anyone here grow ginseng?

I recently stumbled onto an article about growing Ginseng and I wondered if anyone here has any experience with this. We have several acres of hilly, wooded areas that seem to provide ideal conditions for this.

Thanks in advance!

Wish I could help, but I haven't had any experience with ginseng. What all do you use it for?

I looked into this once, but it ties up the investment for 7 to 10 years, and the return on farmed ginseng is about half of what you get for harvesting wild ginseng. My ground is hilly, and wooded, but will not support ginseng in any significant quantity, without shade cloths put over the beds. Put a light meter where you want it to grow, one that records light levels. You need 80% shade to grow a marketable crop. I was also told that if ginseng is not already growing there, it will not grow well at the desired location.

I hope this does not sound too negative, but many farms and homesteads have been lost due to trying to grow the wrong crop, or growing the right crop without the right financial plan. If you can afford to loose a few hundred to a thousand dollars, try it. Otherwise my advice is to read more about traditional crops.

Sonshine, I think they use ginseng as a supplement for memory. I used to take it and may start taking it again. I made up the recipe someone posted on here for the garlic, honey and apple cider vinegar and will start taking that on Friday. I used to take garlic, ginko biloba, ginsing and bee pollen every morning. Now that I think about it I'm going to start my herbal supplements again. I fet better.

This is a good over view of ginseng, full text is available here:
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/ginseng.html,
I have copied bits and pieces for easy viewing.

Ginseng was one of the earliest marketable herbs to be harvested in this country. Wild ginseng was one of Minnesota's first major exports. In 1860, more than 120 tons of dried ginseng roots were shipped from the state to China. American ginseng is similar to Asian ginseng, Panax ginseng, L., which grows wild in Northern Manchuria and has been harvested there for thousands of years.

Ginseng is prized in the Orient for its purported curative properties. Based on an ancient Chinese legend, early emperors proclaimed it a panacea to be ingested or used in lotions and soaps. The genus name, Panax, is derived from the Greek "panakeia," which means universal remedy. The term "ginseng" is derived from the Chinese term "jen-shen," which means "in the image of a man." Ginseng roots shaped like the human body are considered highly desirable. In particular, old roots (some may be nearly a century old) are prized because their longevity is claimed to be transferred to the person who consumes them.

Ginseng root is reputed to lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, protect against stress, enhance strength and promote relaxation. Koreans have fed ginseng to race horses to enhance their performance on the track. Although some European and Asian studies appear to support some of these claims, American researchers remain skeptical. Ginseng is not a drug and should not be taken as such. It is classified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a "generally recognized safe food" (GRAS).

In the Far East, ginseng root is used in toothpaste, soft drinks, tea, candy, chewing gum and cigarettes. It also appears on the market as crystals, extract, powder capsules and is sold as the whole root. In the United States, ginseng and ginseng products are marketed in Asian food and health food stores. Most of the ginseng used in the United States, however, is imported from Korea. The amount of Asian ginseng that is imported is about equal to the amount of higher-priced American ginseng that is exported.

Ginseng seed is also marketed. Ginseng plants generally begin to produce harvestable seed in the third year of growth. It takes approximately 200 plants to produce 1 lb of seed, which may produce 5,000 seedlings.

American ginseng plants are generally started from seeds. Seedlings or roots for transplanting are available commercially, but are used infrequently. Seeds are planted in the fall and germinate in the spring. Although researchers have examined ways to break this juvenility requirement and hasten germination, it is still not understood.

First-year seedlings produce one compound leaf with three leaflets. This leaf, 1 to 2 in. in height and spread, is the only above-ground growth in the first year. Underground, the plant develops a thickened root about 1 in. long and up to 1/4 in. wide. At the top of the root, a small rhizome or "neck" develops with a regeneration bud at the apex of the rhizome. In autumn, the leaf drops, and a stem supporting new leaves emerges from the regeneration bud the following spring.

The plant develops more leaves, with more leaflets, each year until the fourth or fifth year. A mature plant is 12 to 24 in. tall and has 3 or more leaves, each consisting of 5 ovate leaflets. Leaflets are approximately 5 in. long and oval-shaped with serrated edges. In midsummer, the plant produces inconspicuous greenish-yellow clustered flowers. The mature fruit is a pea-sized crimson berry, generally containing 2 wrinkled seeds.

After three years of growth, the roots begin to attain a marketable size (3 to 8 in. long by 1/4 to 1 in. thick) and weight (1 oz). In older plants, the root is usually forked. Wild or high-quality cultivated ginseng root has prominent circular ridges. Highest quality mature root breaks with a somewhat soft and waxy fracture. Young or undersized roots dry hard and glassy and are less marketable.

A. Climate:

Ginseng grows best under conditions that simulate its natural habitat. It requires 70% to 90% natural or artificial shade. Ginseng thrives in a climate with 40 to 50 in. of annual precipitation and an average temperature of 50°F. It requires several weeks of cold temperatures for adequate dormancy.

B. Soil:

Ginseng generally prefers a loamy, deep (12 in.), well-drained soil with a high organic content and a pH near 5.5. Extremely sandy soil tends to produce long, slender roots of inferior quality.