Ginseng: Green Gold

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When you've dug up your treasure, wash off the dirt. But don't scrub the gnarled roots too thoroughly, as the soil in the ridges highlights the wrinkled quality of the tubers. If you dig them in the late fall, after growth has ceased and the leaflets have turned yellow, you can immediately replant any undersized roots without risk of damaging them.

Dry your ginseng in a well-ventilated room at a temperature of at least 60°F, not exceeding 90°F for any prolonged period. Spread the roots only one layer thick on a screen or lattice-to promote air circulation and turn them once a day. Small roots take just a day to dry, but large ones may take as long as six weeks. Keep an eagle eye on your crop, as mold may strike during damp weather. If that happens, rush the ginseng into direct sunlight for a few hours.

You'll know your harvest is properly dry when the roots break with a snap when bent. The yield should then be stored in a dry, well ventilated, rodent proof container until you're ready to market it.

CASHING IN THE GREEN GOLD

In most communities near where wild 'sang grows, there's at least one shrewd old-timer who buys both wild and cultivated roots. My experience has been that local dealers offer prices that are the same as, or very close to, the prevailing rate throughout the country. However, they may not pay a premium for particularly fine specimens. Should you have a large quantity of quality roots-or if you don't live within ginseng's native territory you can sell your dried roots by mail to any of several export companies.  Before shipping your entire crop, reach an agreement on a price, using a sample as the basis.

Like any other commodity, the value of ginseng fluctuates according to supply and demand . . . but there's also considerable price variation relative to the quality of the roots. (Experienced buyers evaluate the age, size, shape, wrinkles, texture, interior and exterior color, evidence of damage or disease, and other factors before setting their prices.) So you'd be wise to obtain at least two quotes before making a large sale.

In the past few years, the price of cultivated, woods-grown ginseng has ranged between $40 and $65 per pound, and the more highly prized wild roots have sold for around $140 a pound! Most American ginseng is sold through the trading port of Hong Kong, intended for ultimate sale to people of Chinese extraction . . . who use the root for medicinal purposes. Indeed, while this article has focused on the cultivating of the woodland perennial, let me assure you that volumes have been written about the tangy root's health applications and significance in Oriental cultures. Trading wars have erupted and international pacts have been signed because of the rare botanical!

As the market now stands, the future for ginseng cultivators appears to be rosy. In 1981, the U.S. exported $40 million worth of ginseng . . . and, with the opening of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, the demand is expected to increase steadily. So it looks as if today is the time to take a speculative walk around your property. Who knows, maybe within five years you can have a booming and lucrative ginseng export business . . . operating from a few half-acre chunks of otherwise marginal wood land!

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