Ginseng

[owejia]

Does Tn. have a season to dig ginseng or can you dig any time of the year?

[10-Ring]

There is a season and poaching is taken very seriously.

[bersaguy]

Poaching in some sections can get you shot by landowners that also dig Ginseng during the season........... :hiding:

[LagerHead]

If there's ever a question about whether you can do it legally, ask yourself this question: "Is there any reason the government should control this?" If the answer is no, then they are controlling it. ;)

[cj0e]

Tennessee has a pretty good printed leaflet explaining the rules surrounding ginseng harvests in the state, as well as some history on the plant.

 

If you're going to deal in ginseng (buying/selling) there are permits.

 

Check out THIS PDF. Warning, it's a PDF.

[Lumber_Jack]

Yep, used to be Aug 15, but moved to Sept 1 a few years ago. It goes through dec 31 but by the last of Oct it's almost all down and impossible to find. If you dig on Cherokee NF you need a permit. Edited September 22, 2015 by Lumber_Jack

[runco]

This has my wheels spinning, where does one buy seeds from?  I have 16 acres mostly wooded with heavy shade and humus rich soil. 

 

This site is out, but curious about local acquisition:

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-8196-american-ginseng.aspx

[Spots]

This has my wheels spinning, where does one buy seeds from? I have 16 acres mostly wooded with heavy shade and humus rich soil.

This site is out, but curious about local acquisition:
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-8196-american-ginseng.aspx

Domestic ginseng doesn't bring anywhere near as much money and it takes years to grow to any size. Asian culture doesn't like domestic ginseng due to its lack of potency, and they can normally tell if it was domestic or wild.

Sent from the backwoods

[Lumber_Jack]

Wild simulated is a good viable option.  If its wild seed, grown in a wild ecosystem the roots will grow and mature exactly the same.  When you go to treating it like a garden and putting miracle grow on it, it grows too quickly and looses the characteristics of wild american ginseng. You must have stratified wild seed, make sure its verified.   I dug some once around an old abandoned house that was obviously planted, (yes I had permission), and I could tell immediately that it was planted.  It lacked the tight growth rings was very light in color, and had many rootlets all over.  It still sold, because I threw it in with a bunch of wild and the buyer didn't cull it out.  Ginseng takes 5-30 years depending on ecosystem to grow to a size worth digging.  you also loose about 2/3 of the weight in drying.  So if you have 3lbs green you will only have 1lb dry (approx) it takes a lot to make a pound, the stuff is very light when dried.  

[tennesseetiger]

Dont go digging on somebody elses land in Eastern TN or Western NC...you might not make it back.

[Lumber_Jack]

I don't dig on anyone's property without permission, not for fear of the owners but because its illegal and wrong. And its people shoot trespassers (Illegally) all of the country, its not unique to East TN or West NC

 

 

http://www.journal-news.com/news/news/local/preble-county-man-faces-murder-charge/nPR3y/

[tennesseetiger]

I don't dig on anyone's property without permission, not for fear of the owners but because its illegal and wrong. And its people shoot trespassers (Illegally) all of the country, its not unique to East TN or West NC

 

 

http://www.journal-news.com/news/news/local/preble-county-man-faces-murder-charge/nPR3y/

I'm not saying its unique to East TN or West NC but I frequent those areas and have a camp in Fontana, NC and know what they do to people who dig where they shouldn't. Thats all I'm saying...people get shot for trespassing everywhere in the country. Thats a no brainer.

[Omega]

So what's so special about it?  Is it that expensive, that effective or just another plant that is full of hype?  I can't imagine that if I have such plants on my property I can't harvest them when I want.  It's like telling me I can't pick my jalapenos.

[Lumber_Jack]

So what's so special about it?  Is it that expensive, that effective or just another plant that is full of hype?  I can't imagine that if I have such plants on my property I can't harvest them when I want.  It's like telling me I can't pick my jalapenos.

 

Its used in about every energy product on the planet.  Its the Asians that drive the market.  They actually prefer the American Wild Ginseng over their Asian counterpart.  Diggers get paid, $500-$1000 per pound but by the time it gets to the exporters they are paying upwards of $30K per pound to get it to Asia.