Shady Oaks Ginseng Farm

Shady Oaks Ginseng Farm grows wild simulated ginseng and goldenseal roots. Most of their roots are being grown to be sold as dried roots after 7-9 years, but they also supply 1,2,and 3 year old roots for transplanting.

The ginseng business certainly has it's highs and lows as we have seen just this past year. With a drought hitting much of the east in 1999 the prices paid for wild ginseng hit the roof. In many places the price was about $500.00 per dried pound.This in turn helped bring up the price paid for good quality woods grown and wild simulated ginseng to record levels. Unfortunately for field grown ginseng it was a very rough year with prices falling below production costs in many areas. Now for fall 2000 we see wild ginseng prices in a more normal range of around $325.00 to $350.00 per dried pound and wild simulated selling near or at wild prices,with woods grown running about 50-60% of wild prices. If you are going to get into this business you will need to plan for the long term. If you are easily discouraged this probably is not the business for you, but if you are willing to put the work into it and can accept a certain amount of plant loss and problems then you can most likely end up making some money at it.

The export market for good quality woods grown roots is very strong and looks to stay that way for quite some time to come. Always remember,to do this right,you need to equip yourself with all the information possible. Get your soil tested, pick your locations carefully,get advice from those who have done it,and go into it with your eyes open. Hey this is not a get rich quick thing but over time you can make money. Just stick with it.

Growing ginseng
To grow wild simulated or woods grown ginseng you will need to take a walk though your woods. Ginseng likes about 75% shade and well drained soil but does like some moisture. Companion plants like goldenseal, cohosh, and solomonseal are good indicators. A northeast or east facing slope is best but other slopes can be used under the right circumstances. Beds four feet wide with paths 1 1/2 to 2 feet wide will provide good access to your beds. The length is up to you. On a good slope there is no need to mound your beds. Once a site has been found clear away the brush and rake back the leaves. Using a tiller or a garden rake chop up the top inch of soil and scatter your seeds throughout the bed. Gently rake the dirt back over the seeds and cover the bed with mulch. The best mulch is your leaf litter but you can also use combined straw as well.If your woods are mostly oak trees you will want to remove some of the fall leaves in the spring because of the heavy nature of the oak leaves. The small plants will have a difficult time pushing through the leaves. The spacing of the seeds should be several inches apart for wild simulated planting to help keep down the disease problems. As a rule rootlets are planted any where from 6-12 inches apart and about one inch deep for wild simulated ginseng.

Growing goldenseal
To grow goldenseal to find an area in your woods with about 75% shade and a reasonable amount of moisture. With companion plants like cohosh,solomonseal and ginseng growing around there should be no problem growing goldenseal. Although goldenseal likes conditions similar to ginseng it can tolerate more light and a little dryer conditions. Beds that are four feet wide with paths 1 1/2 to 2 feet apart should do fine. Unlike ginseng goldenseal seed is very fragil and does not keep well. Your best route is to obtain some rhizomes and plant them about 1 inch below the surface. Tilling the soil is recomended to make planting the rhizomes easier. After two years these roots can be dug up and split to increase the number of plants. Generally most roots are dug for drying and selling after four years.

Ginseng seeds
Ginseng seeds are the least expensive way for someone to start growing ginseng. Most all of the seeds for sale today will be stratified seeds, meaning they have been placed in storage for a year and will be ready to sprout the next spring. Ginseng seeds unlike most other seeds have an 18-20 month stratification period before they will grow. After about a year of storage the seeds will begin to crack as the seed starts to swell. The seeds will remain this way through winter and begin sprouting in the spring usually between April and June. The number of seed per pound will vary some depending on where you get your seed. Northern seed is sometimes a little bigger, but at any rate the amount should be between 6500-7500 seeds per pound. If you can get them it's probably a good idea to get your seeds from the same geografical area. Once you have gotten your seed you can store them in your refrigirator for some time but be sure they do not dry out as this will kill them.

Shady Oaks Farm is located in the hills of West Virginia. they grow high quality wild simulated ginseng and goldenseal roots. With roots grown in a wild simulated style you will end up with roots that have the look and quality of wild ginseng. Their roots are grown under a natural shade canopy in rich woods dirt to obtain a wild type of root. With current demand for a high quality root running very strong the future for woods grown roots looks extremely promising.

For more information contact:
Chris or Leslie Burdette
Rt. 1 Box 209 Poca, WV 25159
Phone: 1-888-304-5638
Email: ShadyOaksFarm@aol.com
http://www.shadyoaksginseng.net
Contact Hours: "We can generally be reached between the hours of 7 am-10 pm any day of the week. We will be glad to talk to you about our products or try and answer any questions you may have. If you would prefer you can email us. Most email is answered by the following day."

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