Harvesting your ginseng crop
Well, you have planted your ginseng seeds or rootlets, cultivated them as necessary, and watched them grow and flourish year after year until they are finally now ready to be harvested and sold. Congratulations on a job well done! This page will explain how to efficiently and safely dig up your ginseng roots and prepare them for drying.
The best time to harvest your mature ginseng roots are in the fall after the berries have ripened but before the plant tops have withered away for the season. Note: Be sure to harvest any ripe berries before digging up the roots!
If your ginseng patch is located on a hillside, it is best to start digging up the mature roots at the lowest point and move your way uphill until you reach the top. If your plants are in rows, follow each row from bottom to top, then move on to the next row. Working uphill will ensure that the soil you remove while digging up the roots won't bury the plants/roots below you.
I have found that a sturdy hunting knife is the best thing to use to dig up ginseng roots. The blade can be used to gently scrape away the dirt from around the root and cut away any stray roots from nearby plants or trees that happen to be growing over the 'seng roots. Simply start at the point where the plant top exits the ground and carefully remove the soil until the root is free of the ground. Take care not to cut or break the roots, and keep as many of the small hair-like branches attached as possible.
You can use a carpenter's apron to hold the roots that you remove from the ground, or you can simply use a bucket or basket. Either is fine, but I prefer the apron as it just seems more convenient.
When your apron, bucket or basket is full, immediately place the harvested roots in a cool, shady place to prevent them from drying out and/or sunburning.
Every year a few of your ginseng roots will lie dormant (they won't sprout new tops in the spring). This is perfectly normal behavior and not indicative of a problem with your crop. What this means though is that you won't be able to harvest all of your roots in one year. You can always harvest the inevitable handful of strays the following fall!