It has been used in folk medicine since ancient times. It is especially popular in the countries of East Asia, where exceptional healing properties were attributed to it, curing almost all diseases.

Ginseng is a perennial herbaceous plant with a tap root. In the upper part of the root, one, less often 2-3 wintering buds are laid annually, from which one or more stems develop in spring. The stem is straight, smooth, 30 - 70 cm high. The fruits are juicy, berry-like, 1 - 3-celled, bright red when ripe. Seeds are yellowish-gray or whitish, oval, flattened, wrinkled. The weight of 1000 seeds is from 23 to 35 g.

Under natural conditions, wild ginseng is found in the Primorsky Territory and in the south of the Khabarovsk Territory, as well as in the northeastern part of China. It grows under the canopy of broad-leaved coniferous forests, mainly on the northern slopes of the mountains, on loose, well-drained soils. It occurs in single specimens, rarely in families - 2 - 20 or more plants.

Its reserves are very limited, and therefore, for mass use in medicine, industrial cultivation of ginseng is required.

It is cultivated in China, North Korea, Japan, Canada and the USA. In the CIS, it was introduced into cultivation in the Primorsky Territory (state farm "Ginseng") and in Belarus (state farm "Bolshoe Mozheikovo"). At the moment, one and the second collective farm for growing ginseng has vast experience and the technology for growing ginseng is fully debugged there.

Ginseng is propagated by seeds that have a long dormant period - freshly harvested seeds germinate only in the second year after sowing. The reason for this phenomenon is the slow development of the embryo. Another important feature of ginseng cultivation is the very slow growth of the plants. In the first year of vegetation, they form only one three-parted leaflet and reach a height of 6 - 8 cm. In the second year, two five-parted leaves develop and ginseng grows up to 15 - 20 cm. With each subsequent year, the plants increase, and by the end of the fifth growing season they reach 50 - 70 cm and have five five-separate leaves. A small part of them begins to bear fruit in the second year of life. In the third year, fruit-bearing plants make up 35 - 65%, and starting from the fourth, all normally developed plants produce seeds. The largest number of seeds with good sowing qualities are obtained from 5-6-year-old plants. On one such plant, 40 or more berries can form, that is, one plant can produce 80 - 100 full-fledged seeds.

Ginseng blooms in the middle of the nursery, and its seeds ripen at the end of August. After the seeds ripen, the aerial part of the plant gradually dies off in late September or early October. The most intensive root growth is observed in the second half of the growing season. The weight of annual roots ranges from 0.4 - 1 g, biennial - from 3 to 7 g, three-year - from 6 to 20 g, four-year - from 35 to 60 g and five-year - from 35 to 60 g. Artificial cultivation of ginseng on a state farm gives its results. So some roots of the age of five reached a weight of more than 100 g.

After the end of the growing season, ginseng roots tolerate transplantation well. They can also be transplanted in early spring, before regrowth begins. When transplanted at a later date, the survival rate of the roots is sharply reduced.

Ginseng grows early in spring. During this period, it easily tolerates small frosts. The most sensitive part of the plant are the buds, which die during frost - 4-5 °.

To grow ginseng root, soil moisture must be taken into account: it does not tolerate stagnant water; even a short-term flooding of the site or waterlogging of the soil causes the death of the plant. Therefore, in low places, in the valleys of rivers and streams, ginseng, as a rule, is not found in natural conditions. For its culture, non-flooded areas are chosen. At the same time, the relatively shallow root system makes this plant sensitive to droughts and dry winds.

Ginseng is one of the shade-loving plants. It does not tolerate open sunny places and requires natural or artificial shading when grown. However, excessive shading is also harmful. In this case, the plants are stretched, become brittle and break even with a slight wind. In addition, such plants often get sick.

Ginseng does not impose special requirements on temperature conditions; in the conditions of the Moscow Region, when industrial plantations were covered for the winter with leaves in a layer of 5–6 cm, no death of roots from freezing was observed for 10 years, although the air temperature in some winters decreased to -35 °. Under natural conditions, ginseng roots covered with forest litter were kept at a temperature of -43°C. Ginseng tolerates mild winters with frequent thaws and rains much worse, under these conditions the roots rot, which leads to death of the plants.

Ginseng cultivation techniques.

The most suitable areas for industrial cultivation of ginseng are Primorsky Krai, the center of the non-chernozem zone and Belarus. Since the plants grow very slowly in the first 2 years of vegetation, the ginseng culture is mainly carried out by the seedling method, which is economically more profitable than direct sowing seeds for permanent place. To obtain good seedlings and their cultivation, you need to create a special favorable conditions, which is much easier to implement in relatively small areas of nurseries.

Growing seedlings of ginseng.

Growing seedlings is one of the most important stages in the cultivation of ginseng, so you need to choose a site for a nursery very carefully. Seedlings do well on loose, well-drained and fertile soils. The most favorable sandy and loamy soils are rich in humus, not clogged with malicious weeds and not infected with soil pests. The nursery site can be located in an open area or under the canopy of tree plantations. In both cases, it should have a slight slope for the flow of melt and rainwater; flooded area is unsuitable.

For autumn sowing, ridges are cut in September, and for spring sowing - in early spring. Given that ginseng requires shading, the ridges are made in the direction from east to west.

In the Far East of Russia, it is recommended to make ridges 1 m wide and about 20 cm high. In the DPRK, ridges 70 cm wide and 30 cm high are accepted. In experiments, ginseng was grown on ridges 70 cm wide and 20–25 cm high. The length of the ridges is arbitrary. Paths 60-100 cm wide are left between them, depending on the type of shading devices. Water on the tracks should not stagnate. To drain it on long ridges in low places, transverse paths are made. The soil on the ridges is carefully cut and leveled.

Stratification of ginseng seeds.

To get ginseng seedlings in the year of their sowing, the seeds must be stratified. To do this, freshly harvested, well-washed seeds are dried in the shade until they become free-flowing, after which they are mixed with coarse sand in a ratio of 1: 3 by volume. The mixture is placed in boxes 50 cm long, 40 cm wide and 30 cm high. Small pebbles are poured on the bottom of which. For better aeration and drainage of excess water, holes are made at the bottom of the boxes and in the walls: at the bottom with a diameter of 1 - 1.5 cm and in the walls - 0.5 cm. A layer of clean sand and small pebbles is placed on top of the mixture of seeds with sand, which prevents washing out seeds during irrigation. After that, the contents of the boxes are well moistened and they are placed in a room where they are kept for about 4 months at a temperature of 18 - 20 °. During this time, the mixture of seeds with sand is maintained in a moderately moist state and periodically, after 10-12 days, mixed and ventilated.

