ABSTRACT
Ginseng is a very slow-growing and exacting crop. It will be disappointing if not properly managed. Ginseng has become an increasingly important medicinal plant in the Western world since World War II. Ginseng grows most happily in the northern temperate zone between 36° and 38° north, where the degree of humidity is exactly suited to its prima donna temperament. Ginseng grows naturally on slopes of ravines and in well-drained sites where soil is formed from the acid leaf mold of hardwood forests. American ginseng must be provided with favorable conditions for growth. Ginseng seedlings are more expensive than seeds, but a crop grown from seedlings can be harvested 2 or 3 years sooner than a crop propagated from seeds. Ginseng may be grown directly in woodlots, or in lath sheds with partial shade—an environment similar to the plant's natural habitat.
