For information on Identifying Ginseng, please Click Here

American Ginseng (Panax Quinquefolius) is a fleshy root perennial. Stems and leaves die in winter but regrow in the spring. It is a shade requiring plant, native to north-facing slopes in hardwood forests and best adapted to cool, temperate climates. It grows naturally in the western mountains and foothills of North Carolina. This plant has a short, legal harvest season between September 1 and the first frost.

Organic Wild vs. Chemically Cultivated

The vast majority of ginseng in the world has been sprayed with chemicals, especially fungicides. Some ginseng plants are also sprayed with pesticides and herbicides. There is a sacred relationship between the earth, air, and water allowing ginseng to grow. To grow “wild” the plants are traditionally found in hardwood forests under a canopy of tall dense deciduous trees. Usually the slope is facing North, rich in humus soil, and surrounded by companion plants.

Since ginseng is a root, it absorbs the natural minerals from the soil. Research has indicated that it may not be possible to regrow a root in the same exact spot for many years, since it depletes the soil. New research into natural herbal fungicides is being conducted at Eagle Feather Farm.

The ginseng that is cultivated can be farmed in raised beds, like in Wisconsin, or in “woodsgrown” beds, like in the mountain and foothill forests of the East Coast of America. What occurs when large numbers of ginseng plants are grown in close proximity is that a fungus appears, every time.

As the fungus moves in the beds it creates a circle and in a short period of time destroys the entire bed. A typical bed can have thousands of plants and be worth tens of thousands of dollars.

As far as we know the only way to eliminate the fungus is to spray the plants. The fungicide, pesticide or herbicide is then absorbed into the root. It is not known if the chemicals are toxic.

The two types of ginseng are different in the following ways: the wild organic root is knarled, ringed with wrinkles, small, light weight and has a bitter woodsy taste. The cultivated root is larger, heavier, smoother, tastes sweeter and smells different. The 1994 price on the world market for dried roots were ninety (90) percent more for the wild organic roots.

Studies in 1986 show that 94% of the organic wild American Ginseng is purchased by the Chinese in the Pacific Rim. The Orient, mostly from Hong Kong, sells the most chemicalized ginseng back to us for American consumption. This not to say that fungicided ginseng does not have ginsenicides, it does. However it would also include chemicals with possible toxin build up in the body which most people would not want to ingest. Unfortunately, the ginseng industry does not tell you the negative effects of its products.

Growing Ginseng

• Please see our page on growing ginseng and goldenseal.
• Soil mixture requirements

Harvesting Ginseng

• “Dig” only AFTER the plant’s red berries (seeds) have dropped or were harvested, in the legal season.
• Harvest in the Native American tradition with prayers and rituals including “smudging” and tobacco offerings.
• Never strip a digging area or harvest the first plants.
• Leave smaller plants for the “seventh generation” by harvesting only roots that are over seven years old, with most plants being between ten and twenty-five years old.
• After harvesting, the “green” roots are carefully washed and air dried under controlled shade conditions. The process of drying takes over one month. Do not quickly dry the roots using a dehydrator, heat, or sun drying as this could affect the potency and will make the roots brittle. After the roots are dried, the individual roots are packaged or they are processed for tinctures, capsules or powder.

Download a Good Stewardship Harvest Brochure for Wild American Ginseng (click on your state). The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has produced a series of brochures to encourage good stewardship practices by those who harvest wild American ginseng roots.

For Ginseng Export Requirements, Click Here

The Ginseng Harvest In Madison County >> (newspaper article)

Intro music: Beautiful Medicine chant

Plants & Their Friends with Robert Eidus originally aired on WART 95.5 FM.

Visit www.wartfm.org to learn more.

Intro music: Beautiful Medicine chant

Plants & Their Friends with Robert Eidus originally aired on WART 95.5 FM.

Visit www.wartfm.org to learn more.

Plants & Their Friends with Robert Eidus originally aired on WART 95.5 FM.

Visit www.wartfm.org to learn more.

