How to Plant and Raise Ginseng

Ginseng root has been used medicinally for thousands of years

Ginseng is a fleshy, rooted perennial herb native to the cool, shady hardwood forests of the United States. The root of the plant has been used for thousands of years for its curative properties. According to Purdue University, some European and Asian studies support the claim that ginseng root can lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, among other benefits; American researchers, however, are unconvinced. In any case, ginseng is an attractive plant that sprouts with little difficulty from seed. With the proper planting and gardening techniques, you can grow your own ginseng.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Woodland soil, removed from a lush hardwood forest
• Mulch composed of rotted leaves
• Sheet of polypropylene fabric (optional)

Instructions

1. Select a planting location in deep shade, with loamy, deep, well-drained, rich soil with a pH near 5.5. If you have large trees in your backyard that provide a thick canopy of shade, this is a good spot for your ginseng. A nearby woods is an even better location.

2. Till the soil to a depth of 8 inches, removing rocks and pebbles. Spade in some woodland soil in equal proportions with the garden soil.

3. Sow the ginseng seeds 1/8 to 1/2 inch deep, and 4 inches apart in the fall; ginseng will sprout in the spring. Mound the center of the seed bed to facilitate runoff. Cover the area with a 1- to 2-inch layer of rotted leaves--the ideal mulch for ginseng. Never use straw or hay much; this contains too many other grass and weed seeds that will grow and overwhelm your ginseng.

4. Provide artificial shade with a sheet of polypropylene fabric if the site is not deeply shaded. Suspend the covering 7 feet over the soil in order to promote good air circulation.

5. Keep seedlings mulched and watered when they emerge in the following spring. Monitor them for signs of root rot, making sure that the 2-inch seedlings with their single compound leaf are green and vigorous. Signs of root rot include yellowing and wilting; the solution is to cut back on watering. The leaf will drop in the fall, and a stem with new leaves will emerge from a regeneration bud the following spring.

6. Check your ginseng plants regularly for slugs; handpick and destroy them.

7. Harvest the roots in the fall when the mature plants are three years old and 12 to 24 inches tall, with three or more leaves. Usable roots are 3 to 8 inches long. Wash the roots thoroughly to remove soil, but be careful to keep the forks intact.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't use oak leaves in your mulch--they are too large and fibrous for the new ginseng plants to make their way through.

References

• Purdue University Horticultural Department: Ginseng
• WIldgrown: Ginseng
• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation: Ginseng Growing