During the period of the warm phase of stratification, an embryo develops in the seeds, which, in comparison with freshly harvested seeds, increases by 10–15 times. external sign the end of this phase of stratification is the disclosure of seeds.

At this time, the condition of the seeds are especially carefully monitored. When about 80% of the seeds open, they are separated from the sand, and then sorted into opened and unopened. Those and others separately are again mixed with sand. Opened seeds are kept in a moderately moist state at a temperature of 1 - 2 ° (cold phase of stratification). When seedlings appear, they are transferred to the glacier. Unopened seeds continue to withstand at a temperature of 18 - 20 °. Throughout the stratification, the condition of the seeds is regularly monitored.

Planting ginseng.

Earlier ripening of ginseng seeds in the conditions of the DPRK allows the thermal phase of stratification to be carried out before the onset of cold weather. Therefore, in the DPRK, ginseng is sown mainly in autumn, in September - October. The second phase of stratification - cold - the seeds pass, already being sown. For spring sowing, seeds that have passed the thermal phase of stratification, washed from sand, are placed in clay vessels, which are buried and stored until spring in appropriately arranged pits. In the spring, in March, they are sown.

In the Primorsky Territory and the non-chernozem zone of Russia, ginseng seeds ripen more than a month later, and winter comes much earlier than in the DPRK. Therefore, it is no longer possible to sow seeds after passing through the thermal phase of stratification, as a result of which the sowing of ginseng is carried out here in early spring with stratified seeds.

In the conditions of the Krasnodar Territory, good results were obtained when sowing freshly harvested seeds before winter. The long and warm autumn of this region ensures the passage of the thermal phase of seed stratification directly in the soil before the onset of cold weather.

For spring sowing, the seeds on stratification are separated from the sand, washed in water, disinfected in a 0.5% solution of potassium permanganate for 15 minutes, slightly dried until they become flowable and immediately sown.

Before sowing, the ridges are marked. Grooves about 4 cm deep are made across the ridges with a marker at a distance of 10 cm from one another, into which seeds are sown at a distance of about 1.5 cm. After that, the seeds are sprinkled with sand with a layer of about 1 cm, covered with soil and the ridges are watered. About 150 kg of seeds are consumed per hectare of sown area. In all cases, good results are shown by mulching the crops with leaf humus with a layer of about 3 cm, which prevents the topsoil from drying out and ensures a more friendly emergence of seedlings.

Ginseng sprouts on the 20th - 25th day after sowing. If during this time weeds appear, then a shelf is carried out. Further care for the nursery consists in weeding and loosening the ridges, and if necessary, watering is done. In addition, they carry out activities to protect plants from diseases and pests. If in the autumn annual roots were not planted on an industrial plantation, then the ridges are covered with leaves for the winter.

Fertilizer for ginseng nurseries.

In North Korea, ginseng seedlings are grown on artificial soil. When making ridges, all the earth is taken out to a depth of 30 cm and sheet humus is poured on the bottom of the pit at the rate of 80 - 100 tons per 1 ha (8 - 10 kg per 1 sq. M), and on top of the necessary layer of artificial earth, consisting of a mixture of leaf humus and small pieces (3 - 5 mm) of weathered granite in a ratio of 1: 4. In addition, cake, soot and other similar fertilizers are added to this mixture as a fertilizer.

In the Suputinsky Reserve, it is recommended to apply leaf humus or rotted manure for plowing the nursery at a dose of 40–50 tons per 1 ha, together with phosphorus and potash fertilizers at the rate of 75 kg P2O5 and 90 kg K2O per 1 ha; to improve the physical properties of the soil per 1 ha, about 160 tons of weathered granite crushed stone.

Seedlings grow well when 40-50 tons of peat are added during the digging of the soil, together with 2 tons per 1 ha of phosphorite flour, and at the final cutting of ridges for sowing 30-40 tons of leaf humus. In experiments in the Krasnodar Territory, when large doses of organic fertilizers were applied, the number of seedlings increased significantly. Of the mineral fertilizers, as shown by the results of the experiments, the most effective were phosphate. Nitrogen fertilizers had a negative effect on the development of plants in the first year of vegetation.

Growing ginseng on a plantation.

The basic requirements for the location of the site and the properties of the soil for ginseng culture remain the same as when choosing a site for the nursery. Particular attention is paid to the natural protection of the site from the prevailing summer winds. Given that ginseng grows on an industrial plantation for 3-4 years, the plot is passed through fallow: the soil is well seasoned with fertilizers and cleaned of weeds and pests.

The best time for planting industrial plantations is autumn (the second half of September or the beginning of October), when the plants have completely finished growing and massive leaf fall begins. The roots of both biennial and annual plants dug out and planted at this time take root well. It is economically more profitable to establish industrial plantations with biennial roots, since the cost of caring for a nursery in the second year of vegetation will be much less than for the same number of plants planted on a much larger area of ​​an industrial plantation. At the same time, planting with biennial roots does not adversely affect the subsequent development of plants.

When forcing roots for planting, you should try to damage even the smallest roots as little as possible. Exceptional attention is paid to the preservation without damage of wintering buds, from which the aerial part of plants grows. All diseased and damaged roots are rejected. In order to disinfect and prevent diseases, the roots are kept for 15 minutes before planting in a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture.

The ridges are cut in late August - early September. Their direction is from east to west. After carefully cutting the soil and marking the ridges at a distance of 20X20 or 20X30 cm, the roots are planted in holes made at the intersection of the marking lines. When planting, you need to make sure that the tap root is not bent. The roots are planted in such a way that the bud in annuals is at a depth of 4-5 cm, and in biennials - 5-6 cm from the soil surface. After embedding the soil, the holes are mulched with humus and, when frost occurs, the ridges are covered with leaves with a layer of 5-6 cm.

Care of ginseng plantations.

In the spring, ginseng begins to grow early, in late April - early May. Therefore, as soon as the soil thaws, the ridges are cleared of leaves used for winter cover. After that, shields are placed for shading. The first loosening of the soil to a depth of 4 - 6 cm is carried out without waiting for the full growth of plants. The soil near the plants is loosened superficially.

at the end of May, after the full growth of ginseng, industrial plantations are carefully inspected and carefully dig out ungrown roots. If the root turned out to be rotten, it is immediately removed, and the place where it grew is densely sprinkled with ash or lime. In dry hot weather, plants are watered, preventing the soil from drying out.

