TOPIC: planting the seed

Was just wondering how people plant there seeds and what works best for them . I know some want to keep there methods secretive which is understandable but I would like to know if you till the dirt or just pull away the leaves drop the seed and firm and cover . And which works best for you in the long run .

Jdman,
No secrete, there are many methods. If you want to get good results with the least amount of time do this.

Wild Simulated style
1. Rake back the leaves and leave a 4 foot row of bare ground. Length of row depends on amount of seed.
2. Scratch up the surface of the bare soil & pull some soil to the side of the row.
3. Scatter the seed so there is approximately 6 seeds per square foot.
4. Step on the seed to get the seed embedded in the soil.
5. Rake the soil you pulled to the side back over the seed up to 1/2 to 1 inch deep is good.
6. Cover the bare ground back over with the leaves.
7. Walk away and wait on mother nature to take over.

Good luck,
Latt

I appreciate your reply , I have only planted seed one time last fall and none have yet to come up I think I pretty much fed the birds . But I plan to try again with more than just one method and see which works best. I have heard before that if you plant no till it will take anywhere from 7 to 8 years before time to sell . And have heard it you do till the dirt it will take around 4 years. I am just curious and not sure which way to go for little faster better results .

Planting in the fall with stratified seed will produce young 3 leaf yearlings the following spring. So you will get a lot of seeds to sprout. How long they take to mature depends on many factors like soil quality, canopy, deer, mice, voles, slugs, disease etc.
Good luck.
Latt

Good advice Latt, anything can happen over the years. Not a sure thing by any means!

Jdman..

If you till the soil that will change the looks of the roots in the end product.

They will be more straight, carrot like, and less desirable, and will fetch a lower price.

If you just plant them as Latt described (Rake and Scatter method) without tilling the soil and let them grow naturally you will get a root that is basically indistinguishable from a true wild ginseng root. Very desirable, highest price... but it does take some time. 7 years is probably the minimum, with 10 years being even better.

Roots with true wild characteristics, grown in wild simulated situation (no soil tillage) should fetch the same price (or very near) that of wild ginseng roots.

Roots that look more like carrots, long, slick roots, with a wad of root hair on the end, would fetch only a fraction of wild root price. Something like 15-25% of wild root price, if you are lucky !

You were hoping for Faster & Better results... sorry, but that it not possible with ginseng. It takes time.

You can grow it (Faster) and get larger plants and roots by tilling the soil and fertilizing but then the roots are just way different than true wild roots and the price is much lower than true wild.

Good Luck with your growing.

TNhunter

TNhunter.

Your answer is more of what I was looking for in this post. And it is much appreciated . Seems to me like most people are anti till or only like going with the wild sim method . I understand why and also understand that ginseng is no over night thing. But the other thing I have been thinking about is I do not want to use any fertilizer on anything I grow I want them to be natural as possible no pesticide weed killer etc.

But the thing that gets me about the wild sim method is that If I could grow roots faster ie. about four years why would I not do that . Little less money but bigger root to help make up the difference plus in the time it takes to grow one wild batch I could have grown two batches in tilled soil . and have a couple patches sown in the woods with some wild sim . I guess just food for thought .