Planting your ginseng seeds or rootlets

Now that you have selected a site for your ginseng patch and procured your seeds or rootlets, it's time to prepare for the planting process. The best time to plant ginseng seeds or rootlets is in the fall (September through November) or early spring (March and early April).

The process for preparing the soil and planting the seeds or rootlets will vary greatly depending on how you plan to grow your ginseng crop:

Wild Simulated Method

If you wish to use the "Wild Simulated" growing method (which is the method I recommend), there is very little site preparation required. All you really need to do is rake back the leaves over a spot just large enough to plant a single seed or rootlet, then dig a 1 inch hole. Place the seed or rootlet in the hole, cover it with soil, and then replace the leaves you removed earlier.

Most suppliers will instruct you to plant your seeds or rootlets in neat rows up and down the face of the hill, but I believe it's best to plant them in a random fashion so that they will grow in a pattern similar to their "wild" counterparts. Why? Because if you plant your ginseng in rows, anyone who might happen to stumble upon your ginseng patch will quickly recognize that something has been planted there, and after a little deductive reasoning they will realize that it is probably ginseng, even if they have never seen the plant before.

But if your ginseng plants are growing amongst the other natural foliage in a random pattern, all but those who are well-familiar with the look of the ginseng plant will pass right on through without ever even realizing that they happened to be walking through the midst of a plot of "green gold".

Remember, even people who don't know what 'seng looks like will often poach it once they realize what they have stumbled up on. After all, most everyone knows that ginseng roots command a princely sum of money when sold.

Woods-Grown Method

If you plan to produce your ginseng crop using the "Woods-Grown" method you will indeed want to plant your crop in rows in order to make the cultivation process easier and more efficient. Rake back the leaves in rows that traverse up and down the hill. Each row should be about 3 feet wide with about 18 inches separating them. This 18 inch gap will allow plenty of room for walking between the rows to pull weeds and apply fertilizers and pesticides.

After you have removed the leaves, use a garden hoe to dig up any and all native plants so that you can start your ginseng growing with as little competition as possible. Next, use the hoe to dig several 1 inch deep troughs along the length of the cleared rows. Leave about 12 inches of separation between each trough. After the troughs are dug, place your seeds or rootlets approximately 10 inches apart up and down each trough, covering them up with soil as you go along.

Finally, after all of your stock has been planted, either replace the leaves that you raked back earlier over the rows or cover the rows with hardwood mulch. In my opinion, leaves are better because they provide a more natural covering for the seeds or rootlets and for the new sprouts that will be coming up in the spring.

Field Cultivated Method

Planting a "Field Cultivated" ginseng crop is quite similar to that of the "Woods-Grown" method, except you will be tilling the ground extensively prior to planting and erecting some type of lattice device for shade.

The first thing you'll need to do is plow and disc the plot of ground just like you would do for any other crop. Next "lay off" your rows with a garden hoe in a fashion similar to the one described in the "Woods-Grown" method above, then plant your seeds or rootlets. Cover up the plants with soil and then cover the entire plot with some type of mulch (chopped up leaves are best, followed by hardwood mulch).

The last step is to erect your device for shading. One option is to erect a structure with narrow boards on top spaced approximately 2 inches apart. This will allow the right amount of sunlight to strike the plants, simulating the natural shade provided by the tree canopy of a wooded lot.

Another option is to cover the structure with one of the many types of shading materials that can be purchased in rolls from your local farm supply store. The material should be dark, yet not opaque as the ginseng plants do require some sunlight.

Finally, as an option, you can erect a tall, sturdy fence around your ginseng plot to discourage poachers. See the page entitled Protecting your ginseng crop for tips on erecting a fence and other info on site security.