TOPIC: Rain and Ginseng seed

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Latt wrote:

Hillhopper,
What is your favorite method for planting 15 lbs of seed?
Thanks,
Latt

Latt, I use my \"modified rake\" and work the area up well. After I have about two inches good and loose I will drag furrows with my rake down the bed and then repeat to the desired width. Broadcast the seed and then flip the rake over and smooth out the hills. All seed either seem to fall in my furrows or are raked in when I cover. It comes up in spring in neat little rows looking like a planter has been used.


Hillhopper

Hey Guys,

I have had good luck on planting this year. I planted my first a day or two before we had rain in the forecast for 3 days and it did come a good rain - started the evening after I planted.

Then since then we have had several decent rains and I planed right after those rains and man the woods dirt worked up nicely for planting - even using nothing but a leaf rake.

In my last 2-3 plantings I found a method that I really like and wanted to share it with you.

One thing I like about it is you use nothing but a leaf rake, and you get those seeds put on top of some soft dirt and cover them with some soft dirt/leaf mulch, then leaves.

Here are a few pics showing how I did that.

First - the equipment/materials used.



I used my seng digger to clear small saplings from the beds, then after that only used the leaf rake. I have been using a combination of gypsum and bonemeal.

TNhunter

Here is what the bed looked like after working it up with nothing but the leaf rake.

I raked just the loose leaves to the down hill side, then raked the bed again in the opposite direction pressing down hard and getting that layer of leaf compost and some of the top soil raked up to the uphill side.

You can see that in the pic if you look close. A nice pile of leaf compost and top soil up on the top edge of the bed.

I did not do anything else to the soil, just double raked it with the leaf rake. Loose leaves to one side, leaf compost and some top soil to the other.

Here is a pic - close up of what the soil surface looked like - at this point I had broad cast the seed - trying for that 4-5 per sq foot that Scott recommends.

After dropping the seed I then dusted the entire bed with gypsum and bonemeal.

Now here is the part I wanted you to see.

I then take the leaf rake and grab and toss that pile of leaf compost and top soil back across the bed - covering the seeds with anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 inch of that nice loose compost/top soil.

This picture shows what it looked like when I had part of that done.

Now here is a pic that showed what the bed looked like when I had finished tossing all of that leaf compost/top soil back over the bed.

Maybe we all will have a good turn out with our seed this coming season. It's alot of work and a decent little investment for us not too

Then the final steps include raking the leaves back on, and once I have that done I then walk up and down the bed several times trying to step on every spot a time or two.

Again with this method I get the seeds on top of soft soil, covered with some soft soil, then leaves, then walk it all down to make sure they have good contact with the soil and the leaves remain in place.

I expect real good success with this method - to me it just puts those seeds in the ideal place/condition for staying moist and continuing to grow and sprout up next spring. And all of that is accomoplished with nothing but a leaf rake.

Time will tell - hope to be showing pics of lots of little 3 leafers next spring.

Below is what it looked like after raking the leaves back on and walking the bed down good.

Best of Luck to all !

TNhunter

TNHunter,
Nice Pics! I love this technique and this is how I plant as well. I bet you get great results! This time of year I go around and collect MULCHED leaves from my neighbors. You have to see the look on their faces when I am taking the bags of mulched leaves that they are trying to get rid of. And I only take the ones that have mulched them. I had put about 20 - thirty gallon bags of mulched leaves on my seed bed and it really holds the moisture in. I am convinced this is the way to go. This weekend may be the last of the leaves up here. So I am going to stock up and when I plant my next 10 lbs here in the next month I am going to do what you did and put them down over the seeds before I rake the whole leaves back over top of the bed.
I really think the little pieces of mulched leaves layered about 2 to 3 inches thick will really keep the soil perfect and avoid letting air circulate through the fluffed up leaves which dries the ginseng seeds out. I spent about 3 hours researching Leaf mulch and leaf Compost the other night. Whole leaves can take a year to 2 years or longer to decompose. Mulched leaves will decompose turning in to a nice compost in less than a year if conditions are normal. Oak leaves are great too and are exceptional for providing minerals and can be used ONLY when mulched. What a deal, free mulch and compost all in one and it is a natural mulch and compost for ginseng.
Thanks,
Latt