TOPIC: Am I begging for disease...

Did I plant these too thick or is this ok for first year wild sim?

Pic was too big, ill get it figured out and add it.

Think I got it.

Not too thick in my opinion for Wild Simulated. After year 10 you will be lucky to have 10% of these left. So the spacing will improve as the years go on. Watch for deer, and slugs/snails. They love this stuff. If you can control them, most likely you will end up with a little better than 10% survival after 10 years.
Don't be afraid to hit them after a rain once or twice per season with some Miracle Grow the first year. It will help them be strong. Do not fertilize after that. Watch for disease in year one and two. You may want to spray a natural disease and pest control product on them the first couple years. Year one they are very susceptible to \"Tip Over\".


\"The major seedling disease of ginseng include \"damping off\" by Pythlum sp., Fusarlum sp., and Phytophthora sp. while \"tip over\" is caused by Rhizactonia sp. In addition other diseases include root rots by Fusarlum spp. Phytophthora cactorum, Sclerotinia panacis, leaf blight caused by Phytophthora cactorum, leaf and stem blight caused by Alternaria panax.\"

Or you can forgo all what I said and just let mother nature take it's course. Nothing wrong with that either.
Latt

Thanks Latt.

Sounds like I have a lot to learn over the next couple years.

I normally like to spread them out more than that for wild sim. I think as close as some of those are, you will have alternaria problems for sure. Copper is considered organic more or less and will help. This is the reason I don't like rake and scatter methods....I ALWAYS end up bunching the seeds up like this. Some folks can do it...I can't.

Latt is correct in his post also.

Latt:
Miracle Grow on the first year? First I heard of that one even reading over all the posts on the growing seng forum. I like that idea only on year one. It really should help with disease prevention by giving that extra boost of strength in it's youth. Think I will take heed to that advice. Any suggustions on application methods?

jim

I'd agree with Castle and say they are a bit dense. It takes some practice to get the seed ratio right with rake and scatter. If you are concerned about disease I would also agree with Castle and use some kind of organic preventative. Copper as Brad said, or pelletized gypsum also has some detterent effect on diseases as well as providing the calcium that ginseng loves. As for the miracle grow, I have never heard that recommended outside of intensive woods cultivated. Mircale Gro is a high nitrogen fertilizer, and excess nitrogen actually creates more favorable conditions for pests and disease. All in all, mortality is part of ginseng growing. I would rather just cull some of the seedlings than use chemicals. Im of the opinion that once you start making those interventions it is hard to stop. Better to create conditions for minimal disease up front.

Thanks for the replys everyone.

Would transplanting in a year or two be an option or would the damage most likely already be done?

Would not want to transplant in year one. Wait till year 2 or 3 in my opinion. As far as a few shots of diluted miracle grow in water, you can spray with a back pack sprayer. I won't say the name but I know of one person who does this and he said it works great to give them a little boost year one. Perhaps you could try a small area and compare it to the rest of your areas to let us know. I have not ever done this so it would be interesting to see the results. I would not have mentioned it other than knowing that this guy knows his stuff and that he does it in year one only with great results.

Many people try many different things and grow many different ways. I have planted rake and scatter method just like you and had that many plants and have never had disease. They thin out by about 10% a year in my opinion. Perhaps I have just been lucky so far as to not have disease.

Adding Lime in low PH soil or Gypsum in high PH soil can never hurt for sure and is good advise. My best spot is seng growing in soil that has Calcium in the 6,500 PPA. The PH is over 6% too but does not seem to be causing any problems.

Good luck,
Latt