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Ginseng in Your Backyard

© Geoffrey Ian Miller

Introduction

Ginseng forms a major part in oriental medicine. Therapeutic properties include, relieving stress and tiredness, improving memory, increasing energy, illness prevention, strengthening the body, and preventing infection.

By growing your own ginseng you can produce a top product, if you do everything right. Much of the Ginseng on the market today is of doubtful medicinal quality. Cultivation requirements are the same for all varieties.

Basic Requirements

• Shade is necessary during the growing season.
• Cool temperate climates are best.
• Mulch plants with straw or leaves.
• Do not over-water.
• Ensure soil is well drained.
• Provide a slightly acid soil of pH4.5 to 6.5. Plants will die in alkaline soil.
• Ginseng dislikes transplanting during the growing season.
• Grow in containers for mobility.

Directions

Obtain some clean plant pots or polystyrene produce boxes. The pots need to be at least 25 cm wide and 20 cm deep or about the size of a standard two gallon bucket. Make sure polystyrene boxes are at least 20 cm deep. Punch extra drainage holes in the pots if necessary as good drainage is essential.

Ginseng prefers acid soil. Use an azalea or camelia type potting mix. Enrich it with organic material, but avoid manures with high nitrogen. Ginseng grows naturally in low nitrogen but high potash and phosphorus acidic soils. Make up a combination of well decomposed leaves and straw. Add bone meal or dolomite (not lime) to decrease acidity if required. Begin ginseng plants with rootlets. They are more expensive than seed but are two years advanced. Ginseng takes several years to mature. Seed is obtainable year-round and rootlets only during the winter. Plant three or four rootlets per pot and cover with 2 to 2.5 cm of soil (about an inch). Sow twelve seeds per pot at a depth twice the diameter of the seed. Avoid compacting soil. Apply rain or distilled water.

You might like to cover the pots or boxes with clear plastic over wire frames or use a glasshouse. Remove the plastic after the seedlings have grown to 10 cm (4 inches) and place containers in shade. Dappled shade is perfect or use 80% black shadecloth. Black gives better shade than lighter colors.

Avoid timing ginseng to sprout in fall or winter. When temperatures drop below 15°C (-10°F), the plants go into dormancy. Place the plants in a warmer position if needed, otherwise you will loose them.

Retain soil moisture but do not overwater. Only water the pots once every two weeks or so during a dry summer. Rain may not even make this necessary.

The copyright of the article Ginseng in Your Backyard in Organic Gardens is owned by Geoffrey Ian Miller. Permission to republish Ginseng in Your Backyard in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.