Panax Newsletter

Michael Hunter

Editor
                                   12/09/99

Glacial Ginseng Co.

62 Carriage Lane
Kentwood MI  49548
Phone:  616- 281-7534
Farm:  517-787-6044

A Really Busy and Good Season for The Ginseng Business

We here at Glacial Ginseng Co. wish to thank our many new and old customers for your fine orders this fall.  So many things have been going on this fall.  First of all, my hat is off to Walgreen's Drug Store.  They have come out with a new label for their Ginseng capsules.  12% Ginsenosides in Bold print.  Way to go guys, of course it would have been nice if they would have also said American Ginseng or Panax Quinquefolium.

Market Report For the Season of 99!!
7 Year old Woodsgrown Ginseng roots went for $90.00 to$130.00 per pound.  Wild Ginseng roots at $425.00 per pound.
What we are starting to see here is acceptance of the woodsgrown ginseng roots by the export market.  The export market looks at the appearance of the Ginseng root first.   Small roots are much more desired, plant your ginseng seeds close, this will encourage small roots and intertwined roots.

Market List:  We are currently compiling a list of what we feel are the top markets for ginseng roots.  This list will be available to all of our ginseng seed customers, past and future.  It will also be a part of our "Glacial Gold" ginseng seed kits.  We are a seed company, perhaps in the future, we take care of our growers.  We need commercial ginseng seed growers and are always interested in purchasing woodsgrown ginseng seeds.  Ginseng Plants start producing commercial seed crops in the 4th year and start root marketability in 7 years.   The older the ginseng roots the more valuable.

Letters to the Editor

Hello, would you have your glacial gold seeds available for spring delivery?  A friend claims he buys his seed in the spring and gets great germination.  Also he loses very few to mice eating the seeds.  I would be looking for 5-10 lbs... if available.      thank you     Lloyd

Lloyd, Thank you for the email, I could not agree with your friend more.  The germination rate is dependant on a number of things, the first being the quality of the seeds and second how they have been handled.  I have made some interesting discoveries in ginseng seed stratification.  A great amount of our ginseng seeds are being strafied out of doors.  They are placed in stratifying pits in the fall of the year and taken out in fall of the next.  During the spring and summer the seeds are subject to extreme temperature changes.  This is what causes the seeds to start germination, and when they take them out in the fall, the seeds are doing what we call grinning.  The hulls have cracked and the embryo has started to develop.  The way to work around this is to stratify the seed inside in a controlled environment.   We have been having some really good luck handling seeds this way.  We have been experiencing less than 1% loss on seeds stratified this way, for up to 16 months.  Our studies have shown that as soon as these seeds were subject to temperature changes, they started to germinate, no matter what time of the year.  This could be of interest to growers in countries south of the equator, where the seasons are the opposite of ours.

 

Hello, I'm writing in hope that you can help me.  I am considering planting some ginseng in the woods, but I had gotten a plant last Fall that I transplanted, and it was a 3 pronger this Spring.  But in September, something ate the stem and seeds. I had chicken wire around it, so it wasn't deer, rabbits, squirrels, or woodchucks. It could be chipmunks, they can get through the chicken wire.

I just went out there and raked back all the leaves and debris, and I see little furrows like shrews would make. I've seen shrews around here that a cat killed. I'd like to plant some seed, but will the shrews just eat it all? The forest floor (N. side of hill) is full of their trails/furrows under the leaves.

Should I spread poison with the seed?  Will that poison the ginseng?  Should I try and lower the shrew population first with rat poison?  Do they only eat greens and not seeds?  Do you know what's the best environmentally sound solution?
Thanks in advance.
Best Regards,
Jon
Wisconsin

Jon, Thanks for the email.  In answer to your Questions:   1.  I do not like to use poison only as a last resort.  I have found that coyote urine is very effective pest control, the birds won't even light when you use it.  This will also work very well for your gardens and flowers.  2.   Ginseng plants go dormant in September and when they do they can do so very quickly and this might have been what happened to your plant.  3.  I would suggest that you work on the North east or east side of your woods these ginseng plants need the morning sun.

Spring Planting Time For Ginseng
Is From
Feb. 15th  to Apr. 15th 
Prime Time March 1st to the 15th

Ginseng Seeds can be planted at any time during this period, as long as the ground is not frozen!
Spring planting can bring maximum yields, when planted Early.  Ideal time is right after the first snow melt off.  Ginseng Seed germination is triggered by the rapid and extreme temperature changes of spring.
Glacial Ginseng always ships our Ginseng Seeds blended with sand, then wrapped in cheesecloth and put into a plastic storage container.  These "Glacial Gold" Ginseng seeds can be safely stored in the container they are shipped in for up to three months, if kept in a cool place, like your basement or the vegetable bin of your refrigerator.  All you have to do is check them periodically to make sure the sand has not begun to dry out.  If it has started to dry out, moisten slightly.
Starting At $49.95
Ginseng Seed Kits

"5 Pound "Glacial Gold"Ginseng Seed Special"
 
Ginseng Seed Kit  Reg. $299.95
"Xmas Special $270.00"
The Prefect Gift For The Ginsenger on Your X-mas List
"Secure Order Form"
"Immediate Shipment"


"Toll Free" At  1-888-496-8767

Sponsored by
Glacial Ginseng Co.
seed@ginseng-seed.com
10/20/99

62 Carriage Lane
Kentwood MI  49548
Phone:  616- 281-7534
Farm:  517-787-6044

Panax Newsletter Copyright 1999

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