When to Harvest Ginseng? An Analysis of the Best Harvest Time

Ginseng is a precious Chinese medicinal herb. At present, very little of it is wild; most of it is cultivated. So, when to harvest ginseng?

1. When to harvest ginseng?

The harvest time for ginseng varies from place to place. In the ginseng-growing areas around Jilin Province, mid-September is the best time to harvest; in the ginseng-growing areas around Liaoning, early September is best. The climate differs within the same production area, so the harvest time also differs: in years with a warm climate, ginseng withers late, so the harvest time is later; in years with a relatively cold climate, ginseng withers early, so the harvest time is earlier.

2. How many years of cultivation does ginseng need before it can be harvested?

How many years of cultivation ginseng needs before it can be harvested depends mainly on the weight of the ginseng root and its saponin content, which increase with the number of years the ginseng grows within a certain range, but the longer the years, the smaller the increase.

In terms of the rate of root weight gain, the root of 2-year-old ginseng is more than 5 times that of 1-year-old ginseng, 3-year-old is 3-4 times that of 2-year-old, 4-year-old is 1-1.5 times that of 3-year-old, 5-year-old gains about 1 times the weight of 4-year-old, 6-year-old gains about 0.7 times the weight of 5-year-old, and after 7 years the rate of root weight gain decreases further year by year. In terms of saponin content, the root content of 1-2-year-old ginseng is very low, gradually increases at 3-4 years, accumulates fastest at 5-6 years, and gradually declines in accumulation rate after 7 years. Overall, ginseng is best harvested after 4-6 years of cultivation.

3. How is ginseng harvested?

First, after the ginseng harvest period is determined, dismantle the ginseng shed half a month in advance so as to let in sunlight and rain, promoting root weight gain and the accumulation of organic substances. Then, start digging from one end of the ginseng bed; when digging, do not damage the ginseng roots or bud scales, and do not break off the ginseng roots or fibrous roots. Finally, pick while digging: shake the soil off the dug-out roots, pack them into baskets head to head with the tails facing outward, and transport them to the processing plant.