Preserve an ancient healing plant and prevent overharvesting by learning how to grow ginseng for profit or personal use while planting seeds and roots to preserve this amazing plant.
Ginseng is one of the most useful plants you can grow or forage. It’s been widely used as natural medicine for centuries. Historically, Asian cultures used it to boost the immune system, improve energy, as a tonic, and for spiritual purposes. It’s a plant that’s been fought over, highly prized, and held as sacred.
We grow American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium L.), but there are also Asian varieties. Though all varieties of ginseng have traditionally been used as a natural medicine, each has a somewhat different composition and use. Not only can you grow or harvest ginseng for your own use, but you can also sell it to supplement your homestead income. This unique plant is decreasing in the wild in many areas because of overharvesting and loss of habitat, so a wise gatherer will be respectful of the plant and work to spread it rather than harming the native population.
Despite the decrease, ginseng grows wild in many places. Where I live, we can legally harvest small amounts for our own use. However, because we don’t have an overabundance, we encourage its wild growth by planting seeds and rootlets. Those of us familiar with ginseng will forever be looking for it when we’re in the woods. I don’t know what pull it has, but once you can identify that five-leafed plant with the bright-red berries, it’ll hold a special place in your heart.
If you’re only growing it for your own use, you can prepare something like raised beds in the forest. Ginseng loves shade, and where we are, it naturally grows under dense stands of pawpaws. In fact, that’s usually what we look for first when searching for wild ginseng. It can be somewhat hard to spot at first, and young hickory trees may be mistaken for it. Unlike young trees, the stem isn’t woody, and as the ginseng grows, it’ll add extra prongs.
To find ginseng in the wild, use a good field guide, go with a knowledgeable person, or study reputable online guides. After study, when you see it in the wild, you’ll know it! We once had the experience of looking up a hill and laughing that the plant we were seeing would be a huge ginseng plant if it was one. To our shock, that’s exactly what it was: an enormous 3-foot-tall ginseng! We haven’t before or after found anything like it.
You can purchase seeds and roots online for planting. (Ask questions to ensure they’re sustainably harvested.) These are great if you’re planning to build a forest garden to later sell from. Keep in mind that ginseng is a long-term income project, as it can take up to 10 years to show a profit. Plants generally take five years before they produce seed.
If you’re planting only for yourself or just want to encourage a wild population, you can find wild plants and harvest the berries (if it’s legal), or harvest some of the small roots and plant them elsewhere. Ginseng is highly regulated, and harvesting may be done only in certain ways and at specific times of the year. In most cases, only three- or four-prong plants may legally be harvested. The state where I live allows harvesting only in September through December. These regulations are in place to help preserve this amazing plant for future generations. Some states charge fees to harvest, and some even regulate cultivation, so check with your state regulations. In many cases, certification of roots is also required.
Plant ginseng seeds in fall through early winter (before the ground freezes), because they need a period of cold stratification to grow. If you’re buying seed, get stratified seed for a better germination rate. Choose sites that are shaded, well-drained, and – in my experience – north-facing.
Remove the leaf litter with a rake and scratch the ground, up to a depth of 1-1/2 inches. Sow your seeds at a maximum rate of 4 to 5 per square foot (germination is routinely low, so you’ll need to purposely overseed). Spread your dirt back over the seeds, and cover with a 2-to-4-inch layer of mulch. You’ll want approximately one mature plant per square foot. If you get more plants than you need in a space, just transplant them. Be patient! Ginseng seeds need two winters before they’ll germinate.
You can purchase rootlets from 1 to 4 years old. Purchase from a certified dealer with a good reputation that guarantees their roots are free from diseases, such as root rot or blight. Plant approximately 3 inches deep and 1 square foot apart in early spring. Ginseng roots must be planted whole, unlike some plants from which you can plant cuttings. Mulch after planting.
The benefits of planting roots are that you’ll be able to harvest years sooner, and a higher rate of plants will succeed. The downsides are that roots cost more, and they’re more labor-intensive to plant. For example, on one seller’s site, 1-year-old roots sell for $4, 2-year-old roots for $8, and 3-year-old roots for $15 per root! By contrast, 20 stratified ginseng seeds were selling for $10. An alternate option is to buy cold-stratified seed, plant in planters or raised beds (shade still required), and transplant the roots after they’ve reached the desired size. Another way to make extra money from ginseng is by selling your own seeds and rootlets.
We don’t fertilize our ginseng, but if you’re using raised beds, you can test your soil and amend as suggested to get a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. According to the book Farming the Woods by Ken Mudge and Steve Gabriel, you should adjust the phosphorous with bonemeal and the potassium with greensand, if needed, and the calcium with gypsum. Weed around the plants and water, if necessary. Ginseng will become diseased if it stays wet continually, which is why a slope for planting works well.
When it’s time to harvest your ginseng roots (always check laws first), remember that when you harvest a plant, it’s gone; it won’t regrow. Only harvest those with three or four prongs or more, and dig carefully around the base to completely loosen the root before pulling it out of the ground. In some areas, you may have loose soil that allows for easy digging, but where I live, it’s mostly rocky hillsides. This means I must carefully dig or I’ll risk breaking off and losing a portion of my root. Leave the top attached to the root, if possible. Most states require this for identification purposes. Gently clean the root with warm water and a toothbrush, if desired, and allow to dry in a shady, well-ventilated area. This isn’t necessary if you’re selling your roots green. Contact your buyer to find out exactly how they want the roots handled, stored, and shipped, and what certification is required.
If you’re careful to harvest sustainably and plant the seeds each year, you should see a consistent harvest each year after year 10. If properly maintained, your ginseng patch should last nearly indefinitely. A good rule of thumb is to allow the area to rest for three years before replanting ginseng in the spot you just harvested from. This allows the soil to rest and rejuvenate.
We haven’t had issues with pests, but some growers have problems with deer. If you do, and you have a large patch, either make cages for the beds or protect them with electric fencing. Check with your local extension office to see what diseases or pests might be a problem in your area.
By far, the biggest threat to your ginseng is theft. Help prevent this by planting in an area not easily accessed or seen from a roadway. Some choose not to tell anyone they’re planting ginseng, and others let neighbors know, so they can report anything suspicious.
Ginseng is a useful plant with proven pharmacological effects. You can dry the root and store in a cool, dry location for later use. Then, you can powder it for capsules, chop for teas, or make a tincture from the roots. The tops can also be dried and used in some applications.
The active medicinal compounds in ginseng root are ginsenosides. According to an article in Current Vascular Pharmacology (2009), “the ginsenosides appear to be responsible for … vasorelaxation, antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and anti-cancer.”
Overall, ginseng is an excellent plant to add to your homestead. You can use it medicinally, or sell it to increase your income. By growing ginseng, you’ll help propagate and sustain this ancient plant that’s otherwise decreasing in number.
Jenny Underwood is a homeschooling mama to four lively blessings. She makes her home in the rural foothills of the Ozark Mountains with her husband of 20 years. You can find her reading a good book, drinking coffee, and gardening on their little fifth-generation homestead. She blogs at Our Inconvenient Family.
Originally published in the July/August 2025 issue of Grit magazine and regularly vetted for accuracy.
