries you plant. Stratify the remaining seeds and plant them next year in a separate test bed. This test will take 2 to 4 years to get a good idea as to which works best! Where you plant the berries immediately, count every plant that emerges next year and the next 2 preceding years to get and accurate count of true germination (i.e. some plants may emerge from the seeds the first year after planting but others may emerge the second or third year after planting). Do the same for the bed planted with the stratified seeds and after 4 years, you will truly now which method is the best!


Frank

Frank,

That sounds like a good plan! I will give that a try and post my results.

I see that some people do use hay to cover there beds. What does the hay exactly do? Keep weeds from growing or just keep more moisture in? I am thinking about doing a test batch myself....

BigRoots wrote:

Frank,

That sounds like a good plan! I will give that a try and post my results.

I see that some people do use hay to cover there beds. What does the hay exactly do? Keep weeds from growing or just keep more moisture in? I am thinking about doing a test batch myself....

BigRoots,

I don't read every post and don't go to other Websites about Ginseng, so I haven't read or heard of anyone doing this in Ginseng beds! However, I am sure that it is to help keep the weed growth down and to keep moisture in. Some folks do the same in their' garden while others use newspapers. A lot of the Corn and Soybean Growers plant a cover/nutrient rebuild crop, disk it in and plant rows at the same time, then come back later and disk between the rows. The disked cover/nutrient rebuild crop acts similar to hay or newspaper by keeping weed growth down and holding moisture in and at the same time, provides nutrients to the soil as it decays.


Frank

BCastle wrote:

Most commercial seed is harvested from 3 year old 3 prong plants (they pick the buds off the 4s the year of harvest).

BCastle,

Do the Commercial Ginseng Growers really do this? Why pick the buds off and destroy thousands of potential sellable and plantable seeds or which could be used to replenish harvested plants? If this is this done so they can harvest roots early, then I think that it is stupid! Considering how rare Ginseng is becoming in some areas, if I were a Commercial Ginseng Grower, I would never destroy a source of replenishing it as well as a source of income or a means to replenish my' own crops! Besides, by harvesting the 4 prong plants later when the berries are ripe, the growers should get a better price for their' Ginseng roots due to supply not meeting the demand.


Frank

I've read studies that show it increases root weight, which would probably be the reason. Since commercial ginseng cost is near production cost ever little addition to root weight they can get is important.

If I were them I think I might sacrifice root weight a little bit though, since the seed produced by a plant can be worth more than it's roots over a few years.