Ginseng: Green Gold

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Stock should be set out in either the fall or the early spring. Plant seeds about I/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.

If you intend to dig up your roots and sell them at the end of only four or five years, either set the seedlings 3 inches apart within the rows, or plant seeds 1-1/2 inches apart . . . thinning and transplanting as needed to achieve 3-inch spacing at the end of two years.

On the other hand, if you want to grow the glossy perennials for a longer period, harvesting several additional batches of seeds before you dig the roots, then either set the seedling roots 9 inches apart or place seeds 41I2 inches apart . . . thinning them to a 9inch spacing after two years.

When I plant, I start at the top of a bed, dig a shallow trench to the desired depth across the width of the bed, and set out my seedling roots or seeds. Then I dig another trench 6 inches down from-and parallel to the first one, moving the dirt from the second trench over to cover the first. I repeat this procedure all the way down the bed, using a 6-inch-wide board as a movable guide. A seedling can be set in at any angle-or even flat-as long as the bud neither faces down nor is exposed on the surface. Be sure not to crimp the root.

Once you get to the point at which you're planting tens of thousands of seeds, the process outlined above will become too time consuming and back straining to be practical. Instead, after the soil is broken up, the seeds can be cast by hand as closely as possible to the desired spacing (sowing about 16 kernels per square foot) and covered with a thin layer of dirt as the bordering trench/walkways are being dug. Finally, you should take extra care to mulch the area thoroughly and evenly.

FERTILIZER AND MULCH

Decaying leaf litter is, of course, the natural organic fertilizer of wild ginseng. Heavy doses of soil supplements-either barnyard or chemical-though, seem to force growth, thereby increasing ginseng's susceptibility to disease. So, unless you're certain that your soil requires a nutrient boost, such additives should be avoided, or at least used sparingly.

Mulch, on the other hand, is essential to helping the woodland crop retain moisture during hot, dry weather. With adequate shade and good mulching, your plants shouldn't require watering (assuming, of course, that you're raising them in an area with the appropriate amount of annual rainfall). This blanketing will also aid in weed control and reduction of erosion. In western North Carolina, where I live, about 2 inches of leaf litter or 1 inch of sawdust can be kept on the beds year round. Farther north, up to 4 inches of mulch is needed over the winter, both to minimize frost heaves and to keep the roots from undergoing repeated-and potentially fatal freezing/thawing cycles. Such a thick layer must be partially removed in the spring to allow the young plants to emerge.

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