cultivated ginseng

[Foxy]

Looks like I may dig about 75 lbs(green) of cultivated ginseng later this summer. What would be the most profitable way for me to sell it. It was planted in the fall of 2008 and 95% of it is four prong now. I haven't never put any fertilizer or insect control on it. I bought some Fusilade for weeds last year but was unsure when to use it so I didn't. I've been pulling the weeds by hand. Any suggestions on selling? 

[Brad]

It depends a lot of what it looks like Foxy.

If it looks wild, you should be ok...but need to wait another year to be able to have it exported.

If it looks smooth and huge....typical cultivated, it is only worth about $22-27 /lb.  I think selling it green would be the way to go there.  If it is indeed organic (no chemicals added) point that out.  I would suggest taking advanced orders next month for fresh root...for delivery in September.  Probably the best bet would be Ebay if you do that.

This is under artificial shade correct?

[Foxy]

Yes, it's under a 30' X 60' shade tarp (75%). I have 4 rows that are 4' by 60' long under it. The seeds are starting to look pretty good. I wonder also if there would be much of a market for my seeds?

[Brad]

Maybe, you could post it here as green if you like.  Its a small amount and you are not really commercial, so I don't mind.  Depending on how much you have, and how much you want, I might buy it.

I would instead suggest you process and stratify it yourself.  You can still sell it as stratified, or plant it. 

Unfortunately, you will only get cultivated price for your ginseng grown that way.  I think you might do better in the fresh market. 

If your plants are healthy, you might want to just leave them go for awhile and let them continue to produce a yearly crop of seeds.  I also know that cultivated root which is older (6 years vs the normal 4 for instance, brings a premium price).

[Foxy]

What is the best way to stratify ginseng seeds. I put a gallon or so of unhulled seeds in my root cellar last fall in a wooden box mixed with sand. I haven't checked my experiment yet this year. And how can I tell if the seeds are still good.

[Brad]

That should work fine.  I would recommend depulping them first though.

When you are ready to plant them, take them out of the sand (this is easier if you have already run the sand through a collendar) and give them a quick bath in a 10% bleach solution.  Only leave them in the bleach a couple minutes.  Then throuroughly rinse all the bleach off.  Any seed that floats at that point is not going to develop enough to grow.  Discard the floaters.  The rest are good to go into the ground to come up the next spring.

[Foxy]

What's the best way to depulp my seeds?

[Brad]

I always used a potato masher and did them by hand.  After they are mashed well, put them into a deep container if they arn't already.  Then add water and let the pulp rise to the top.  Be careful that you don't throw out seeds attached to the pulp.  Seeds that are not attached to pulp and still float, should be thrown out. 

This process takes some time and effort.  But, when you are done, you should have very little pulp remaining on the seeds.  At that point, I would store them in a cool place and keep them moist (not in a fridge just yet) until you have all the seeds you are going to have.  Then I would bleach the whole lot and rinse them really well. 

Be sure to innoculate or sterilize your stand, and run it through a collender first.  This makes separating seed from sand easy after stratification.

[Foxy]

I lost all my seeds from last year (very disappointed). Maybe from not "dehulling" or most likely from not sterilizing sand.    I'm following your suggestions this year.
 
After depulping the seeds, bleaching, rinsing and putting in sterilized sand, where do you suggest I store them?

[Brad]

Traditional wisdom tells us to store them in a rodent proof container which water can freely flow through.  Something like a wooden box with slats (I used treated 2x12 for the sides and 5/4 decking boards for the top and bottoms) and 1/4 inch hardware cloth (a wire fence-like material with 1/4" mesh)  to keep our the mice and moles.  Line the bottom of the box with the hardware cloth and then again with aluminum window screen to keep the sand and seeds inside.  Then start with a couple inches of sand, and add the sand/seed mix and top off with more sand.  I then lay in another layer of hardware cloth and put the boards on the top.   

Most commonly, you will want to bury them in an area suitable for growing ginseng (moisture, drainage etc).  Then burry them.  Dig the hole and line it's bottom with sand deep enough so the box will be at least 6-10 inches under the surface when you fill in the dirt around the hole.

If you have access to a cooler, you can put the seed/sand mix in plastic totes and put them into the cooler at about 34 degrees until it gets cold outside, then just keep them from getting into the lower 20s.  In the spring, take them out of the cooler, and put them in a shady spot (inside a barn or other open air building).   

Above ground stratification doesn't encourage grinning like most folks like to see, but the seed normally comes out pretty good.  You also help avoid soil bourne diseases.  (speeking of which, you might want to treat the seed before you put it into the box with one of the fungicides labeled for use as a ginseng seed treatment. 

[Foxy]

Thanks for the info on stratifing seeds.

 I'm about ready to harvest my cultivated ginseng roots. What do you suggest is the best way to "treat" them after digging?


Thanks

[Brad]

I would wash them, then let them completely dry on the surface, and put them into a cooler (refrigerator) and keep them at about 34-38 degrees for up to a month.  Then take them out and dry them with steady heat and constant airflow at 85 -100 degrees until completely dry.  Some folks advance the temperature from 85 to 100 ..NEVER go above 100.  Some keep it steady at some point in between.

However, conditioning them is going to be the most important part of the process for you if you are going to dry them.  It darkens the skin slightly, changes the starches to sugars, and allows the moisture inside the roots to move toward the outside to allow a better drying process and also tends to create more desirable corky roots.  (that is less dense)

For a  smaller amount, you might be better off trying to find a buyer for them fresh before you dig them at all.  You might try ebay or some other method.  Just be sure to follow your state laws for exporting (certification is the most likely requirement).

[Foxy]

Brad,  Is it too late in the year to dig cultivated ginseng? And is OK to dig early in the spring before it breaks through the ground?

[Brad]

I'm certainly no expert on cultivated ginseng.  I would think it is not too late to dig it, but would believe digging in the spring would be a bad idea.

Have you had any luck finding a buyer yet?

[Foxy]

Haven't decided where to market it.