How to Plant Ginseng Seeds in Spring
Ginseng, or Panax quinquefolius ginseng, is a herbaceous perennial commonly grown for its valuable root. Growing ginseng from fresh seeds is a long process, as the seeds will take 18 months to germinate. During this time, the successful germination rate is low because the seeds may be lost to disease and animals. To speed up the process, commercially obtained stratified seeds should be used. Stratified seeds have gone through a long period of storage in a moist medium, and have been subjected to cold conditions. Stratified seeds will germinate in six months. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Select an area with moderately acidic, well-draining, loamy soil for planting ginseng. The planting site should be slightly sloped and receive 70 to 90 percent shade from surrounding trees.
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Rake the planting area to clear it of the leaves that have fallen from the shade trees. Continue to rake over the exposed soil until it is loosened to a depth of one inch.
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Sprinkle, or place by hand, the stratified ginseng seeds over the loose soil at a rate of five seeds per square foot. On average, two out of five seeds will successfully germinate and survive.
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Cover the seeds with three inches of leaf litter, using the leaves that had been raked off of the planting area. This layer of leaves will help hold the moisture in the ground.
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Check the planted area regularly over the next six months to make sure the layer of leaves has not been removed by the wind or passing animals. If it has, re-cover the area. Ginseng sprouts will be visible in about six months.
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Tips & Warnings
Although spring planting of stratified ginseng seeds is possible, it will not have as high of a successful germination rate as fall planting. Ginseng seeds benefit from exposure to freezing conditions, and ideally they should be planted in the fall when local trees begin losing their leaves.
The harvesting of ginseng roots is regulated by individual state laws (see Resources).