During the growing season, at least four weeding and loosening are carried out on industrial plantations, and they are also treated several times with pesticides against diseases and pests. In September, the shields are removed, and with the onset of frost, the plantations are covered with leaves with a layer of 5–6 cm to protect the roots from freezing.

Fertilizer for industrial plantations of ginseng.

On industrial plantations planted with one- or two-year-old ginseng roots, plants grow for 3-4 years, therefore, to obtain high yield good soil fertilization is required. The main fertilizer for industrial plantations in the DPRK and Japan is leaf humus, which is applied for plowing at a dose of 60-70 tons per 1 ha.

For the cultivation of ginseng in the non-chernozem zone, it is desirable to introduce at least 40 tons of peat and 40 tons of peat-dung compost together with 2-3 tons of phosphorus flour per 1 ha for deep plowing. In addition, when cutting the ridge, it is necessary to fertilize with granulated superphosphate at a dose of 60 kg of P2O5 per 1 ha.

Ginseng shading.

Direct sunlight inhibits the growth of ginseng. Therefore, seedlings in nurseries and adult plants in open industrial plantations are grown under artificial shading. For this, various shading devices are used. A frame is made over the ridges of a nursery or plantation, on which straw or grass mats, matting or wooden shields are laid.

Harvesting ginseng seeds.

Seeds in the Far East and in the Moscow region ripen at the end of August. At this time, the berries take on a bright red color and are easily separated from the plant. They are collected manually. The collected berries are placed in tubs or enameled basins, filled with water and rubbed with hands, separating the seeds from the pulp, which are then repeatedly washed with water until the remnants of the pulp are completely removed. Feeble seeds that float to the surface of the water are also removed. After that, the seeds are thrown back on sieves and slightly dried until they acquire flowability.

Ginseng seeds that have been in a dry state for a long time lose their germination capacity, and therefore are unsuitable for growing plants. Therefore, they are immediately laid for stratification.

Cleaning ginseng roots.

To obtain commercial raw materials, the roots of 4-6-year-old plants are removed. Harvesting begins in September or early October, after the end of the growing season of plants and the death of the aboveground mass. The roots are dug carefully, trying to save even the smallest roots. Severely damaged or diseased roots are discarded, and healthy ones are thoroughly washed, sorted by size, dried or preserved.

Sem. Araliaceae - Araliaceae

Other names: real ginseng, panax ginseng, root of life

Botanical characteristic. Perennial herbaceous plant, reaching the age of 70-100 years or more. It has a juicy tap root, which usually gives one above-ground stem, at the top of which there is a whorl of 4-5 leaves. The leaves are long-petiolate, palmately compound, the leaflets are elliptical, pointed, finely serrated. The two lower leaves are much smaller than the others. A simple umbrella emerges from the center of the leaf whorl on a long peduncle, bearing small greenish nondescript flowers. The fruits are bright red juicy berry-like drupes with two seeds, closely pressed to each other, forming a "red ball", clearly visible in autumn among green foliage. Blossoms in June, fruits are formed in July-August.

Spreading. It grows wild in Russia in the Far East, in the Ussuri taiga - in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories; also grows in China, Korea, Japan. However, wild plants are practically destroyed and their search does not always give positive results. Work is underway to cultivate ginseng in the Primorsky Territory, the North Caucasus and other places.

Habitat. Under the canopy of broad-leaved trees and shrubs. Shade-loving plant, therefore does not grow in sparse forests with wide access sunlight. It does not occur in wet areas, likes well-drained soils. Grows in single specimens.

blank. Wild ginseng is harvested by experts or "ginseng hunters" at a time when it is easier to spot among other plants. Fresh roots are handed over to harvesting stations, where they are sorted by size, shape, degree of damage during digging into 4 classes, and each class into several varieties.

Security measures. Collection of young roots weighing less than 10 g is not allowed. Although rare, there are specimens weighing 300-400 g from old, 100-200-year-old plants. Ginseng is a rare and valuable medicinal plant, so it must be carefully protected, otherwise it will be completely destroyed in the coming years. Everyone who is engaged in harvesting ginseng must remember that the search for plants should begin no earlier than in the first decade of August, only those plants that bear fruit in a given year should be dug up. In no case should young plants be dug up, since they are of no value either for procurement organizations or for use as medicinal raw materials at home. Ginseng fruits are harvested and buried in the soil to a depth of 4-5 cm. The root should be dug out of the ground with special bone spatulas, being careful not to break off the buds and not damage the root. Currently, ginseng is cultivated in China, Japan and more widely in Korea, where this branch of medicinal plant production plays a significant role in the country's economy. In Russia, it is grown in one of the specialized state farms "Ginseng" in the Primorsky Territory. The cultivation of ginseng is very peculiar and differs sharply from the cultivation of many plants. Growing ginseng is possible only if it is protected from the sun. The maximum weight of the roots of 5-6 years of age is 300 g or more. The roots of 6-year-old (commercial) plants grown in the seaside state farm are superior in the content of extractive substances to the roots of the same age of Korean ginseng. The root is collected on plantations from plants aged 5-8 years. In terms of pharmacological action, cultivated ginseng is equivalent to wild-growing; besides, it is much cheaper.

Drying. Depending on the use, the roots are kept fresh (for export) or dried and stored for use in national economy.

External signs. In Chinese, ginseng means "root man". The name is given for the similarity of the root with a human figure. According to GOST and GF XI, a large root weighing 300 g consists of a cylindrical root neck, densely covered with scars from fallen stems, expanded from above and forming a head. A spindle-shaped main root departs from the neck - the "body" (up to 20 cm long), in the lower part it branches into two processes forming "legs", and 2-3 branches growing away from the "body" form "arms" at the top. The more the root looks like a human figure, the more it is valued. Root from cultivated plants up to 25 cm long, taproot, large, 0.7-2.5 cm in diameter, with 2-5 large branches, rarely without them. The "body" of the root is thickened, with pronounced annular outgrowths. The outer surface of the root is wrinkled. The color is yellowish white. The root fracture is even. When the root is soaked, wrinkling disappears and the surface becomes smooth. The smell is specific. The taste is sweet, burning, bitter when chewed. The content of extractives extracted with 70% ethanol must be at least 20%

Chemical composition. Ginseng was mainly studied by scientists from our country and Japan. It is now believed that the root contains tetraterpene saponins, panaxosides. The structure of the aglycone and the composition of the carbohydrate part have been established. In addition, there are traces of essential oils, fatty oils, phytosterols, resins, pectins, starch, vitamins, fatty acids, a mixture of which is called panaxic acid, many trace elements - iron, manganese, etc. Root ash is more than half composed of phosphates.