Raised seed beds beneath the forest canopy can give ginseng seeds an advantage. By constructing the beds to certain dimensions, screens of the same size can be placed over the planted seeds to protect them from turkeys, mice, voles and other forest dwellers who feed on the seeds.

Robert Eidus, owner of Eagle Feather Organic Farm, explains how he plants the seeds, covers them with leaf litter, fits the screen to the raised beds and then finishes by adding another layer of leaves. The screen must be removed in the spring before the seeds sprout. If the screen is left in place, the seedlings will most likely die. The leaves are removed in the spring and straw is put down which allows the ginseng seedlings an easier medium to grow through.

Provided courtesy of Forest Farming. Find them on YouTube at www.youtube.com/channel/UCA-ZP07pEpCzWuGGeI1veWQ

Reported in New Life Journal,
Healing & Whole Foods News & Information in the Appalachians
www.newlifejournal.com

This is a revolutionary concept: to farm in the woods, without chemicals and without tractors. It recognizes that the last great hidden resource is our north-facing slope in our hardwood mountains. The lumber industry would like us to think that the only use and income for landowners for these magical, deep hardwood coves is to cut the timber every third generation. This myth is with us today.

The other myth is that wildcrafting ginseng brings easy money and big rewards. All you have to do is ask a ‘sang hunter how long it took to get over 400 roots to make a pound in the year 2000, and you will find that the wild ginseng is disappearing fast. Wildcrafting also includes knowing how to dig the ginseng correctly, clean it right and dry it properly. Both current day logging practices and wildcrafting are not sustainable in the new millennium. Chemical cultivation of ginseng in mono-cultured plots, either under shade cloth or in the woods, is not sustainable either, in my opinion.

Cultivation to me means spraying the ginseng with fungicides. This is not a healthy method, as the ginseng root absorbs the chemical where it becomes a residue. According to Bob Beyfuss, NY State Ginseng Specialist, “Ginseng worldwide is the most heavily sprayed plant on the planet, next to cotton.” I would add to the statement, “We do not eat cotton.” The fact is that heavily sprayed cultivated ginseng nets $18 per pound, while wild, chemical-free ginseng in the year 2000-2001 is fetching $350 to $380 a pound.

Examining Your Property.

Let’s take a look at what prerequisites you need to grow ginseng. Consider first the habitat for American ginseng. If your property has the following attributes, you should seriously consider growing native medicinal herbs. This could lead you not only to saving endangered plants, but also to making a profit from your effort. Ginseng and its friends live best in moist, dark, hardwood coves. A northern or eastern exposure is best for growing because it reduces summer heat and maintains moisture. The ginseng seed, unlike other seeds, cannot dry out, or it will die. On the north-facing slope, there are two main ecosystems to note.

The first is the rhododendron, mountain laurel and hemlock community with their plant companions, pipsissewa, galax, and wintergreen. The rhododendron and mountain laurel have a toxic leaf which causes problems by eliminating many other plants, including ginseng. So you do not want to plant down the hill from this acid-loving community. Plant above these trees.

The other hardwood community to look for and plant in is the poplar, beech, maple, dogwood, oak community with many companion plants, like trillium, cohosh, jack-in-the-pulpit, solomon seal, goldenseal, and bloodroot, to name a few. Ginseng studies show a good growing habitat in a pH that is 5.5 to 6.0. Tests in New York have shown that calcium is beneficial for ginseng growth and that maple trees can give off calcium. While maple trees may be good for ginseng growth, they are not beneficial for goldenseal. The maple tree roots which are close to the surface compete for nutrients and space with goldenseal, but not ginseng which has a tap root.

Checking Soil Requirements.

Ginseng requires a well-drained soil, which means a steep to moderate slope. Too much standing water will generate diseases and cause the roots to rot. Creating terraces by taking downed lumber and putting it on the up-hill side will create a flatter area to plant but will not cause the water to stand. These terraces are desirable for keeping the soil from eroding. One of the most important elements for good ginseng growth is the soil. Soil testing is essential. I consider myself a convert of Dr. Elaine Ingham from Oregon State University, author of the “Soil Foods Web” concept. To simplify here, soil in the woods and soil in the sun garden are different. Woods-soil is made at my farm from 75% bark mulch that has been composted and 25% veggie compost (which can also be horse, chicken, turkey manure or worm castings). I would like to use hardwood mulch but pine bark mulched compost is all I can get. This will give you a dark, moist medium in which to plant the seeds or roots.

