TOPIC: Requesting realistic knowledge from experienced growers

Hello everyone,
I have been reading and learning from this site for a few years now, this is my first post
I have a life goal to buy a house with land-I NEED to get back into the country where I was made.
My *dream* is to grow wild simulated seng and maybe also grow some Christmas trees/sell eggs while working 1-2 days a week. I realize this isn't a get rich quick process and my dreams may be crazy but I do love planting/gardening/being outside, that is when I am at my happiest.
Here is my question:
If I planted 1/4 of an acre, approximately how much money could I expect to make after 7-8 years while harvesting those roots and selling the stratified seed? I guess I'm not clear on how many plants will fit on 1/4 of an acre and how many pounds of root that amount of acreage would yield. I would also plan on planting seed every year to eventually have a rolling harvest. I have also read portions of information from Scott Persons but then I see different information from experienced growers on here, so I figured I'd just ask outright what you guys and gals think.
-I'm still in the learning phase, thanks for any replies

I really don't think there is a good answer to your questions. Too many things to consider, a lot of things can go wrong with growing ginseng. If you can get an average of 1 plant per square foot, that would be very successful with wild simulated ginseng. I would count on less than that though. Good luck.

I agree with lenno. If you grow truly wild simulated a success rate of one plant per square yard I think would be great! Of course on a 1/4 acre that would only be about 1200 plants.
If you grow a lot thicker you better have a plan for spraying for disease.
Luck has a lot to do with growing seng because anything and I mean anything can go wrong.
I'm not trying to discourage you but be prepared for some failure before success.

Ok good information, that does help my curious mind. I'd like to order a small batch of seed this year just to experiment with and test my luck so that when I do buy land I'll have at least some experience going in. You're not discouraging me at all, I've been wanting to do this since before these silly TV shows, and I just love gardening period-was taught by my Grandfather when I was old enough to walk, I take it all as constructive information.
Thanks so much for replying!

Oops, follow up question: About how many pounds of seed would 1200 plants yield after 3 years or so?

If you grow wild simulated, I doubt if you will have berries until 5 or more years.

Ok, thanks, good to know. I want that Scott Persons book but holy moly is it expensive now! I do like learning for all of you guys/gals on here, lots of good info just right here.

Not much seed production from wild sim, espcially if critters are getting after it. I'd say an average of 6-8 seeds per plant would be generous, which would make you about 1-1.5 lbs. of seed at 6500-7000 seeds per lb.

Thanks! When I found some wild this past summer I was pretty surprised that there were so many berries left on it because of that reasoning too. I have plans to fence mine in but nothing elaborate enough to keep every single critter out, they're too resourceful. So I guess I won't count making much on seed, probably just use them myself and maybe give the rest to family to try growing it on their own too.

1st- welcome to the forum, Berrygood45!

What the folks have post here is good advice. I'm going to add to it a bit..

the bit about expect some failures is great! our first acre of plantings was pretty much a failure. what did come up, the deer ate. had to replant the whole thing, and I have attempted to learn from my problems. I would encourage you to be flexible...

I would recommend you get that Person's book. It's the \"Bible\" for growing. Retail, it is expensive. However, go to Amazon.com, and get a used one. I think I have heard of folks getting their copies for as little as $5.00, shipped. I bought mine new from a bookstore for $26.-, however would have gladly paid less thru amazon if i had known about that option before getting mine...

Sitting down with that book, and doing your own math is really informative. there is a few charts in there, however you will want to sit down with pencil and paper and write up your own \"seed math\"; from that you can do the harvest math, and extrapolate other important relative stuff from the figuring.

Get your seed in the fall, same for rootlets. decide if you want to keep the Appalacian seed, or import from other areas. some folks will tell you it's all the same, however there are [IMHO] differences.

Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress!