A Detailed Guide to Ginseng Cultivation Techniques and Management Methods

Ginseng is also known as yellow ginseng, earth spirit, divine herb, and king of a hundred herbs, and is one of the far-famed “Three Treasures of the Northeast”. Let us take a look below at ginseng cultivation techniques

Growing Environment

Ginseng mostly grows under climatic conditions with an average January temperature of -23-5°C and an average July temperature of 20-26°C. It has strong cold resistance and can withstand low temperatures of -40°C; the suitable growing temperature is 15-25°C. It generally grows in places with climatic conditions of an annual accumulated temperature of 2000-3000°C, a frost-free period of 125-150 days, snow cover of 20-44 cm, and annual precipitation of 500-1000 mm. Ginseng prefers a cool, cold and humid climate. It likes slanting and diffused light, and avoids strong light and high temperatures. The soil requirements are well-drained, loose, fertile brown forest soil or mountain podzolic brown forest soil with a deep humus layer; the soil pH value of 5.5-6.2 is suitable.

Propagation Methods

Sowing

Seed sowing is the main method used in production, and either raising seedlings for transplanting or direct sowing may be used. Under protected cultivation, sowing can be done throughout the year. In the Beijing area, using solar greenhouse cultivation, sowing can be carried out immediately after harvesting the seeds in early autumn, and seedlings emerge about 10 days after sowing. For open-field cultivation, spring planting is more suitable; in early spring, raise seedlings in a greenhouse during March-April, then transplant to the open field after frost, or sow directly in the open field from late April to May. The seeds of Talinum paniculatum are very small, so raising seedlings for transplanting is better; at the same time, the seedbed must be finely plowed and harrowed, the seedbed soil must be fine and crumbly, and the seedbed surface must be level.

Division

This method is relatively rarely used in production for propagation. The survival rate is higher when carried out in the milder spring season. Before division, mound soil around the branches on the mother plant to encourage rooting, then separate out individual plants; if they do not bear roots, they are not easy to survive.

Cuttage

Softwood cutting and open-field cutting are best carried out in spring, and in a greenhouse it is more suitable when the air temperature is 20-30°C. For cutting material, choose robust shoot tips about 6-8 cm long with 2 pairs of leaves, cut about 0.5 cm below the leaf node, and keep them moist for cutting. The seedbed soil should be plain sand or perlite, without added fertilizer. At a row spacing of 5-10 cm and a plant spacing of 5 cm, first make small holes with bamboo sticks and then insert the cuttings, with the insertion depth about 1/3 of the cutting, or insert obliquely to 2/3 of the depth. After cutting, water, cover appropriately for shade, keep warm and moist, but do not use too much water. Water cutting: the cutting length is most suitable at about 7 cm. After the cuttings are taken, place them in a cool place for 1-2 days to let the cut ends heal, then insert them in clear water at a immersion depth of 2-3 cm. At a temperature of about 28°C, in 2 days more than 10 white roots about 1 cm long grow, and then the rooted cuttings are transplanted into plain sandy soil; growth and propagation are faster than direct cutting in soil, and the survival rate is higher.

Cultivation Techniques

Habits

It prefers a cold and humid climate, and has strong cold resistance when exposed to direct strong light. Seeds can be stored after drying in the shade; the seed embryo has the characteristics of morphological after-ripening and physiological after-ripening; the former requires alternating temperatures of 20-10°C, and the latter requires a low temperature of 2-4°C, each taking 3-4 months. Seeds that have not completed after-ripening cannot germinate. It has strict soil requirements and is suitable for cultivation in sandy loam and humus loam rich in organic matter with good permeability; continuous cropping is avoided.

Sowing

Before sowing, first prepare the land and make beds, 23-33 cm high and 126-133 cm wide, with working paths between beds of 2-2.66 cm.

Broadcast sowing is used, 0.5 g per square centimeter; after sowing, cover with 3-4 cm of soil and keep the soil moist regularly; seedlings emerge around early May.

Spring sowing is done in early to mid-April.

Summer sowing is done in July-August when the fruit is ripe, sowing immediately after harvesting.

Autumn sowing is done in November.

Accelerating Germination

Mix 1 part seeds with 3 parts river sand, and spray the soil surface with a 600-800 times dilution of Xin Gaozhi Mo to increase the seedling emergence rate. Then put it into a germination box and place it indoors or in a suitable outdoor place to accelerate germination, taking care to check and turn it frequently and to control temperature and humidity well for sowing. In Fusong, Jilin, dry seeds (dried stored seeds collected the previous year) are often sown in late June.

Transplanting

Spring planting in mid to late April should be completed before the overwintering buds sprout.

Autumn planting in mid to late October should be completed before the soil freezes.

Climate and Spacing

Before seedling emergence, a shade shed should be built with a front eave height of 100-133 cm and a rear eave height of 66-100 cm. Lift as you go and plant as you go, generally at a row and plant spacing of (15-30) × (6-12) cm, planting flat or obliquely, and covering with 5-9 cm of soil. Shade sheds are divided into full-shade sheds, light-transmitting sheds, single-transmitting sheds, or double-transmitting large sheds and other types of shade sheds, which can be selected according to climate, soil quality and terrain conditions.

Field Management

Bed surface mulching: after seedling emergence, cover with chopped straw or semi-decomposed fallen leaves.

Loosening soil and weeding: generally carried out 3-5 times each year to prevent soil compaction, remove weeds and diseased plants, and earth up to support the seedlings.

Topdressing: apply organic fertilizer in furrows at the side of the roots.

Flower thinning and bud removal: for seed fields, thin out 1/3-1/2 of the flower buds in the middle of the inflorescence at the early flowering stage; for production fields, remove all buds before flowering.

Overwintering cold protection: before freezing, earth up the bed surface or cover with fallen leaves, 5-15 cm thick. Set up windbreaks on the four sides of the ginseng bed or at air vents to prevent cold damage.

Precautions

After land preparation and sowing, spray the soil surface with Xin Gaozhi Mo to isolate sources of disease and insects and increase the seedling emergence rate. After seedling emergence, loosen the soil and weed to remove weeds and diseased plants, earth up and topdress, thin flowers and remove buds, and spray the leaf surface with Yaocai Gendaling to make the roots and stems expand rapidly and greatly increase the medicinal content. Strengthen integrated control of diseases and insect pests and spray Xin Gaozhi Mo to enhance the control effect. During the growing period, spot disease, phytophthora blight and anthracnose cause damage, and Bordeaux mixture can be sprayed for control.

The rhizome of ginseng is relatively short under short-term artificial cultivation, upright or obliquely upward. For wild mountain ginseng that has grown for many years, according to Xiao Peigen's survey in the Northeast region, the main root with the first batch of leaves grows vertically, but after the third batch of leaves, most main roots grow in a horizontal direction, and the rhizome is correspondingly lengthened and also grows horizontally. This is mainly because root growth is affected by the thickness of the soil humus layer, so its growth direction also changes.