Ginseng Planting Technology and Cultivation Management

Ginseng is well-known for its unique medicinal value, especially high-quality ginseng, which is expensive in the market, sometimes reaching thousands or even tens of thousands of RMB per kilogram. Therefore, its planting efficiency is very high. So how to grow ginseng? Let’s take a look at ginseng planting technology and cultivation management.

1. Site selection and land preparation

Choose mountainous and semi-mountainous areas with cool climate, humid air and sufficient rainfall for cultivation. The best land is newly reclaimed mountain forest land with a thick humus layer, loose texture, good drainage and strong water infiltration. When preparing the land, the base layer must be flat and free of any rough edges. It is best to turn the soil in the spring of one year before planting ginseng, and use the land of the previous year for planting, which is conducive to full maturation of the soil and making the soil loose and fertile.

2. Seed treatment

Soak the seeds in clean water for 48 hours to allow them to fully absorb water. Take out and mix with twice the amount of wet sand (half fine sand and half humus, with a humidity of about 35%, it should be suitable to be able to form a ball with the hand and fall to the ground and scatter). Put them into pots and place them at a temperature of 18-20℃. Keep them moist at all times. After 2-3 months, when most of the seeds have cracked, they can be sown.

3. Sowing method

Before sowing, the land should be prepared into ridges with a height of 23-33 cm and a width of 126-133 cm, and the working paths between ridges should be 2-2.66 cm. The method is broadcasting, with 0.5 grams of seeds per square centimeter. After sowing, cover with 3-4 cm of soil and keep the soil moist at all times. In terms of time, spring sowing is done in early to mid-April; summer sowing is done in July-August when the fruits are ripe and sown immediately after harvesting; autumn sowing is done in November.

4. Transplanting points

When transplanting, choose strong seedlings with milky white roots, no diseases or insect pests, large buds and long roots. Before planting, you can shape it appropriately and remove excess fibrous roots. When transplanting, the plants are arranged in horizontal rows, generally with a row spacing of (15-30) × (6-12) cm, planted flat or obliquely, and covered with 5-9 cm of soil.

5. Cultivation management

(1) Loosening the soil and weeding: After all the ginseng seedlings have emerged, the soil should be loosened and weeded for the first time. The surface of the bed should be raked and loosened, and the weeds should be removed. The second soil loosening and weeding is carried out in June; thereafter, it is carried out every 20 days or so.

(2) Build a shed to provide shade: Ginseng prefers a cool and humid climate and is afraid of rain. It is afraid of high temperatures and direct sunlight, but needs oblique sunlight. Therefore, before the seedlings emerge, a shed about 1.2 meters high must be built to provide shade and rain protection.

(3) Fertilizer and water management: Ginseng prefers moist soil but cannot tolerate waterlogging. Generally, water the plant once every 3-5 days on sunny days and drain the accumulated water in time during the rainy season. Fertilization generally starts from the second year. You can choose fully decomposed green manure or fully decomposed bean cake, crush it and mix it with humus soil, and apply it in shallow trenches between the rows.

In general, ginseng cultivation is very profitable and a good way to get rich, but it requires high technical skills. Scientific planting and management are needed according to the growth habits of ginseng and local environmental conditions to improve the yield and quality of ginseng.