Ginseng seed stratification

Forest farmer, Dave Carmen, demonstrates how to stratify ginseng seed. Unlike many plants, ginseng seed requires two winters before it will germinate. In order to store the seed safely during the first year and provide for its first cold treatment, it must be buried in the ground and kept moist. Dave Carmen digs up a mesh bag with the previous year's seed that is now ready for planting in the fall in order to germinate the following spring. This year's seed collection must be fermented in water which removes the pulp, washed and then buried with sand in the mesh bag to wait out its first winter.