TOPIC: GROWING GINSENG INDOORS

Here are a couple pics of some ginseng I have growing in an upstairs bedroom close to a south facing window. I water them enough to keep the soil moist but not wet. I also hang a small towel of the side and wet it too. This puts some moisture in the air simulating the humid or moist woodland condition late spring early summer.

With all that said, if I cannot put them outside soon they will certainly die. Even thou they look good now they will die soon.

Nice to be able to look at them for now. Our seng in Ohio wont be up for another 4 to 5 weeks.

Latt

Hey Latt,

Sure is some nice looking healthy green plants you have there.
Too bad they can't survive indoors.

It will be at least 2 more weeks here before seng emerges through the ground,maybe longer.
I have trillium and blood root starting to come up. Having some nice weather but the nights are still hovering around freezing.

rootman

Moved them outside today. They were starting to look kind of sad. These were wintered over in this same container above ground. I just piled snow on top of the container as often as possible. Snow insulated it pretty good.

First let me say Hi! First time posting, been reading most the post for a couple of years. This is a great web site. I have a plant growing inside since January, if I can get it to post, I will.

sang.ocd,
That is incredible. How do you do it. I have tried a number of times and the results are always the same. They end up looking very sickly and end up dead.
I think it is more about the humidity in the air than the soil moisture inside. I think ginseng likes to have some moisture in the air and it takes it in through the leaves. Dry air in the house leads to funny looking leaves.
However, your plant looks very healthy. Do you run a humidifier or mist the leaves often.
Latt

I dug this root in September. I put it in a small bag of moist sand in the back of the fridge, planted it in December, came up the first week of January. I planted it in a mixture of sandy woods dirt and potting soil (about a half and half mix, it makes a nice loose soil). The humidity in the house runs about35%. I give it a cup of water once a week or when it starts to look stressed. The time in the fridge in nothing but sand was not good for it. The top is about half as big as last year, and the flower spike is stunted and will not produce berries. In the past I have dug them in early spring before they sprout, and they make a full size plant with berries. p.s. It gets a couple hours of west facing sun a day through a sliding glass door. It is a woods cultivated plant.

Keep the faith Sang.ocd

you guys are an inspiration. Gonna have to try that...

I am brand new to growing ginseng, I am actually going to do it by aeroponics. I live in Tucson
Az. Say it ain't so!! I love a challenge, and I can grow any thing. Orchids, bonsai, in ground veggie garden. I had a friend tell me I could grow hair on a ticks butt if I wanted.

I am trying to get as much information as possible. First question I have been reading that it can't it be grown indoors, and it looks like someone is having luck growing it indoors. It seems to me it maybe a question of humidity? Humidity is easily solved with greenhouses, and Warden boxes.

Is there any other reason others think it can't be grown indoors.

Naycat

Naycat wrote:

I am brand new to growing ginseng, I am actually going to do it by aeroponics. I live in Tucson
Az. Say it ain't so!! I love a challenge, and I can grow any thing. Orchids, bonsai, in ground veggie garden. I had a friend tell me I could grow hair on a ticks butt if I wanted.

I am trying to get as much information as possible. First question I have been reading that it can't it be grown indoors, and it looks like someone is having luck growing it indoors. It seems to me it maybe a question of humidity? Humidity is easily solved with greenhouses, and Warden boxes.

Is there any other reason others think it can't be grown indoors.

Naycat

Growing indoors isn't the issue. If you're willing to put in the time and effort I believe it can be done without a great deal of problems. Ginseng has been growing under lathe sheds up north for decades. The issue is in what the root looks like when it's harvested. A root grown under strict control is very different from a root that nature has slapped around for years. Cultivated root is of low value in this market, often less than the cost of production. I can't imagine an aeroponic root would be the be the right color, shape or have the stress rings that the market pays well for.

Good luck