TOPIC: Wild simulated seed ?

Hello guys

I would like to get some thoughts on how they are producing all this wild simulated seed? I can understand the cultivated farm raised seng /seed but am having a hard time with the numbers on wild simulated seed that is available. You figure 5000 to 6000 seed per pound thats a lot of mature wild simulated, where is this seng raised and by what method?

I have hunted seng for many years and have always planted seed back where found it, no need to send off soil sample here! Tried and true.

I am just a little concerned that when this wild simulated everybody is poking in the ground actually matures and finally makes its way to the lab in china it may not measure up!

SengNveins

You might consider starting a few seed producing beds and xfer some good wild roots (nice 3 / 4 prongs) from different areas in your county or where ever you hunt seng to get a start on producing your own true wild simulated seed.

You could even pamper them by cultivating the ground and adding calcium, bone meal, to give them ideal growing location, fence around to protect from turkeys, deer, etc.

I got started on that this year with my first bed (see link below), and may setup another next year. It was a lot of work but will be nice to have my own seed and heck will be nice just to go out and look at when ever I want

Good wild simulated seed seems to be hard to come by and is expensive too.

Best of Luck.

TNhunter

www.wildgrown.com/index.php/Ginseng-Foru...d-Producing-Bed.html

Seng

www.bsmginseng.com

We figure 7000 seeds per pound, ten seeds per plant, five berries per, 1000 plants per acre of forest planting, 10,000 seeds. Wild critters and weather play with your crop ,every year is different so we figure on the low side of things. This year was good we got around fifteen pounds of green.

Pickin lasts about two weeks, backs break around third day, everything is done by hand, depulping is hand done but not to concerned if left on, stratifying is done in forest soil, on site.

The seeds originally were collected by my Grampa, over a hundred years back now.

No fungicide, no fertilizer, just watch it grow and feed the wild critters, you get the left overs. Thats his advise.

Guy

Guy

You have a Heritage in Ginseng, that you should be proud of!

I have read in Scott's book that he originally thought that every one should produce their own seeds and stratify them for their plantings. Then he goes on to say: \"... for many years I strongly encouraged woodland sang farmers to set up their own permanent seed producing beds. Recently, however, I have come to relize that many growers are probably better off simply buying whatever seed they need each year.\" He also said that it's possible to lose all of the seeds to disease in the stratification box.

My question: What is the smallest amount of seed that is worth trying to stratify them myself, for someone that has never stratified seeds before?

Or would it be better to buy seeds from someone like yourself and others that have had many years of experience in stratifying seeds?

And Growers must feel that their is a higher percent of germination from stratified seeds, or they would be planting the fresh berries instead of taking the time to stratify them.

Is stratifying easy to learn?

What are your thoughts?

classicfur

Classicfur,

In Scotts book he recommends that you \"diversify\" if producing your own seed.

Like first picking, you plant the berries, then the rest you keep and stratify.

Both have their own risk.

A berry that is planted will remain in the soil 18 or so months before the 3 leafer appears. That is a long time that the seeds can be found and eaten by all kinds of critters.

Stratified seeds you can plant in the fall/winter and they are up the next spring (less time to be found and eaten by critters).

But he does say that at times there are problems with the stratification process and the entire batch will spoil, could be stolen, or some type of harm come to them and you loose the entire seed batch.

I have never stratified any seed myself, but next fall I should have that opportunity with my neewly established seed bed.

I may do just like Scott suggested and take about 1/4 or perhaps 1/3 of the berries harvested and plant them. To reduce the chance of critters finding them I will most likely use Hankins Method and get those berries 1\" deep under some dirt.

Then the rest of the berry crop - do my first attempt at stratifying seeds.

TNhunter

I guess I don't know what the minimum amount of seed is, that would make it worth while to stratify.

I would think that you need more than 1/2 a cup of seeds. Perhaps 1 cup or 1 pint of seeds. I have the possibility of about 10,000 seeds from what my 7 yr olds next season will produce. I'm trying to figure if it's worth my time to stratify them.

classicfur

Classicfur,

I would think 10000 seeds would definately be worth stratifying. It is a fairly easy thing to do. Even if you had less than you plan, like a thouand or so would be worth it because it will give you experience for when you get several pounds in later years.

Lenno

lenno,

I think what you said about getting some Experience in stratifying is the most important part. I have experience in all other aspects of growing seng, but have stayed away from trying stratification, for fear of failure.

Lord knows I've had some failure in growing seng, and lived through it. So I'll probably give it a try next year and see what comes up in 2013.

Thanks for your input.

classicfur

classicfur,

Are you picking berries off your plants? If so I guess you are planting them when you pick them. I was wondering about the germination rates doing it this way.

I have always bought stratified seed to plant and also stratify my own. I stratified close to 6 pounds this fall and hope to have a lot more next year.
My germination rates from my own seeds have been about the same as the seed I buy. The good part about my seeds is they dont cost anything and I know exactly what I have.

Lenno

lenno

I have been Pinching the blossoms on all the plants when they are 3 and 4 years old to naturaly create a larger root. This procedure is described in Scott's book on page 132, \"blossom Picking\"

For ones that don't have Scotts book, this is what he says:

\"A great deal of energy of the ginseng plant goes toward the development of berries. If the seed spike and the blossoms are snipped in early summer, berry formation is prevented and additional energy is available for root growth. Exactly how much blossom snipping adds to root weight is known only for three- and four-year-old plants in artificial-shade gardens:25%-30% increase in root weight annually. I suspect that in woods-cultivated beds the annual gain would be similar. Since the benefit should be compounded as the growing seasons go by and the beneficial effect of blossom picking is widely known, it is somewhat surprising that more woods growers don't blossom snip. If you are not interested in expanding your production or in selling seeds to a neighbor, then blossom picking is a simple, natural, though highly labor intensive, way to increase root growth.\"

Here's another note from a MO. state page:
\"The majority of plants grown to simulate the wild condition will not reach a desired root size and maturity until 9-10 years after planting. However, you can remove flowers annually from two- and three-prong plants and increase root size and decrease harvest time by a year or so.\"

I have done this on all 3-4 yr olds for the past two seasons. My 5-6 yr olds in Wis. this year I did not plant the seeds. They were allowed to drop their seeds naturally since I was not able to travel to the site. I did plant the berries from these plants in previouse years.

I think since I will have many 5,6 and 7 yr olds this next season and wont pinch the flowers on these, I will collect the seeds for stratifying. I guess I could have more than 25-30 thousand seeds.

After hearing that you had success with stratifying, I look forward to trying it.

Thanks,
classicfur