TOPIC: how to protect the berries from predators

I am new to the forum. I saw a you tube video that showed someone putting a small cloth bag over there berries to protect the berries from animals. Would the bag be placed over the berries while the berries are green? remember, I am new and asking for information. After the green berries are formed, how long does it take for the berries to turn red? I would appreciate any information. Thank you.

Iggy,
I have been placing some kind of protection over my berry pods for a few years. If you wait too long for the berries to turn completely red you stand a big chance of losing them to Chipmunks and Squirrels. Once they are attracted to the plant by the color, they are going to destroy them.. I noticed yesterday that my early ripening strain is beginning to turn a bit so I need to get them covered. It has been very hot and dry at my house so things are happening faster than normal. It does not stop the berries from ripening normally to cover them. If you are growing a normal strain of ginseng they would be formed where I live by July the 1st and they would not get ripe until at least the 1st -10th of September. It would be a little later if you are farther North.

Hugh
Here is another way that I use and it does not cover the berry pods from the light.

If you have several seed producing plants in a small area like my seed producing bed shown below...



When the green berries first start filling out good, I place d-CON (mouse/rat bait) inside a homemade bait holder..

In the pic above of my seed producing bed, you can see the black drain pipe in the top left area. I actually have two of those just off to the side of my seed producing bed.

I cut them about 2' long, and staked them down to the ground with a couple metal rods.

When those berries first start filling out good, I put some bait in those bait houses... and that takes care of the mouse, chip munk, type critters.

My seed bed also has a 3' high chicken wire fence around it, which keeps out deer, turkeys, rabbits... or at least it has so far. I started this bed in 2010 and so far not one single top has been browsed by deer.

My berries are usually starting to develop mid July and are turning red late August, thru first week or two in September.

PS... the first fall for my seed bed... I had fully developed green berries, nice and plump, with just a couple turning red (one weekend)... and the next weekend I checked them expecting to start harvesting red berries for planting...

And what I found was EVERY SINGLE BERRY had been eaten in a week. There were piles of berry chips under each plant. Obviously some type of mouse or chipmunk type critter that got them. They started all of a sudden, and had a feeding frenzy.

So when those berries start filling out good... you better do something... I learned my lesson that year.

Good Luck

TNhunter

Welcome to the forum, Iggy!

Good advice given above...

Thank you for the input. I've been told that on the land that I purchased, the berries disappear quickly. Thank you again. Iggy