Growing American Ginseng For Profit
Metus dictum at tempor commodo
But where, you may ask, do you have to reside in order to be a prime candidate for growing this green gold? Well, the hardwood forests of the eastern United States and Canada are ginseng’s natural habitat, but it can be cultivated almost anywhere north of central Alabama . . . if the area receives between 20 and 40 inches of rainfall annually. No sophisticated techniques are needed to raise the precious crop, either . . . only a goodly portion of patience and a willingness to get your hands dirty. I grow ginseng quite successfully, though I’ve had only a few years’ previous experience in vegetable gardening.
The Life Cycle of American Ginseng
American ginseng, Panax quinquefolium, is a rather ordinary-looking little plant about 20 inches high-which grows inconspicuously on the forest floor. It is a deciduous perennial that produces a new top each year and has a slow growing tuberous rootstock.
Ginseng seeds sprout in April or early May, approximately 18 months after they drop from the plant–within bright red berries–during early autumn. Throughout its first summer of growth, the plant develops a small, skinny root and atop that consists of three leaflets. It stands only a few inches high and greatly resembles the wild strawberry. After the first fall frost, the top turns a rich ocher yellow and soon dies . . . but below ground level, the root survives the winter, freezing as the ground freezes.
The second-year plant is either a single palmate cluster of five leaflets, or two prongs with three to five leaflets radiating from each prong. In succeeding years, the top has two, three, and–in time–four prongs, with three to five leaflets on each fork. From the center of this whorl of prongs and leaflets, a small cluster of yellow green blossoms arises in May or dune, followed by a clump of kidney shaped crimson berries in early autumn. At the three-pronged stage, a plant will produce 15 to 40 berries annually, each of which usually contains two hard, flat seeds.
The root may triple in size during each of the first few growing seasons, but the growth rate soon tapers off until only about a 20 percent increase in root weight is achieved during each succeeding year after the fourth season. The raw root looks something like a small, off white, distorted carrot that has had a long and bitter life . . . and it tastes pretty nearly as unappetizing, as it looks. (A root occasionally branches in such a way that it imitates the form of a man. Such a specimen is said to be worth many thousands of dollars in China. In fact, the name “ginseng” is derived from the Chinese term for “man shaped” .)
When the top dies off each fall, it leaves a scar on the neck of the root. The next year’s bud forms on the opposite side of the neck, and this habit leaves the root neck bearing a series of alternating, ascending scars, which tell the age of the ginseng. Twenty-year-old plants are common in the wild, and `geriatrics” more than 90 years old have been documented.
Pick a Planting Site for your Ginseng Farm
Wild ‘sang, as old-timers call the plant, flourishes best beneath a stand of mature hardwoods on a gentle northeast-facing slope that has thick, moist leaf litter and little undergrowth. Such a place is naturally ideal for cultivating ginseng, but the botanical should thrive in almost any well-tended, well drained but moist-location that doesn’t receive too much direct afternoon sunlight. (Some growers even construct their own lattices–6 to 7 feet above the plants–to provide the necessary 75 to 80% shading.)
When prospecting for a suitable spot, I look for a few wildlings that are similar to ginseng, such as trilliums, jack-in-the-pulpits (Arisae matriphyllum), May apples (Podophyllum peltatum), rattlesnake ferns (Botrychium virginianum), or wild ginger (Asarum canadense). The type of soil isn’t critical to growing success, although a sandy loam with a pH level of 5.0 to 6.0 is preferable. During dry weather, however, you should check to see whether or not the soil under the leaves remains moist, without being overly damp . . . and water, if needed.
Prepare Your Ginseng Bed
Once you’ve located–or created–a promising area for cultivating your crop, you can go ahead and prepare the bed for it by first removing all undergrowth. (If there is a thick over story surrounding the plot, thin that somewhat to allow air to circulate over the bed.) Next, stake out an area 4-1/2 to 6 feet wide and as long as you like for the growing area, adding 1 foot along each side for an access trench/walkway. Keep in mind that running the bed down a gentle slope will encourage the shedding of surface water.
When you’re satisfied with the situation of your plot, break up the soil 6 to 8 inches deep, removing as many tree roots as possible. To facilitate drainage, mound the dirt taken from the bordering trenches along the centerline of the bed, but don’t otherwise raise its level. And, if your “ginseng garden” lies on a slope, join the border trenches at its top to form an inverted “V” (to divert rain runoff).
Start Small and Plan Ahead when Growing Ginseng
Now, it’s time to make another decision: How will you obtain the plants for the new bed? It’s possible to get started in the ginseng business by digging up and transplanting wild roots, and then collecting, stratifying (preserving the seeds by arranging them between layers of a moisture-retaining material), and later planting the wildlings. Unfortunately, though, there’s not much wild ‘sang left . . . so you’d have to spend a great deal of time searching it out to collect it.
A more practical approach is to buy an initial batch of seedling roots or seeds from a successful grower (see below in “Estimating Costs and Profits”, for a discussion of these two methods of stocking). Many regional farming publications carry classified ads for ginseng, and national magazines such as MOTHER EARTH NEWS, Progressive Farmer, and Fur-Fish-Game have several of these notices in each issue.
Before sending off your order, you’ll have to decide whether you want to stick a tentative toe into ginseng farming or to take the full plunge. If you’ve had no experience, it may be a good idea to order a few dozen seedlings or the smallest quantity of seeds available (or a combination of both) for your first venture into the business. Plant the ‘sang in your prepared bed, see how it performs throughout one summer, evaluate your prospects . . . and then proceed from there.
Even if you’re already familiar with the botanical’s cultivation and are eager to establish your homegrown income, it’s probably wise to start at less than full production. I’d advise you to aim initially at growing enough plants to produce all your own seeds. Specifically, I’d recommend that, for the first year, you plant a fortieth of an acre–about 750 square feet of actual bedding space–as a permanent, seed-producing plot. (This is about the smallest area that’s worth a businesslike effort to prepare and monitor conscientiously.) For this, you’ll need to order either 2,000 seedling roots or 4,000 seeds.
Then, during your second season, plant another 750 square feet to give yourself a total of 1,500 square feet of seed-producing beds (all you’re ever likely to need), which should yield about 15 pounds of seed yearly. You’ll find that this amount–roughly 120,000 seeds–is enough to sow 7,500 square feet of beds on a quarter of an acre.
By starting with permanent seedbeds like those I’ve described, you can begin on a small scale, with a minimal capital outlay. Then, by the time you start harvesting your own seeds in quantity, you’ll have several years of growing experience under your belt.
Storing Ginseng Seeds and Setting Out
As soon as you receive an order of seeds or rootlets, inspect them. If any are mushy or soft, return them for replacements. The stock should be planted promptly, but you can store the seeds or seedling roots temporarily in your refrigerator . . . or in another place where the temperature remains between 36° and 50°F. Do not freeze the stock, though. To store it safely, open the bags, add just a few drops of water, stir or shake the contents gently, and reseal the containers. Repeat this process every few days, since seeds are especially subject to mold or dehydration. Then-just before planting them soak the seeds or seedlings for 10 minutes in a solution of 1 part chlorine bleach to 9 parts water to reduce the possibility of fungal contamination.
Stock should be set out in either the fall or the early spring. Plant seeds about 1/2 inch deep and seedlings 1 to 2 inches deep. The spacing between the stock will significantly affect both root growth and seed production when the plants become older and larger. As a rule of thumb, rows should be set 6 inches apart . . . and it’s best to run them across not down-the length of the bed. However, you have two options (depending on how you want to handle your future crop) regarding the spacing of plants within the rows.