Storage. In warehouses, the root is stored packaged in 1 kg bags in cellophane bags, packed in 10 kg each in tightly knocked together wooden boxes lined with paper. When unpacking the boxes, the roots are transferred to glass jars with a lid. Shelf life 2 years 6 months.

Medicines. Tincture.

Application. For many centuries, ginseng root has been used in all countries of the Far East. He is credited with all-healing properties. In all countries of the world, ginseng root is also widely used. The works of scientists of the Far Eastern Scientific Center have established that the plant has a tonic, stimulating and adaptogenic effect in case of physical and mental fatigue, impaired activity of cardio-vascular system, hypofunction of the gonads, neurasthenia, after suffering debilitating diseases.

Works on the study of ginseng and its analogues. The difficulties of growing ginseng on plantations, the extremely insignificant reserves of wild (relic) plants in nature prompted the search for new plants in the Far Eastern flora, analogues of ginseng. The search for such plants - analogues of ginseng - was carried out according to the principle of botanical relationship, while plants of the same Araliaceae family were studied. As a result of the great work done by the scientists of the Far Eastern Scientific Center in Vladivostok and VILR, plants have been proposed that have tonic properties: Echinopanax high (zamaniha), Aralia Manchurian and Eleutherococcus (however, it does not contain saponins). Currently, a lot of work is being done on the study of ginseng leaves (St. Petersburg Chemical and Pharmaceutical Institute, BIN named after VL Komarov RAS and the Ginseng state farm) and the prospect of their use as a root substitute has been revealed. The issue of the raw material base based on ginseng plantations for the medical industry has been studied. In the leaves of ginseng, as well as in the root, triterpene mycosides - ginsenosides and flavonoids were found. The content of the total glycoside fraction in the leaves was higher than in the roots. Thus, ginseng cultivated in the Primorye Territory can be a promising raw material for the production of medical preparations; in addition, the possibility of waste-free use of the plant opens up.

Mikhail Alexandrovich Basov

GINSENG IN YOUR GARDEN (Lenizdat 1988)

Foreword
amazing plant
Biological features of ginseng
"Difficult" pet
seeds
Both light and shadow
In caring hands
Be careful with fertilizers!
Collection and preparation of seeds for stratification
How to propagate ginseng
Ginseng diseases
Root canning
Medicinal properties and application
References

FOREWORD

This book is intended for beginner hobby ginseng growers who grow the plant in home gardens, and ginseng growers who are starting to work on industrial plantations for the first time. Growing experience and all recommendations are given taking into account the climatic features of the Non-Black Earth region. Preparing to describe my experience of growing ginseng, I thought for a long time about how to start presenting the accumulated information, and came to the conclusion that it makes sense to briefly and consistently tell about the entire path of ginseng growing that I have traveled so that the reader can weigh their strengths and capabilities in this laborious deed.

I was born in 1913 in a small village in the Luga region Leningrad region in a peasant family. He grew up on a farm, where children from childhood were accustomed to work. I had to plow the land, graze cattle, and do many other jobs. Then, perhaps, my love and craving for the world of plants, for nature, in which there were so many mysteries and mysteries, was born. At school, I happened to hear stories and legends about ginseng, amazing plant with a magical healing effect, not easily given to the hands. And later, when I read V. Arsenyev's book "Dersu Uzala", I was smitten with the desire to go to the Far East and find the mysterious root or try to grow it. Only life decreed otherwise, and I was never lucky enough to visit those parts.

Years passed. It has already become known about the cultural plantations of a unique plant planted by the Ginseng state farm in the Primorsky Territory. But what was my astonishment when in 1974 I read in the Pravda newspaper a small correspondence entitled "Ginseng grew behind the gate." It said that P. N. Kryukov grows the root of life in his summer cottage in the city of Vsevolozhsk, near Leningrad. I immediately wrote a letter to the address indicated in the newspaper, but it turned out to be not so easy to establish contact with Pavel Nikolayevich. And only in April, when he was convinced of my sincere interest in this plant, did I receive an invitation from Maria Flegontovna, Kryukov's wife, his constant assistant, like-minded person and secretary, to come to meet him.

The first half of the day was devoted to stories about ginseng, methods of its cultivation. The second is to get acquainted with their gardening and a plot with ginseng, with Pavel Nikolayevich's literature on growing this plant.

Since then, I began to come to the Kryukovs every year, in spring and autumn, to help them take care of ginseng plants, learning the science of growing it. The Kryukovs were the first to prove in practice that ginseng can be successfully grown in the Northwestern zone of the Non-Black Earth Region.

In the first year of our acquaintance, Pavel Nikolaevich was able to give me only 3 ginseng seeds, a year later - already 5 seeds and 1 three-year-old root, and the next year I received 12 seeds from him. In the same year, V. I. Vuyman from Primorsky Krai sent me 38 seeds. This is how my amateur plantation began.

At the end of October 1976, Pavel Nikolaevich died, the ginseng garden was left without proper care, and Maria Flegontovna, with my help, decided to eliminate the remains of the plantation. Following the will of Pavel Nikolaevich, I sent the largest roots to Star City in the name of cosmonaut V. A. Shatalov.

P. N. Kryukov with ginseng grown by him (photo).

An amateur plantation of ginseng near Leningrad existed for about 20 years. The case started by Kryukov found many followers. Currently, only in three regions of the Non-Chernozem region - Leningrad, Novgorod and Pskov - more than a hundred amateurs successfully grow ginseng, and one Novgorod forestry enterprise has established an industrial plantation. In each of these areas there is a mentor-ginseng grower, who has small plots and provides, as far as possible, with acclimatized planting material for those who wish to seriously engage in the cultivation of the root in the home gardens of this region.

I consider it necessary to emphasize that perseverance, patience and work will be the key to success in achieving the goal. Growing ginseng is a complex matter that requires constant attention. In addition to large physical costs, certain financial costs are inevitable.

AMAZING PLANT

Ginseng is a herbaceous relict plant belonging to the Araliaceae family. This is one of the few plants that has been living on earth since ancient times. This is facilitated by its biological features. The vitality of ginseng itself is admirable, but people have long known its amazing healing properties. On the territory of our country, a small number of ginseng plants have survived only in Primorsky Krai.

Already several thousand years ago, oriental folk used ginseng root as one of the most effective means that can restore human strength and health. The Chinese emperors even declared the collection of the root their monopoly. Only the emperor had the right to use ginseng and sell it to other countries.

The unique medicinal properties and high cost of the root attracted many enterprising people, ginseng seekers, which led to the predatory extermination of stocks of the root.

