TOPIC: Seed From Different Sources Results, Good and Not Good

Well, as far as the seeds go, this site sells some real viable seeds that are screaming to come up and see you the following spring! I'm gonna give a fairly educated guess of 95+%. It's really a sea of green where I put approximately 35,000 seeds. Gonna have to do some real thinning if nature don't do it for me. I blocked this area from the critters with electric horse ribbon fence with 5 strands so, other than it can be seen by potential poachers (that's where camera's with wireless come in), it is also seen by deer and turkeys, so I will most likely be the one thinning. To add to the blessing, I found two wild plants just outside the fence and had no idea any wild grew there so high in my woods.

Now as for seeds I got from the Ozarks, well, not so good. Zero to be exact. Either they were green or had dried out. Find out next year I suppose. There is wild seng growing right where I planted so I rule the soil out.

Now as for seeds that originated from Canada, well, not so good either. Zero to be exact. Have to assume the same as for the Ozark originated ones. Find out next year I suppose. There is mayapple and goldenseal growing right where these were planted and wild seng 50' away so I say the soil isn't the issue here either.

However, I did plant the Ozark and Canada seeds a bit later in the fall. Like real late in fall. Maybe that is a cause for delay or death.

Now as for planting methods, well with Ozark and Canada orinated seeds I used the same two methods as I did with seeds from this site with zero sprouted. The rake and scatter method (more like TNHunter's method), and the Hankin's method (to make a shallow row and plant in it, then rake the top inch of soil back over and then the litter). It was a true Hankin's method (with no tilling) on the seeds that failed to sprout. The rake and scatter did best with Wildgrown's seed and not so good with the Hankin's method even with rototilled soil (making it essentially NOT the Hankin's method). With Wildgrown's seed only about 50% of Hankin's method worked for me and 90-100% of the rake and scatter method worked (sprouted).

Now all the seedlings I am seeing from Wildgrown are healthy and not distorted/stunted like the rootlets from here did. I say this to eliminate the soil being the \"root\" cause of the issue on the stunted rootlets on the previous post. Pun intended.

Just wanted to help anyone thinking they should or should not buy seed from here. Viability will get them a A+, time will show health and resistance to disease and whatever else may take place. Not to say the ones that failed me were the grower/seller's fault, but that is my results.

jimsenger66,
That is about as honest and clear a description of plantings as one could make. No bias, just facts. I was curious about one thing. How did you get your hands on Canadian seed? I know of some that I would like to buy, but I thought they could not ship out of country. Must be the method used to grow it.

I'm glad you had some success, and I hope you can follow up next Spring with some positive notes about the ones that did not come up.

Hugh

jimsenger, I read over your post again and I'm going to have to ask you what you did with those seeds after you received them, that you planted late? How did you store them?

Hugh,
The Canadian seed came from a fellow Ohioan who frequents this site regularly and must live in a castle. That is where his seed originates (Canada, not the castle).

Thanks for the positive wishes for me. I really only planted a couple ounces of seed from the non wildgrown sources so no loss if they don't ever come up to visit me. Just wanted variety as I want to take seng breeding very serious. I think they will just be delayed. As for storing the seed before planting, well with both sources I planted the very next day. Kept in basement in packaging they sent them in untill in the woods. I was just late in the year buying them.

I don't blame failure of emergence on anyone to include myself. Weather, cold winter, or just the Lord's plan may be the reason. Either way, I feel very blessed to have the seedlings up that are and the woods to plant them in.

Jim

I have also bought seed from Ozark sadly same result about 10% germination rate and the next year very few came up, Wildgrow seeds have always come up 90% or better for me I seen on the ozark website he still had seed this spring in april maybe that's why.

Sysbee: I guess 10% is better than my zero. So glad it wasn't a huge quantity. Never good to have leftovers into April. They were very dark seeds. Kind of wondered what that was about.

Hugh: I remembered that I did in fact put the canadian seed in the fridge a few days but with my ground so cold when I was planting thought that would not cause issues with refrigerating like it would to put them in a cold fridge from being warm and then from the fridge into warm soil.

Jim

jimsenger,
I'm sure I sound like a broken record about this thing of refrigerating seeds until you can plant them. I learned the hard , expensive way and even though you will hear some say it did not affect theirs to place them in the refrige, you can say that you are getting an expensive lesson. What if that had been 5-10 pounds? You may see some next year, but not more than 50% at best. It will probably be more like 5-10%. Whatever it turns out to be, good luck.

Hugh

Hugh,

To be completely honest, I'm seeing the same results as jimsenger here at the house. I'm not very happy either. The seed I sold last fall had viability rates in the mid 90s, so based on outstanding results for the past dozen years or so I am very shocked and disappointed also. Nearly all of the seed I've dug up still looks completely viable...just not sprouting this spring for some reason.

I bought my seed last year from a notable seller in Michigan. Its had about a 10% germination this spring.

Brad,
When I say this I am speaking to other seed salesmen, as well as to you. How can you expect any of the guys on this board to have any confidence in you or your product after making a statement like that. This nonsense has been going on for years and it tells me that growers who sell seed don't really know what they're doing or the are pure outright crooks. I can't remember a year since I've been following Wildgrown that we haven't had numbers of growers complaining about seed not coming up. I can remember for about 3 years of following this board that the advise was to place your seeds in the fridge with a couple of wet pieces of paper towel. You were one of those several years ago. That has all changed now but you are still saying your seed had this great germination rate, and even you are now saying it is not coming up well for you. You're disappointed. Somebody needs to have to replace all these seed that aren't coming up and they need to replace rootlets that appear to be bad. I'll say it again, there are others that are involved in this that need to be held accountable.
Hugh

I hesitate to say anything at all because of the forum rules.

We all know that ginseng is a perennial plant with complex morphological dormancy. I commonly see additional germination 2 or 3 years after planting stratified seed in the fall – even after experiencing fantastic germination rates. Long story short, ginseng dormancy and germination is finicky.

I plant the same seed I sell, so I’m in the same boat –only worse. I posted initially to let you know that the issue was not likely jimsenger66’s fault. The seed viability was in the mid 90s. This is very high. With viability approaching 90% I anticipate better than 80% germination and sometimes I think I get close to 100% over a couple years. There is always some that germinates later for some unknown reason.

I could tell you about an unofficial experiment where the seed bought from me had the best germination among all tried –and you would respect the name. However, my respect for the person sharing the information after the fact prevents me from naming them. Suffice it to say that a long-standing track record of reliability has been established.

I am not posting this to piss off the powers that be at Wildgrown or to sell seed. Only to illustrate that even with the technology we have at our fingertips, we still find new things about this plant and better methods by which it can be grown. You mentioned the change in thought of keeping seed in the refrigerator. Traditional wisdom has always taught us that dry seed is dead seed. However, as we share information and experiences with one another, we have learned that traditional wisdom isn’t always accurate or the best advice. I’ve written about how incredibly dry ginseng seed can be and still come up just fine the spring anticipated. We on this forum have shared information which suggested a common thread that seed put in a refrigerator tended to delay germination. Remember also, a few hundred years ago everyone knew the world was flat. So, the concept that someone must be dishonest or ignorant is an unreasonable one by any standard applicable. I understand the frustration. However, that does not justify flinging accusations toward anyone.