TOPIC: seven to nine years

Thinking about this, maybe the reason the plant goes dormant is that the old bud is damaged, and it takes a bit to grow new bud. Otherwise, what would dictate growing or not, unless growing conditions are bad.

I expect that many of the explanations given here could be right in some instances and explain the difference in top/root size and number of root neck scars (age).

In the case of my (Birthday Hunt) I don't think that was the case though. I think the difference was growing conditions.

Here is the pic of 4 old (20+ year old roots) to the right of that 20.00 bill and several other 6-8 year old roots (based on neck scars) that were much larger roots, looked more happy (lots of root hairs) and had big 4 & 3 prong tops.



The 4 roots to the right that had 20+ root neck scars were found on north facing hillside in deep woods shade, the soil was our average woods type soil (mostly clay with a decent layer of leaf mulch type top soil).

TNhunter

Here is a Pic of the best top found in that deep woods shade / north hillside, mostly clay soil type growing conditions on one of those 4 - 20+ year old roots:

It was a decent 3 prong with 6-8 berries, nothing too impressive.

TNhunter

Here is a pic of one of the tops of that bunch of 6-8 year old plants.

Nice 4, with many more berries.

Looks quite different than the one growing in the deep woods shade.

Here is a pic of the root of that big 4 and soil where I found that bunch of big plants/roots growing.

The spot where I found all of those big fat roots was on a east facing bluff, got a lot of direct morning sun and several hours of it, but then no direct evening sun. The soil there was WAY different too, just loaded with rock chips and I expect very high in calcium.

Just look at the root hairs on that root - it was very happy !



Also notice very short neck, just a few scars.

All of those big fat roots were found in that same spot on that bluff. Big heathly looking plants, big fat roots, very healthy looking and they all had only 6-8 root neck scars.

I think in this case growing conditions made most of the difference.

TNhunter

Borrowedtime

I think a damaged bud is one of the major reasons the root does not come up some years.

This is what I posted earlier.

Here's what Scott Persons Ginseng book has to say about blight or damage.

\"Blight: pg 115 \"Usually only the foliage dies stopping growth and eliminating the potential for seed production for seed production that season, but the ginseng root survives to sprout a new top the next spring. ....Only if Alternaria(or any other disease or damage)destroys a young plant early in the summer, before the bud has formed for next year's top, is there a risk of root loss. Older, larger roots will usually be able to draw upon their energy reserves to produce a new bud for the following season without the aid of any foiage.\"

I believe that if damage, disease or stress happens before the root can develope the new bud for the next season then it could go dormant until it can develope a new bud. Then again I think that ginseng has a mind of it's own and will go dormant when it darn well pleases.

Classicfur, that Scott Persons book seems to have good info in it. I will get it for winter reading.

TNhunter, do you think the Chinese will like those roots that are short and fat, if you get my drift?

I went out today and found three nice roots, about 30 alltogether, one has 6 different roots from one stem similar to my picture on the other thread, only smaller. Was about 30 yards from the 4 oz. one, you would think heredity but growing conditions mean alot. Also our deer herd is knocked down by wolves, bears, coyotes and over-hunting which means the ginseng is not devoured like usual.

I agree with that reasoning. When the root dies from what ever (usualy mice on our farm)and the long old neck is left, you get small roots with aged necks.
I have also found large plants, four prongers with just an old neck, no root fibres at all.

guy

I beleive roots that are large with a small number of neck scars are roots that were growing on the side of a parent plants neck. Then everything else died or was eaten up to that root and now the neck has less age scars than would be expected for a root of that size. The parent plant can nurish this root so it grows large and healthy faster. You see this all the time, the roots growing off the neck are bigger than the parent root. Just like potatoes.
It could also be the other way around, the neck broke of from a shift in the soil and a large root is left with no neck.
A root that grows fast does not have the characture of these roots you show, they would look like cultivated roots.

guy

TNhunter wrote:

Billygoat,

I first saw the Emperor's root mentioned on the Glacial Ginseng Co's website.

Here is a pic of one that they have and their web address, phone, email.

Best I remember (one one of the links off their main web page) they had some details about the emperor's root and said that they often sell in the 10,000.00 range.

Good Luck !

TNhunter

www.ginseng-seed.com/

1-800-430-2939
I remembered seeing this post and just wanted some opinions on whether this would qualify. The \"arms\" come off the root neck and cross each other, but does have the so called male appendage. It is also already dry

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