In our country, the beneficial properties of ginseng were first learned in 1675 from the Russian envoy to China, the boyar N. G. Spafariy. And still long years ginseng, curing many diseases, "returning youth and vigor, raising from bed weakened after illness, invigorating the tired and overworked", remained a mysterious plant that had only exotic properties.

Chinese and Korean seekers kept their knowledge of ginseng in the deepest secret. But exceptional observation, natural ingenuity helped Russian seekers to unravel many of the secrets of this plant, to make attempts to cultivate it.

The Koreans were the first to grow ginseng in culture about four centuries ago. In Russia, the exiled Pole M. I. Yankovsky became a pioneer of cultural ginseng. In 1892, he founded the first industrial ginseng plantation in Primorsky Krai, which lasted until 1922. In passing, I note that Yankovsky's grandson still successfully grows ginseng on his amateur plantation in the Vladimir region.

Currently, ginseng is cultivated in addition to Korea and China in Japan, the USA, Canada and the USSR. The main supplier of the root to the world market is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, where its cultivation is put on an industrial basis, with well-established agricultural cultivation techniques.

After the establishment of Soviet power in the Primorsky Territory, the collection and purchase of wild-growing ginseng began to be carried out by procurement state organizations.

AT natural conditions ginseng grows slowly, so its natural reserves, already reduced by predatory seekers, began to quickly deplete. Then the question arose about the cultural cultivation of ginseng, and comprehensive scientific research began.

In the early 1960s, a specialized state farm "Ginseng" was organized in the Primorsky Territory. Since then, this farm has been developing and putting into practice agrotechnical methods of growing ginseng on a scientific basis.

In the 1970-1980s, amateur ginseng cultivation also began to actively develop. Currently, ginseng is grown in many regions of the country - from the Primorsky Territory to the Carpathians and the Baltic States, from the Crimea and Kyrgyzstan to Tyumen and Karelia.

Ginseng on an amateur plantation (photo).

Amateurs, borrowing experience from each other, have developed their own backyard agricultural technology and successfully cultivate ginseng.

The wide distribution of ginseng in the country became possible due to the developed amateur ginseng in Primorsky Krai, from where surplus planting material began to flow to the central regions of the country.

The All-Russian Society for the Protection of Nature several times imported ginseng seeds to the central regions of the country and distributed them among its activists. However, most of the planting material died due to the inexperience of amateurs who did not know the biological characteristics of ginseng and the methods of its cultivation.

In 1980, at the Teberdinsky State Reserve, under the leadership of Doctor of Biological Sciences A. A. Malyshev, a scientific and methodological center for growing ginseng in the European part of the USSR and Siberia was established. Through ginseng practitioners who have been awarded the title of mentors, the center spreads knowledge about the cultivation of ginseng in culture, assists individual hobbyists and organizations in the acquisition of sowing and planting material.

BIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF GINSENG

A detailed study of the biological characteristics of ginseng was carried out by I. V. Grushvitsky and described by him in the monograph “Ginseng. Questions of biology. I want to briefly acquaint the reader only with those, without whose knowledge one should not start growing this very peculiar plant.

In the wild, ginseng grows up to 300 years. Such an enviable longevity, apparently, is due to a number of natural conditions of the Primorsky Territory. The life expectancy of ginseng under cultural conditions is limited to 2-3 decades. Such an age difference is probably due to the fact that in the wild ginseng gives an average root growth of 1 gram, and in cultivated cultivation - up to 10 or more grams per year. Mass cultivation of plants is made from seeds. Experiments on propagating ginseng by dividing the root did not give positive results: this method has not been sufficiently developed and is associated with the risk of losing an already grown root.

Under natural conditions, seeds that fall into the soil germinate in 18-22 months. This is explained by the fact that in the mature seed the germinal sprout is still underdeveloped. Its further development can take place only under certain conditions of thermal conditions, moderate humidity. Under natural conditions, the necessary thermal regime is created in the first summer after the autumn shedding of seeds and in the second winter. A special section will be devoted to the artificial preparation of seeds for planting, that is, stratification.

The biological features of ginseng include the fact that the growing root lays a germ bud, in which the rudiments of the future above-ground plant of the next year are already formed, two years in advance. The formed kidney must also pass full cycle thermal endurance. Only in this case, it will give a full, healthy shoot.

At the age of two and older, plants lay reserve, the so-called dormant buds. In the event of the death of a germ bud, the root does not die, but, being, as it were, in a dormant state, it prepares a new bud from among the sleeping ones for the next growing season.

It happens that with skillful care and sufficiently fertilized soil, some ginseng plants awaken several dormant buds, of course not damaged. Such plants are called multi-stemmed. In a dormant state, the root can be in the ground for several years, of course, provided that it is well cared for.

Ginseng seeds: a - before pre-sowing preparation; b - after opening the bone (figure).

Scheme of the structure of ginseng: a - annual; b - two-year-old (figure). 1 - sheet; 2 - leaf petiole; 3 - stem; 4 - resting kidney; 5 - the main root; 6 - lateral suction roots.

Ginseng roots do not have hard tissues and can quickly be completely destroyed in the event of a disease. The density of the root and the whole plant is created due to the high intracellular pressure of the juice, the so-called turgor. The role of small suction roots that feed the plant is especially great. When the soil is waterlogged, they rot, when there is a lack of moisture, they lose turgor and dry out, which immediately affects the overall development of the plant and serves as an indicator of its physical condition. Plants of the first and second years of growth require special attention to themselves and proper care, when they still have an insufficiently developed system of small roots. Immature plants of the first two years are most susceptible to diseases, they quickly react to changes in humidity and air temperature.

Ginseng belongs to shade-tolerant plants, but this does not mean that it should only be planted in the shade. The light regime is of great importance both for plant growth and for the fight against diseases, as well as for the general physical condition of plants of all ages. Under natural conditions, ginseng grows under the cover of tall forest vegetation, which limits access to direct sunlight. When cultivated in household plots and industrial plantations, apple trees, tall shrubs and other garden plants can serve as a cover. In the absence of a natural cover, ginseng growers arrange an artificial one. It will be discussed separately.

"HARD" PET

I attach great importance to the choice of a place for planting ginseng. Ginseng, like all horticultural crops, is best not planted in a place blown by cold winds. If you decide to choose a site near a reservoir, be sure to check whether night fogs stagnate there, whether cold dews fall. If landings are made in a place well warmed by the sun, then the earth will heat up greatly, as a result, the thermal regime will be disturbed, and a rapid loss of moisture will also begin.