Planting.

Ginseng is planted from seeds and roots in the spring or fall of the year. September through October is the best time to plant, just before the leaves come down. Density of planting is very important. There needs to be space enough to ensure airflow, to reduce competition for moisture, nutrients and sunlight, and to help control the spread of disease. A minimum of 1 1/2 feet between plants is needed, and three to five feet is recommended, in a mixed bed with other companion plants and ferns. Broadcasting seeds usually have lower germination rates since the seeds tend to dry out. Some people rake, broadcast and cover. However, this usually is in a mono-cultured area and will require chemical spraying for the minimum seven to ten year growth period or thinning the bed in the spring.

For best planting success, consider planting in the third quarter of the moon in the signs of Cancer, Scorpio or Pisces, with Cancer being the strongest sign. The next best signs to use are Taurus or Capricorn. The University of West Virginia has studied ginseng seed planting depth, and they have concluded it is optimum at two centimeters, which is between 1/2 inch and 3/4 of an inch. Roots planted in the fall should have the bud just below the surface of the earth. Transplanting roots is best in the early spring. The summer is never a good time to move or harvest ginseng.

Mulching.

Mulching is a very important step which provides protection for the plants. Leaves normally provide enough mulch naturally where moisture will be retained for a longer period of time and the temperature of the soil will remain cool. In addition, since mulch is constantly decaying, it leaves a natural fertilizer in the soil. If you are planting in the spring or after the leaves fall in the autumn, mulching should be applied to the beds immediately after planting.

Pest Control.

The best way to control pests and disease is through growing healthy plants. Healthy plants need great soil. Much of the topsoil in the mountains is at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Plant diseases caused by fungi are one of the primary limitations to ginseng production. The fungi are borne by soil, air, and water. Today’s prevention is by spacing and proper drainage. New studies indicate that sprays made from either Horsetail in the spring or Goldenseal in the fall can help with fungal problems. In certain areas deer, wild turkey, livestock, ground squirrels, squirrels,voles, mice, and slugs can be a problem. However, all of these have management solutions.

Robert Eidus runs the North Carolina Ginseng and Goldenseal Company in Marshall, NC.
Contact him at 828-649-3536.

A recent report ranked Madison County number two in North Carolina, behind Jackson, for, pounds of wild ginseng harvested annually, according to Ross Young, extension agent for agriculture.

In 1997, America exported two million ponds of cultivated ginseng root and 110,000 pounds of wild root to Asian countries.

The beginning harvesting date of September 1 has been in effect for several years, Young said. However, a new regulation has placed an export restriction on any wild ginseng less than five years. old.

The age of a ginseng root can be determined by counting the bud scale scars at the top of the root. There is one bud scar for each year. By all means do not dig a plant that has not produced a seed pot, Young stated.

Ginseng is a medicinal Herb native to our mountains. The roots of this perennial plant has been dug for decades and sold to China and other south Asian countries where it’s used as a major component of herbal medicines.

The life cycle of ginseng plant begins as a seed. A germinated ginseng seed wil produce a small, three leafed plant the first year. The plant dies down over winter and resprouts the next spring with five leaves.

The following years the plant begins to “fork,” producing a “two-prong,” “three-prong,” and eventually a “four-prong” ginseng plant.

It is not until around the 5th year that the plant is mature enough to produce seeds. This is where The. new regulation comes in to play, explained the extension agent. Over the years there has been significant decline in wild ginseng populations, he said.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service believes that a contribution factor to the decline is harvesting of plants that have not had the opportunity to produce seed.

There are two ways this can happen, Young said. One is harvesting ginseng before Sept. 1 (the first legal day of harvest), and the other is harvesting plants that are less than five years, having never produced seed.