4 Methods of growing ginseng
There are four popular methods of growing ginseng, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages:
Wild Ginseng - This is ginseng that occurs naturally in the woods without any human intervention whatsoever, and it is the most desired variety of all. Wild ginseng also takes the least amount of labor overall. You simply go 'seng hunting and dig up the mature roots as you find them (with the permission of the property owner and in accordance with state regulations of course). Wild ginseng can be harvested every year as long as you can find a plot of woods with a stand of mature plants. Wild ginseng commands top dollar when it is sold.
Wild-Simulated Ginseng - You can mimic the natural ginseng growing process by selectively planting seeds in random places in a wooded plot that provides adequate shade and meets the other requirements for growing the plant. If all you do is plant the seeds and forget about them until harvest time the dried roots will command the same price as actual wild ginseng. This is the preferred method of growing a ginseng crop for those who wish to harvest a relatively large, fairly predictable crop and sell the roots for the maximum price while putting out a minimal amount of labor and production costs. You can expect to harvest your crop in 6-8 years.
Woods-Grown Ginseng - This is ginseng that is sown rather thickly and cultivated extensively in a patch of woods. The natural shade of the forest canopy is ideal for growing the plants but the patches must be weeded and fertilized and pesticides must be applied in order to produce a healthy crop in a relatively short period of time. A crop can be harvested in 4-5 years, but the price will be quite a bit lower than that of wild or wild-simulated ginseng. Woods-grown ginseng is an acceptable alternative to wild-simulated if you're willing to put out a moderate amount of labor and capital and accept a lower selling price.
Field Cultivated Ginseng - If you don't own or otherwise have control over a plot of woods, your only option for growing ginseng is via the field cultivated method. As the name implies, the ginseng seeds or rootlets are planted in a field under some form of man-made shade. This method requires the expenditure of a significant amount of material and labor costs, and the prices you can expect from the harvested roots will be just a fraction of what you could get from wild or wild-simulated ginseng. The upside is the roots are larger and heavier resulting in more pounds of actual ginseng to sell. You can expect to harvest a field-cultivated ginseng crop in just 3-4 years.