The best place for landing is considered to be an area with a surface slope of 3 to 10 degrees to the northwest or northeast. Such areas in the Non-Chernozem region do not warm up above 20 degrees. If, nevertheless, overheating above 20 degrees occurs, the earth must be immediately cooled with water from a deep well or spring. Watering is carried out around plantings, but so that cold water does not get on the roots of plants. Tap water containing chlorine should not be watered. She must first be allowed to stand in an open wide bowl for at least a day and only then used for watering.

It is necessary to take into account the depth of groundwater. If they lie deep, and the soil is sandy, which easily passes irrigation water, then it will be very difficult to maintain the necessary moisture. Conversely, if the waters lie close to the surface and there is no way to lower their level, then the soil on the site will be constantly waterlogged, which will certainly affect the structure and acidity of the soil, and ultimately the risk of plant diseases will increase.

It is absolutely unacceptable that the ginseng planting site be flooded with water even for a short time.

When choosing a planting site, you should also consider the method by which you will grow ginseng: under the protection of a natural or artificial cover. It is desirable that the selected site be protected from the prevailing winds and located near a reservoir or other sources of water for irrigation. It is best to arrange ridges with plants on large plantations from west to east. With this arrangement, it is most convenient to make shading and create the necessary microclimate under it.

The experience of ginseng growers convinces that the cultivation of planting material is one of the most important stages in the ginseng culture and must be distinguished from the cultivation of a large root. It is much more profitable to grow seedling roots in a relatively small nursery area for two years than to sow seeds immediately in a permanent place. In addition, to obtain healthy planting material, it is necessary to create favorable microclimatic conditions and prepare the soil well, and this is much easier to do with a smaller nursery area.

On the recommendation of the ginseng grower N. F. Sergienko, I prepare the soil as follows: in a mixed deciduous forest, I choose a dry place with light sandy loamy soil, a thick layer of fallen leaves and other dead forest vegetation. With a metal rake, and sometimes with a garden chopper, trying not to disturb the roots of the trees, I rake the entire forest floor in the selected area with part of the earth into a pile. If unrotted particles predominate in the collected mass, then it can be left at the collection site for a year or more, depending on the circumstances. But if there is a need for urgent preparation of the soil for planting ginseng, then I immediately transfer the harvested material to the plantation and put it in a compact pyramid in a place well warmed by the sun, compact it and water it abundantly with slurry several times over the summer. By the end of September, a perfectly fertilized organic substrate is obtained - the basis for preparing the soil.

In approximately the same way, a similar substrate can be prepared from riding (red), peat well washed by rains or woody, well-rotted sawdust. At the same time, I prepare the components necessary for the substrate - well-decomposed cow dung and leaf humus, rotten wood and lake or river silt, the so-called sapropel, coarse sand, wood ash, eggshells, lime, etc. The components prepared for artificial soil are in for the purpose of disinfection, I warm it up well in the sun, loosen it and turn it over several times over the summer. In September, I begin to prepare a place and soil for planting.

For the nursery, you need to choose a dry place that does not require a drainage device. The size of the nursery is determined by planting 4-5 centimeters in a row and 12 centimeters between rows, which will be 180 plants per 1 square meter. The selected place must be leveled with a slight slope to the south for better lighting, and then select the top layer of soil 8-10 cm deep.

From boards 25-30 cm wide, make a box of the right size and install it on the prepared site.

From the previously prepared substrate and components, the soil of the following composition is prepared and placed in the box: 4 parts of the forest substrate; 2 parts small wood rotten dust; 2 parts well decomposed leafy humus; 1 part 2 year old decomposed bovine or horse manure; 1 part dried lake sapropel; 1 part of sandy turf land; 1/2 part of the sifted coal slag; 1/2 part coarse-grained clean sand; 1/3 part of furnace black, fresh wood ash and crushed eggshell. The latter components serve as an excellent fertilizer and neutralizer of soil acidity.

Measured with an ordinary bucket, but strictly in this proportion, the components, except for the forest substrate, must be sifted through a metal sieve with cells of 4-5 millimeters, combined with the substrate, mixed well and laid, lightly tamping, in a prepared box with a layer of 25-30 centimeters. The laid soil must be well watered from a fine watering can with a solution of potassium permanganate until completely wetted. The solution is prepared at the rate of 50 grams of potassium permanganate per 10 liters of water, preferably rain. The soil prepared in this way should be left for 15-20 days so that excess moisture comes off.

The soil is ready for planting if a lump compressed in the palm of a light touch crumbles. It is impossible to be late with the preparation of the soil, since it needs a certain time to compact. Before the onset of cold weather, the development of beneficial microorganisms should begin, which will contribute to the absorption nutrients ginseng roots.

It is best to prepare the soil a year before planting. In the Non-Black Earth Region, mid-October is considered the optimal time for planting seeds. It takes 2 years to grow roots for seedlings in a nursery, only after that it will be more stable when transplanted to a plantation, where in the future a marketable root will grow from it.

A plantation for growing a commercial root differs from a nursery in some features. The fact is that plants are in the nursery for only 2 years, and on a plantation, and a larger one, they will have to grow from 3 to 5 or more years. The size of the plantation is determined at the rate of 20-22 by 25-27 centimeters, which corresponds to approximately 16 plants per 1 square meter. Such an area is needed for better nutrition and lighting of plants.

General view of the ginseng plantation (photo).

The commercial root plantation area should be much larger than the nursery area. And for better air intake and removal of excess moisture, drainage is necessary. I begin its device by studying the composition of the subsoil layer and the depth of groundwater in all seasons. If groundwater occurs on average one meter from the surface, and the subsoil is sandy and suitable enough to pass flood waters, then special drainage can not be done. In the case of groundwater occurrence to a depth of less than a meter and dense subsoil, drainage is necessary. Based on local conditions and material availability, drainage can be done in a variety of ways.

Option one. On a leveled site, I mark the future ridge, in the center of it 2/3 of the width and for the entire length I choose soil 30-35 centimeters deep with a slight slope in one direction along the length. I put drainage material into the prepared ditch: gravel, broken brick, coarse gravel. I lay the drainage in a layer of 20 centimeters in such a way that a larger material gets into the lower layer, and a fine one into the upper one. The topmost drainage layer should consist of clean fine gravel or coarse sand. This distribution of material is necessary so that the soil laid on top does not subsequently fill all the gaps in the drainage. In order for the drainage to work properly, water must be drained from the lowest part of the groove. It is best to lay a pipe, but you can also lay out a drainage “mine” made of bricks.

