Is it legal to grow ginseng in Indiana?

Is it legal to grow ginseng in Indiana?

In Indiana, plants cannot be legally harvested before five years of age. ... The purpose of Indiana's ginseng program (Public Law 107 (IC 14-31-3 ) and Ginseng Rule (312 IAC 19 ) is to ensure a healthy population for the future.

How much is ginseng worth in Indiana?

But Indiana's forests yield an even more valuable commodity this time of year. Prized for its stimulant properties and thought to improve digestion, boost immune function, fight aging, and much more, American ginseng (Panax quinquefolis) has fetched as much as $800 a pound.

Why is ginseng root so expensive?

Why is it so expensive? “The Chinese now have a lot more disposable income,” says Beyfuss. And they have harvested their wild ginseng into near extinction, which gives the American species cachet. ... Already, wild-grown ginseng must be five years old to be legally harvested.

How do you harvest ginseng root?

A new federal CITES regulation now puts a 10-year legal harvest age on ginseng roots collected for export....Scott Persons in "American Ginseng, Green Gold" suggests you follow these four rules when digging:

1. Only dig mature plants.
2. Only dig after the seeds turn dark red.
3. Dig carefully.
4. Plant back some of the seeds.

How do you dry ginseng root fast?

Before drying the roots, wash them off with a low pressure stream of water; never scrub them. Be sure to spread the roots out so they do not come into contact with each other. Rotate the roots on occasion to make sure that they are drying on all sides. Ideal drying temperatures should be between 70-100 F.

How does ginseng run away?

For example, many experienced pickers tie a red cord around the stem of wild ginseng after finding the herb in forests as, according to a saying,"Ginseng will run away like a man if it is not tied down". ... Most ginseng growing in the wild is now the result of seeds being spread by humans.

What does ginseng look like in the spring?

A cluster of yellow-green flowers, scented like lilies of the valley, appears in spring and matures through the summer into the bright red "pod of berries" that ginseng diggers look for in fall. ... "That is a different color to any other yellow," said Dennis Dickens.

What does ginseng look like when it first comes up?

First year ginseng has a dark green color. The stem can have a reddish or purple tinge. If the ginseng seed is allowed to dry out after it is planted, the seed will die. If the seed has germinated and it is in an area that becomes saturated with water, it will die.

What does a mature ginseng plant look like?

Ginseng Plant Identification Mature plants typically have three to four prongs, each with five leaflets. The toothed leaflets reach up to 5 inches long. Plants can develop over four prongs, but it's rare. ... Each year, a new stem scar appears on the root stem, so a mature 5-year-old plant will have four stem scars.