F&C, that latest photo was taken in the flower bed beside the house. I held over some seed from last fall, and waited until this spring to plant it. Actually, I held it too long and it sprouted in the fridge. Rather than take it to the woods, I scratched the mulch away in a shady spot that has trouble growing anything else, and scattered it there. It did far better than I thought it would.

After I posted last night, I decided a photo was in order, so I took that shot. My woods grown plants look just as good however.

You're right on with the photo showing the rows. I raked the leaves back to bare ground, scratched up the surface with a rake, dropped the seeds by hand, (trying for a coverage of 4 seeds per sq.ft.), and pulled the leaves back over top. That's all you do for a wild-simulated planting. I was very pleased with the germination rate, but remember....many of these plants will surely succumb before the 8-10 years needed for harvest are reached.

I'll send you a PM with info on where I got my seeds. I don't want to post a non-PondBoss approved link in the forum.

MRHELLO, Ginseng prefers low PH and high calcium.....very high calcium, on the order of 4000 lbs per acre. The more common nutrients usually associated with plant growth ( potassium, phosphorous, nitrogen) are not as important. Some growers are experimenting with adding gypsum to planting sites. Sugar Maples are favored trees for planting under, as their leaves retain calcium when dropped in the fall, enriching the soil. There's something extremely satisfying about tapping maples for their sap in late winter, knowing that under my feet the Ginseng is awaiting spring.

Most important: Ginseng prefers 80% shade....it will not flourish, and may perish, if it receives too much sun.

"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"

If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.