Well, that has always worked in the past. But remember, the world is getting smaller and we are learning more about things all the time. Therefore, best practices can be compared from different parts of the world and the buyers can buy not only locally but nationally and even internationally. So what worked fine before might suddenly not be so desireable now.
For instance, traditional wisdom told us that ginseng seed had to stay moist or it would die. Experimentation has shown us that this isn't completely true. Ginseng seed can become very dry and still survive if the inside of the seed doesn't completely dry out. This means that very dry seed will float, but might not necessarily be bad. Also, we all know that ginseng must go through a cool/cold dormant period after harvest in the fall and planting the next fall, and then another cold period before it will emerge. This is why stratified seed is already a year old when we plant it. But, did you know that recent experimentation by a friend shows that ginseng seed can be held an additional year with no loss in viability? That's right. They took a box of seed from their cooler in the spring like normal. But, instead of letting it warm up in a barn like they normally do for seed to use that fall, they placed it into a different cooler that runs all year long. In other words, they kept it cold. When they brought the seed out a year later (two years after harvest) it was very dry -they add NO water during stratification, but it was still over 85% viable.
So, what I'm saying, is that the way we always did things before worked for us. But, as technology gives us other options in some areas, experimentation has given us better ways to handle some things. The curing of the freshly dug roots is one of those things. Post harvest curing of commercially dug roots at about 34 degrees for up to 30 days changes many of the starches in the roots to sugars, increases the surface wrinkling, and often darkens the skin of the root. All these are things that make the root more valuable on the current market. After forty days of curing, roots can lose up to 27% of their orginal weight according to Ontario publication 610.
The next time you get a chance to examine a batch of wild root, pick up different pieces and compare the relative heaviness of the roots themselves. Boney roots are very dense and will weigh comparatively more, when corky roots are much lighter and less dense. It would be like picking up a standard billiard ball in one hand, and an exact copy in the other hand made of balsa wood. You will immediately be able to tell the difference. Corkey root is desirable. Curing for a couple weeks at about 34 degrees will aid in producing corkey root which is more desirable in today's market.
Thank you for the questions FTB. It is giving me an opportunity to figure out how to explain some of this stuff to put in the new book!
...and yes, bulby roots ARE more desirable!
