I recently had a tutoring session with a client I have been working with for quite a while now. My client and I, in working together for almost two years, have become good friends, despite not having the opportunity to meet in person as they are not local to me. During our last session, they were asking me a few questions about farming in general, and furthermore, specifics of my own family’s farming operation. I was telling them about the different types of crops we grow, and when I mentioned ginseng, their interest was piqued. They were asking me about ginseng, what it is used for and some of its benefits, and because ginseng knowledge isn’t necessarily widespread, I thought I would dedicate a post to this mighty root.
Yes, ginseng is a root, something a lot of folks don’t even realize. The root itself grows and thrives beneath the ground, whereas the plant that it grows from, above ground, is green and produces red ginseng berries. The berries themselves contain ginseng seed, so we harvest the berries and use their seed to plant the following year’s crop. The berries are picked by hand, pulped, or crushed, sorted (determined by placing the seed in water), dried, and stored until the following year.
Where ginseng is planted is usually referred to as a ginseng garden, and there are varying stages of harvest a farmer might choose from to dig the root up and out of the ground. Some farmers harvest the root after it has been in the ground for three years, others, four, and some, even five – the most common root here in Ontario is typically three-year-old, and yes, it quite literally stays in the ground for three years. It doesn’t freeze during our harsh Canadian winters because it is protected by the soil it grows within.
Ginseng requires sandy soil, not clay, as the root is prone to moisture rot meaning it requires ground with excellent drainage. The plant element of ginseng that is above ground is consistently and regularly sprayed with specific formulas as it is prone to environmental issues, and is protected by a tarp held up over top of the ginseng garden with posts as it can easily burn from the sun’s rays.
In Ontario, ginseng harvest takes place in October, where the root is dug out of the ground, sorted, washed, dried and packed to be sold.
Check back tomorrow for some of the beneficial properties ginseng offers.
Image credit: Ginseng Vectors by Vecteezy
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