Chapter 8: Root Transplanting
When ginseng gardens are started from either seed which has been either scattered by hand, or sown mechanically, the resulting roots will grow into multi-pronged shapes of all sizes. As ginseng is a wild plant that has now been 'cultivated', we can expect a considerable amount of variation in growth habit of different plants. When wild roots are dug up they are usually fairly thin in diameter. They may have as many as 3-5 prongs or branch roots, with a plethora of fine feeder roots. Cultivated ginseng, left to grow on its own, will be much thicker in diameter, but will still have multiple prongs connected to the body of the root, as well as numerous root hairs.

During the drying phase cultivated roots will shrink in length and girth, and essentially all of the root hairs will be lost. The major prongs will still be there if they were large to begin with.

Demand for large roots
The North American ginseng market has remained strong for high quality, short, thick bodied, dried roots. These roots can be worth as much as $25/lb. in the dried state (see Chapter 18: Enterprise Budget). For the cultivated ginseng market, Asian buyers prefer whole roots, and will pay a premium for the stockier product. The long thin pencil roots return the lowest price to growers. Here in the Northwest, especially in areas west of the Cascades, the long growing season and mild weather can contribute to the production of some very large roots. As much as 80% of root growth occurs each year during the last month of the growing cycle. Root growth will be maximized if the ginseng plant is growing in a loose rich soil, with adequate nutrients. Wet, heavy soil will slow root growth, as would be the case for many other perennial horticultural crops.

What is involved in transplanting?
Simply defined the term transplanting refers to the practice of digging up 1 or 2 year old ginseng roots that have been started by seed, cutting off their lower one-thirds (see Figure 1), and then replanting the upper 2/3 rd's of the root back into prepared ground for another 3 years of growth.

Root pruning can take place in the fall after the roots have gone dormant, or in the spring before new growth occurs. This type of work has been hampered during the fall when wet weather starts in early October. It would be advisable to have beds shaped prior to digging up the roots. In this manner tractors and bed shapers would not have to be used when the soil is too wet to work.

Timing is everthing
Growers in the Northwest have found that it is best to dig, prune roots, and then replant them in as short of a time interval as possible. In trials where a large number of roots have been dug up but not transplanted soon after (2 weeks delay) root re-growth was poor. It is important to maintain at least a 3" root length after pruning. Roots that have been dug up should be carefully washed, and individually inspected. Abnormally shaped or roots less than 3" in length can be dried and ground for powder for use in capsules. Root pruning of 3 year old roots has been tried, but the results have been unsuccessful. The resulting scars on these larger roots have simply been too large to heal over thus introducing rot when they are put back into the ground.

History of root pruning
The cultural practice of transplanting ginseng is not a recent phenomenon. Up until the 1960's many of the Wisconsin ginseng growers practiced varying levels of transplanting 2-year-old root. Korean growers of Asian ginseng routinely transplant their roots. The extra time and labor has always been an issue. Growers in the Northwest don't have to root prune. Smaller plantations lend themselves best to transplanting, as workloads are smaller. In the fall, wet weather can hamper transplanting. It is advisable to have beds shaped prior to digging up the plants destined to be transplanted.

What are the results?
When pruned and allowed to re-grow, the roots tend to produce only very fine, new rootlets from the wound. The normal plant habit of growing multiple prongs is inhibited. At harvest time when the roots are dried, the fine feeder roots are lost while the main root is left intact without any large white pruning scar. These larger, single stem 'carrot or bullet' shaped roots are what the industry buyers are looking for. Root prices can be 40% higher (see Figure 2) than that of non-pruned roots.

When to transplant
The most significant climatic advantage the Northwest enjoys, over eastern growing regions, is the fact that most soils west of the Cascades don't freeze during the winter. Consequently, ginseng transplanting can occur anytime when the roots have gone dormant in the fall (mid-October) up until root growth begins again in the spring (early April). In reality though, there will be a greater opportunity to accomplish all the tasks involved in the fall before wet weather begins. Late winter transplanting has not been thoroughly investigated. The Pacific Northwest often experiences a 1-2 week interval of dryer weather in early to mid February. If the soil can be worked at this time, this may be a window of opportunity to try transplanting.

Step by step approach
As mentioned previously, the roots have to be dormant before they can be dug. A new bed should be prepared for the transplants. A planting tool with the following dimensions should be prepared: One 2" by 4", 4' long, with 3/4" holes bored 1" deep to hold 6" wooden dowels sharpened to points. The fist dowel is 3" from both ends of the 2" by 4", with the remaining dowels 6" apart. When pushed into soil (see Figure 3), perpendicular to the length of the beds, the result will be a series of holes spaced at a 6" by 6" interval. Into these holes are placed the pruned roots (see Figure 4). With the 4.5' wide planting beds, 128,000 good roots will be needed per acre. Once inserted into the holes, a light covering of soil covers the top of the root. After the bed has been planted a 2-inch thick layer of mulch should be applied. Ginseng can emerge through a 3" layer of mulch. During June of the first year after transplanting remove flowers clusters so that more of the plant's energy is sent to root recovery.

Figure 5 shows 3-year plants that were transplanted in year 2.

Problems
In initial grower trials, the wooden dowels where originally 8" long. This proved to be too long as the roots where set too deep into the soil. In addition, on poorly drained soils the punched holes tended to trap water, which contributed to root rot. Future trials will involve shorter dowels, and only using well-drained planting sites.

Yield and quality
Based on rather limited transplanting trials, it appears that dry weight yields of 2,800 lbs./acre can be attained. This yield is similar to that obtained from hand scattered seeded beds (2,500 to 3,000 lbs./acre). However, the quality is much better. The resulting roots are stockier and more uniform in shape and size. They can be worth as much as 100% more than 4-year old, non-transplanted ginseng.

In summary
A number of different observations have been noted to date:

1. Soil quality is so important. Punching holes in a fine textured soil when it is wet creates miniature 'bathtubs' that trap water and can increase root rot. Growers considering transplanting should ensure that they start out with loose, friable soils or add sufficient organic or green manures to help excess soil moisture to drain off. Make sure that the planting holes are not too deep.	4. Two-year-old roots less than 3" should only receive a light pruning of their tips if they are going to be put back into the ground. Three-year-old roots are not good candidates for pruning as pruning them results in large wounds that don't heal well. One-year-old roots may be better candidates for trial.
2. There should be a minimum of time over which the root is out the ground. Ideally beds should be ready before transplanting takes place. It is suggested that less than 24 hours elapse from start to finish.	5. Spring transplanting may be better than fall transplanting as the roots will be exposed to less soil moisture as they are healing.
3. Only the best disease free roots should be considered for transplanting. Consider dipping fresh cut roots in a solution of the fungicide Alliette (4 ounces in 5-gallon clean water). Dip scissors in this solution as well.	6. Un-cut transplants work very well for starting woods-grown gardens.

Woods cultivated ginseng considerations
Growers have found that young roots can be dug up and transplanted into the forest. The advantage to this approach, as opposed to starting woodland gardens by seed, would be a much better establishment rate. Native wooded sites generally have better soils than cultivated land. The years of accumulated leaf litter contribute to its rich texture. Loss due to mice depravation is less for transplants that for seeds. As for plant spacing, previous work in North Carolina has found that transplanted roots do best at a 6" by 6" spacing.