Ginseng, Ginseng, Ginseng.

Ginseng (Genus Panax, Family Araliaceae) is a slow-growing perennial herbaceous plant that grows to about a half metre tall.

The seed may take two or three years to germinate and the plant three to four years to produce seed. The root takes at least three to four years before it is ready to harvest.

Five to seven-year-old roots command higher prices.

Ginseng requires distinctly cold winters, to meet its dormancy requirement so the plant can shoot again after winter.
Ginseng requires very high levels of shade (70-80% shade)

A period of 100 days of temperatures less than 10 C is the best available estimate.

A number of sources suggest the best growing temperatures to be 18 C to 22 C.

Higher temperatures appear not to adversely affect the plant.

Ginseng appears tolerant of a range of soil types. A well-drained soil seems important and a pH of about 5.8 produces good results.

Ginseng is not a heavy user of nutrients.

There is growing evidence that ginseng has a high dependency on a symbiotic association with vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM).

Ginseng requires the soil to remain moist most of the time. A summer rainfall climate with annual precipitation of 600-900mm is adequate without the need for irrigation.


The plant growth hormone gibberellic acid, which is endogenous to ginseng, has been shown to have an effect on reducing the need for the cold phase of dormancy. This was achieved at a high concentration, 3,000mg/l. The use of this hormone on a commercial scale could reduce the production cycle for ginseng by at least one year.
Gibberellic acid can be recommended for commercial use by growers in areas where winter dormancy requirements are not met.

The chemical potassium nitrate was also found to reduce the dormancy requirement of the root.



Two species comprise most of the commercial trade:

Panax ginseng (Korean, Asian or Chinese ginseng) is native to Korea, China and eastern Russia.
Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng) is native to the eastern half of North America with distribution from Louisiana into Canada.

The best Prices are for Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng) grown in the Autralian Bush.




Australian Ginseng Growers Association. AGGA promotes the growing and marketing of ginseng as an agricultural crop in Australia
http://www.ginseng.org.au/