TOPIC: Re:Just Finished My First Planting

Jacquo

I would agree with your thought of leaving some of the plants to grow old on their own. I have a few small beds(3-4 Yr olds) that are just 40' from my basement door. Anyway I have a Taxidermy Business at my home and I find it kind of nice to be able take a quick break from my work and walk out that door and enjoy all those green plants for a few minutes. Did'nt give it much thought but I would hate to dig them all up and not be able to look at them a few times during the day. Perhaps I will allow those to grow old along with me. I'm 50 and someday I may not be able to make it up the hill to see my other plants. So I think your idea is a good one.

Thanks!

classicfur

Classicfur, I'm sure a lot of people would think it's silly, but I'm just like you. I like to sit and admire nice ginseng plants from time to time. I sit there and wonder what the root looks like and how big it is. I would love to have a nice old patch of my own full of four prongers and maybe a five or two.

Jacquo

yes It's nice when you can have Seng growing so close that you can have the joy of visiting your plants when ever you want. Also becaus you get about seven months a year to watch them grow.

I agree with you 100%!

classicfur

I kinda have the same thoughts as you classic fur, i have a few roots i dug this year with as many neck scars as i am years old so I planted them out beside the porch swing. I figured we all would grow old together lol. One of these days I think it will be neat to still have those around when I can't get about as well myself.

I have had my eye on the north side of my house for a while now. I have about a 40' strip right next to the house where I could put in a nice bed - say 4' x 40' - (woods soil, and get a bunch of that calcium rich rocky soil) and grow some seng there.

It gets a few hours of morning sun but then no direct sun after that. I guess just about everyone has a place like that next to their house or perhaps a barn.

Not sure I will get to that this fall though - too busy planting seed now.

I got about 6 ounces planted today - did the rake, cultivate and scatter method again.

Classicfur - I tried out my Garden Weasel thing again and it does have the same type of angle to the head that yours does. I just never though to flip it around to put the handle on the low side (looks like you should use it the other way).

There is a big difference in how it cultivates/works up the soil when turned that way, vs the other.

I was much more pleased with how it works when turned over like that - but it is still quite a bit of work and have to bend over too much for my ole back.

I could easily plant a pound in a couple days with this method and not kill myself to get it done either.

I may still try out some type of mini tiller at some point. I need one for my garden anyway - may get one before spring and try it out next fall on preping some seng beds.

We'll see.

TNhunter

TNhunter, this may not be for everybody but I think it does about as well as anything could on steep ground... I took an old rake and broke out every other tooth then bent them in toward each other. It seems to let it dig in really well that way and adds to the teeths strength to pull into alot of those little roots. It's alot of work anyway ya look at it but I think I'll have stick with my modified rake. Have fun scratchin those hillsides my friend:)

They make rakes kind of like the one hilltopper is talking about. They are called anti-clog rakes. This is the kind of rake I have been using for the last two years to plant and it works great. Here is a link of what they look like. I think I got mine for like $15 from home depot or something like that. Anyway it works really well for raking leaves in the woods, and as the description says it never clogs. And it is works really good for scratching up the ground for better contact.
www.amazon.com/Ames-True-Temper-Clog-Fre...288486114&sr=8-4

same principle but I was speaking of a metal garden rake