Option two, proposed by the ginseng grower N. F. Sergienko. I tamp the leveled area under the bed with a slope to drain excess water. Over the entire area of ​​​​the ridge, then with some margin, I lay coal slag in an even layer of 15-20 centimeters, from below with larger ones, and from above - with small pieces, as in the first version. I install a wooden box on the prepared slag drainage and fill it with a layer of soil of at least 25-30 centimeters, taking into account compaction. The box recommended for installation on the ridge is convenient because in the dry season it retains moisture well and maintains a flat surface of the ridge. And this allows more rational use of the landing area. Properly made drainage largely contributes to the successful fight against fungal diseases of plants and such common pests in the Non-Black Earth Region as moles, bears and wireworms.

The soil for the plantation is prepared 2 years before planting. I consider it impossible to pick up ready-made soil for ginseng in the conditions of the Non-Black Earth Region. In household plots, well-developed soil, as a rule, is already affected by numerous plant pathogens that can also damage ginseng, so the selection and preparation of the soil must be approached with caution.

For my plantation, I make the soil in much the same way as was already recommended for the nursery, but with slightly different proportions and composition.

There is no and cannot be a strictly defined recipe for soil preparation; one must always proceed from real conditions and possibilities. Beginning ginseng growers need to remember that the soil must be sufficiently fertile and loose, not compacted when moistened, not form crusts, pass excess well and retain the right amount of moisture for plants. Excessive application of organic fertilizers containing nitrogen leads to a strong growth of the aerial parts of plants, and this sharply reduces their resistance to diseases. A complete set of microfertilizers contributes to increased yields and disease resistance.

The preparation of soil for a plantation based on a substrate from the forest floor is based on the fact that the substrate, as a rule, contains sufficiently crushed, but not completely decomposed plant residues. When mixed with other nutrient components, the substrate becomes the basis for building loose soil, which for several years ahead creates favorable conditions for air to penetrate into the soil, thereby contributing to the development of beneficial microorganisms. It needs different ratios of substrate and components than for a nursery. You can apply the following recipe: 5 parts of the forest substrate; 3 parts small wood rotten dust; 3 parts well decomposed leaf humus; 2 parts two-year-old decomposed horse or cow dung; 2 parts of dry lake or river sapropel; 2 parts of sandy loamy turf land; 1 part sifted coal slag; 1 part coarse-grained clean sand; 3/4 of fresh wood ash; 1/2 part fluffy lime; 1/2 part of oven soot; 3 tablets of Riga microfertilizer.

The tablets must be dissolved in 5 liters of rain water and the solution should be evenly spread while stirring the prepared soil. If it is not possible to prepare a substrate from the forest floor, it can be replaced with well-washed and sun-dried red peat. In urban conditions, you can use peat crumbs or prepare special composts from waste personal plot.

When the soil is prepared and laid in ridges, it is necessary to do its preventive disinfection with formalin. The solution can be prepared in an iron barrel at the rate of 2 liters of 40% formalin per 100 liters of rainwater. With this solution, you need to moisten the soil well, spending 8-10 liters per 1 square meter, cover the bed with a film or other dense material for 2-3 days, and then dig the soil for better ventilation.

The soil cannot be considered ready for planting without testing it for acidity. It is best, of course, to take samples for analysis to an agrochemical laboratory, but even at home, you can approximately establish the soil reaction to acidity. To do this, you need to put several portions of soil taken from different places in the ridge into a glass dish, moisten it with rain or snow water to the state of a liquid slurry, mix well and immerse blue litmus paper in it. If the color of the paper does not change, then the soil has an alkaline or neutral reaction and ginseng roots can be planted in it. If the litmus paper turns red, this means that the soil is acidic and additional lime needs to be added to it.

Two summer seasons grow root seedlings in the nursery, and, as a rule, two summer seasons prepare the soil in the plantation beds for their transplantation. And only in October, after the second summer season, the autumn transplantation of seedling roots is made from the nursery to a permanent place of cultivation - a plantation. The order of root transplantation will be discussed separately.

SEEDS

Beginning amateur ginseng growers and ginseng growers of state plantations have to purchase ginseng seeds, most often of unknown origin and quality, by mail order. Ginseng seeds, as mentioned, have a biological feature - delayed germination due to an underdeveloped sprout germ. For seed germination, their full development is necessary, which proceeds very slowly and slows down or even temporarily stops if in environment there are no appropriate conditions and, in addition, they are exposed to variable temperatures. The first thermal period of stratification, during which the embryo matures in the seed, is carried out at a temperature of 15 to 20 degrees and lasts 4 months. The second period of stratification, when the physiological ripening of seeds takes place, occurs when low temperature- from 1 to 4 degrees and also lasts about 4 months. Thus, the active period of pre-sowing preparation of seeds lasts about 8 months.

Preparation of ginseng seeds for planting by stratification allows you to check the quality of seeds for germination and sort them. Planting high-quality seeds guarantees an even distribution of plants in the garden, makes it possible to use the sown area more fully and rationally.

What happens when planting freshly harvested seeds? They fall into the upper soil layer to a depth of 3-4 centimeters, and it is difficult to create in it the temperature and humidity conditions necessary for the sprout embryo. Therefore, as a rule, seeds under such conditions have a low percentage of germination, seedlings appear in the second year after planting or even later.

The above arguments convincingly indicate that it makes sense to refuse to plant seeds that have not undergone preliminary stratification, especially in cases where their quality is unknown.

Seeds can be stratified in two ways. The most common of them is a method close to natural conditions, which lasts two winters and one summer, that is, 19-20 months. The second, accelerated, method, based on strict adherence to time and temperature for the physiological maturation of the germ embryo in the seed, lasts almost one winter, that is, 8 months.

So that the seeds do not lose their germination during storage, they cannot be dried until the moisture is completely lost. Freshly harvested seeds, well washed from the remnants of the fruit pulp, are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate (3 g per 1 liter of water) for about 8-10 minutes, until they acquire a dark coffee color. After this treatment, I scatter the seeds in a thin layer over the newspaper to quickly remove excess moisture and achieve flowability. If the seeds are obtained from another farm and during the inspection it is found that they were not subjected to primary treatment with potassium permanganate, then this must be done by yourself.

Change in the size of the embryo in the ginseng seed during the stratification period: a - freshly harvested seed; b — seed that has undergone 4-month stratification (figure).

