TOPIC: Ridge Top Seng vs Mountain Seng

Can someone please explain to me this topic. I've found some decent roots in my day but not many big 2+ oz roots. My seng looks alot like TN hunter post up.

I dig in east TN but not in the foothills of the smokies or the bigger mountain chains such as Clinch Mountain or Waldens Ridge chain. Is this why I only find \"ridge top seng\"

Ps. I was told this by Tate Wallace, who is on the board, and whom I had a good experience selling to last year.

Big Rod wrote:

Can someone please explain to me this topic. I've found some decent roots in my day but not many big 2+ oz roots. My seng looks alot like TN hunter post up.

I dig in east TN but not in the foothills of the smokies or the bigger mountain chains such as Clinch Mountain or Waldens Ridge chain. Is this why I only find \"ridge top seng\"?

Ps. I was told this by Tate Wallace, who is on the board, and whom I had a good experience selling to last year.

Big Rod,

I think I know what you are referreing to when you state \"ridge top seng\". If I am correct, then you are referring mainly to Ginseng growing on lower ridges and hills and even in some hollows quite a ways away from the bigger mountains. If so, then there are probably quite a few reasons for you not finding the larger 2+ ounce roots. I will try to list a few but I am sure that there are many more: 1) The Ginseng is not as old as some of the big seng coming out of the mountains. 2) The soils on these lands generally lack the nutrients and minerals provided by the decay of leaves, plants and trees that the mountains see. 3) The soil on these lands are often more subject to wash out of the nutrients and minerals due to the lack of heavier forest, smaller trees, brush and ground cover (leaves) to hold these nutrients and minerals. 4) The lack of the latter in reason number 3, the soils may drain too quickly of rains and are not be able to retain sufficient amounts of moisture to promote better growth in the seng. 5) The lands may have been cleared somewhat from time to time over the years for sell of timber and/or use as pasture land which may have caused the Ginseng to have to go into dormancy quite a few times to survive (this causes the Ginseng to lose root weight every growing season that it has to remain dormant and if it survives the dormancy, the roots and even tops are usually smaller than what they once were and the tops may have degraded from 4 prongs to 3 prongs or even 2 prongs).

I hope that this explains part of the reasoning you are seeking! I also hope that you don't regret digging these types of roots and I am sure that you would not, if you knew all that it took for them to survive until the time you found and dug them! Be aware, that if you were to dig and transplant some of these roots into a deep Northerly facing hollow with a heavier canopy and great soil, where the plants would not be disturbed for many, many years, these same plants will likely grow roots to sizes of some of the mountain seng roots.


Frank

Thanks Frank,
This explains why and describes why. I have always wanted to get into the deep dark hollows of the big mountains. Alot of the mountains in the walden ridge mountain chain. which is the bigger mountains close to me, are all being clear cut to death.

I love to dig and don't regret digging my 'ridge top seng\", I tend to dig alot of bulby roots, which I hear is greatly sought after. With having side that it takes alot of miles and roots to get a pound. I would be safe to say that it takes roughly 200-250 roots to equal a pound. If I had a place to transplant some and not stress over pochers I would. I often thought about buying seed and trying a few different experiments to try and grow some.

Again, Thanks for the reply

Are there any mountains you can dig without permission besides like the national forest permits ones. I'd like to be able to dig some big roots myself I'm stuck in middle tn walking miles and miles to find a few decent roots takes ya all season to get around a pound lots of work for a pound of seng spent all day sat and sun digging dug maybe 50 plants

TN.Ginsenger wrote:

Are there any mountains you can dig without permission besides like the national forest permits ones. I'd like to be able to dig some big roots myself I'm stuck in middle tn walking miles and miles to find a few decent roots takes ya all season to get around a pound lots of work for a pound of seng spent all day sat and sun digging dug maybe 50 plants

There are a lot of mountains in what we call the Smokies and the Appalachian Mountains that are not part of the National Park or National Forests and are privately owned. However, these are getting harder and harder to get permission from the land owners to look for Ginseng, other herbs and mushrooms. This is due to several reasons but the biggest is due to folks moving to the area, buying up land and posting it as they do not want anyone on their' land and especially do not want anyone to hunt animals such as Deer and Bear. Another related issue is due to trespassers and poachers trespassing on private lands which caused some of the newer land owners and now even the longtime land owners to post ther' lands. A third reason is due to the information of the prices that Ginseng can fetch nowadays, due to some new Reality Shows about Ginseng, Ginseng hunting...digging and selling but also about Ginseng Poachers. These Reality Shows which throw a spin into the filming such as Dealers paying Diggers $1,000 a pound or more for green Ginseng, doesn't help our situation either! I grew up in a time here when folks did not mind you walking, hiking and hunting on their' lands. Now, I sit at home and if I am not surfing the net and typing on my' computer keyboard, I am literally sitting on my' hands, digging holes in my' butt and there ain't no Ginseng there LOL!!

Since you live in Middle Tennessee, I would recommend traveling to and getting permission from land owners Northward to the Land of the Lakes region and Eastward into the mountains of the Western Plateau areas. River bluffs are very good places to find Ginseng and to find some really big Ginseng. Just remember to look on bluffs that face mainly Northward but since the rivers provide plenty of moisture to plants along them due to evaporation and fog, don't discount bluffs that face more Westerly and more Easterly and if the conditions are just right (canopy and other shade cover), even those that face somewhat Southerly. Also, keep this in mind if and when you search bluffs along lakes.


Frank

The amount of roots you describe is a similar amount described in Dr Scott Persons book, to make a pound. So, what you are finding sounds like something similar to that.

I try to find land that belongs to mineral companies or timber companies a lot of them dont mind people hunting on their land as long as you stay out of active work areas of ourse you still need to ask for permission. theres a lot of this kind of land in clayborn co and cambell co

I don't think age has a lot to do with it... or not nearly as much as location (soil, nutrients, light, moisture) etc..

I find 40-50-60 year old roots here in middle TN that are 1/4 oz or less in size. Age definitely did not get them size.

The area around my home place has a lot of seng, but it does not matter how old it gets, it is still smallish seng. 8-10 inch tall 3 prongs, with 1/8 to 1/4 oz roots are very common.

If you are not in a Mountain area (Like me) I think your best bet to find larger than average roots is to hunt river or creek bluff areas. It is hard hunting and can be a bit dangerous, but I find some of the best seng in places like that. 6-7-8 year old roots that were 1.5 oz, big stout 4 prongs.

On bluffs that face somewhat due east (where the seng is getting lots of morning sun but no evening sun).. I have found the best ever.

I think that is about as good as it gets for someone that is not in a mountain area.

TNhunter

Check out this article from Wheeling in 1886:

www.ohiocountylibrary.org/wheeling-histo...n-wheeling-1886/2730

Of course, there are always exceptions.