Ginseng Forum
Ginseng => Market => : Brad April 27, 2012, 01:48:20 AM
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Hey all,
This year I have seen more than my share of what some call 'green' root. It puts you in mind of a potatoe which has come uncovered and starts to turn green in the sunlight. I don't think that is what causes this, but I have some suspisions and would like to hear from all of you on your thoughts.
(http://www.emeraldcastlefarms.com/pictures/inside.jpg)
This first picture is taken inside ...and the next outside in sunlight
(http://www.emeraldcastlefarms.com/pictures/outside.jpg)
Now, the two roots in the center on the bottom are good roots. We were paying almost $600/pound for roots like that (these are laying on a sheet of paper if you want to compare size) The good roots have bulk, are at least ten years old, have good character and color, and horizontal rings. Also, they are not too clean, not damaged, and they are very corkey or light in weight.
The green root, however, has no rings but rather has wrinkles. Its color is obviously off, and they are very boney or dense and heavy. These were only worth $180/pound. However, I might have been able to get a premium for roots of this size had they had the same grade as the two good ones in bottom center.
So, what causes this?
I think there are two possibilities and maybe both share some responsibility. I've only ever seen this type root (off color, big and very boney) coming from woodsgrown beds.
I have to wonder if part of the problem is some amendment the grower put on his beds. Maybe too much calcium or some type of fertilizer. Calcium should be able to run about 2000-4000 lbs per acre without a problem, as it does so naturally. But, is commercially available calcium different? What about adding some type of fertilizer? Might that change the chemical composition and character of the roots to a very dark color and very heavy dense boney state?
The second thought is that these are just dried improperly. I think this is more to blame than soil amendments. If you have root like this, do NOT try to fast dry it. Dig is carefully, and if you cannot sell it green (which you shouldn't have a problem doing) cleaning carefully and put it in the refridgerator in a paper grocery bag or a cardboard box for at least a month. Keep an eye on it to be sure it doesn't start to mold. After a month, take the roots out and allow them to dry. According to the commercial growers, ginseng loses about 1/4 of its weight if it is chilled for at least a month. The starches change to sugars and the root goes dormant. This may be one of the most important things you can do for your roots...even if they are not huge woodsgrown...but just average run wild roots.
Refridgerating the roots tend to make them much less dense and more corkey, which is much more desirable in the market.
Now, I personally have to wonder if the combination of amendments to the growing environment and the poor drying practices is what causes roots to come out looking like this.
Lets see what we can do this year, and please let us all know what you find.
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Brad, I have stumbled across the occasional wild root where the soil has eroded away from the top of the main root and when I've found them they have been discolored. I don't think that this is necessarilly what has caused the roots in the photo to be discolored, but think that it is possible that they have been layed in direct sunlight to dry. I'm not saying that this is certainly the case but that's my thought. The other characteristics are obviously from being grown in loose (probably tilled) soil that quite possibly had something added to it. The other 2 roots in the pic might possibly be woodsgrown as well, but are definately older and show good wild characteristics and were handled well. If they are woodsgrown the grower is definately doing it the right way to get top prices.
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I hadn't considered sun drying. That could well be an option too. This brings us back to the drying issue.
The thing is, I till beds when I plant most of my ginseng. Remember, my primary operation is growing transplant rootlets for sale, not mature market roots. I seldom add anything to the beds, but occasionally do sprinkle on some calcium. I do spray the first few years. However, my roots from two years on look just as wild as any I've seen. Additionally, I have found wild plants (with good character) growng in stuff so loose I didn't really have to even use a digging tool. So, I have to think it is something other than the loose soil they might be growing in.
I'm really hoping someone who has experienced this in their own woodsgrown roots will chime in and tell us what they did while growing which might might help identify the cause of this phenomenon.
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Looks like what dealers have told me - all in how it was dried. Looks "burnt up" for lack of better way to say it. When you break it open, what does it look like?
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I didn't buy this lot so I don't know for sure what it looked like. If I recall one of the batches pior that looked like this was not too bad looking inside, just very boney.
But, you are right in that its fairly well known that a good dry job can make not so good ginseng look good, and a bad dry job can take excellent ginseng and make it unmarketable.