For stratification, it is necessary to take clean coarse-grained sand, the particles of which would not exceed the size of half the seed, and then it will be easy and convenient to separate the sand from the seed by sifting the mixture through a colander. Sand must be well calcined on a brazier until organic impurities are completely burned and for disinfection. If there are several tens or even several hundred seeds to be stratified, then they should be mixed with sand in a ratio of 1: 1, that is, 1 part of sand is taken by volume for 1 part of the seeds. If there are seeds from 0.5 to 1 kilogram or more, you need to take 2 or 3 parts of sand for 1 part of the seeds. I moisten the seeds mixed with sand until completely wetted, put them in a nylon stocking, laid in two layers, and securely tie it with nylon twine.

Ginseng seeds prepared in this way can be placed in both long-term and accelerated stratification. A kapron stocking is convenient for periodic control while mixing seeds and monitoring their moisture content.

If there are a lot of seeds and they cannot be placed in a nylon stocking, then stratification should be done in a container specially prepared for this purpose, which can be a ceramic vase or flower pot, but preferably without a glaze finish and with drainage holes in the lower part to drain excess moisture and access air. The dishes can be made of food-grade aluminum, which does not give harmful oxide, is light, it is easy to make drainage holes in it. I refused to use wooden boxes: the tree is subject to active decay and requires frequent labor-intensive disinfecting treatments.

The dishes are selected with a lid and in such a way that the mixture of seeds and sand does not fill it to the brim, but some reserve remains. The lid is needed to protect the seeds from contamination and better retain moisture in dry times. Dishes prepared for stratification should be clean and well disinfected.

If the volume of the mixture of seeds and sand placed in one dish is increased, then the ratio of sand to seeds should be increased to 1:4, which will ensure sufficient air access to the seeds.

Seeds prepared in the manner described above, already mixed with sand, can be laid for stratification.

Long-term, close to natural conditions stratification is best done in beds that are being prepared or are already ready for planting. A prepared nylon stocking or dishes with seeds are laid in a garden bed or simply covered with soil in a garden bed. Under the first wintering, the container with seeds must be sealed to a depth of 15-20 centimeters. The mixture of seeds and sand and the surrounding soil should be moderately moist. To remove excess autumn-spring moisture, the place where the seeds are planted must be covered with a film or other material, but in such a way as to ensure free access of air to the soil.

When a crust forms on the soil from the first frost, and there is still no snow, the seed storage area must be covered with fallen leaves or other material. With the onset of winter, you need to make sure that the storage place is well covered with snow. If the seeds are planted only in a nylon stocking, there is a danger of their destruction by rodents, so the seeds must be protected metal mesh.

In the spring, when the soil thaws, the seeds need to be checked, mixed well, prepared for a warm period of stratification and buried in the same place for the whole summer. To control the temperature regime at the level of the laid seeds, it is necessary to install a thermometer. As mentioned above, the temperature regime should be 15-20 degrees Celsius with moderate humidity. In the event that in summer the temperature exceeds 20 degrees, the seeds will need to be transferred to a deeper layer of the bed and shade it from direct sunlight. If this is not enough, then to reduce the temperature, it is necessary to pour the soil around the place of laying the seeds with cold water from a fine-stream watering can.

Seed care during this period consists of controlling temperature and humidity, periodically viewing and mixing the seeds, and loosening the soil around the storage site. In early September, all full-fledged seeds will have opened seeds, from which part of the swollen seed will come out.

In October, separating the seeds on a sieve or colander from the sand, I lower them into a solution of potassium permanganate at the rate of 5 grams of potassium permanganate per liter of water. I keep the seeds in the solution for 10-12 minutes, after which, having dried them on newsprint to the degree of flowability, I plant them on the beds of the nursery prepared by that time. In this state, the seeds go through another cold period of stratification.

In order to make it more convenient to take care of the plants in the future, planting seeds in the beds of the nursery should be done in rows. At a distance of 12 cm from one another, a groove is made 3-4 cm deep, seeds are laid out in it 4-5 cm from one another, after which they are sprinkled with leaf humus and slightly compacted. Preparation of a seeded nursery for wintering will be described below. In the spring, when the soil warms up to 6-8 degrees, friendly shoots of ginseng will appear and new cares for plant care will begin.

We already know that if the necessary temperature and humidity conditions are artificially created for seeds, then within 8 months they can be prepared for germination in the very first spring of next year. To do this, the seeds in a nylon stocking, prepared in the way already described, are placed in a bowl and covered with coarse sand calcined on a brazier. Seeds are placed in the sand in the center of the dishes for a better distribution of temperature and humidity. For this purpose, I use parts from an ordinary aluminum juicer, in which I place a stocking with seeds and 5-6 liters of sand.

An ideal place for the thermal period of stratification can serve as a laboratory thermostat with a given temperature regime from +15 to + 20 degrees, where the prepared seeds are placed. But more often the thermal period of stratification has to be done in a city apartment or a rural house, so you need to stock up on a small basin and a piece of film. The film is needed to work with the basin when pouring, mixing and moistening the seeds and sand, which has to be done every 12-15 days. A thermometer is placed in the sand at the depth of the laid seeds for control.

Thus prepared and well-moistened seeds in a bowl are placed in a warm place - to the stove or central heating radiator. In this case, the temperature regime is regulated by the approach or distance of the dishes from the heat source.

Seeds laid in early September in accelerated stratification by early January are already finishing the warm period of preparation. By this time, all seeds should have opened seeds, in which the overgrown part of the swollen seed will be visible. Now it's the turn of the next stage. For physiological ripening, the seeds must go through a four-month cold period with a temperature regime of +1 to -4 degrees. In the same dish, but with noticeably less humidity, the seeds are transferred to another place where it is possible to create the desired temperature regime. Such a room can be a clean cellar or a glacier, it is also suitable household refrigerator, but we must remember that in it, from the rapid evaporation of moisture, the seeds can dry out and lose their germination. It is possible to bury the seeds in the soil and cover them with snow from above, but at the same time, care must be taken not to flood them with flood waters and protect them from rodents.

The cold period of stratification lasts almost from January until the sowing of seeds in the spring on the beds. The success of accelerated stratification depends on the strict implementation of the temperature regime and maintaining the required humidity.

AND LIGHT AND SHADOW

Like any plant, ginseng needs sunlight for growth and development, because only in the presence of light does the process of photosynthesis take place. But the direct rays of the high summer sun overheat the ginseng leaf plates, and they die off, so you have to choose a place for planting, covered from the daytime sun by plants, or build shading canopies. Shading for a nursery in the North-Western part of the Non-Chernozem Region should be done especially thoughtfully, because growing roots for seedlings up to two years of age requires increased care and attention. The peculiarity of growing ginseng in the North-Western zone and in the republics of the Soviet Baltic states is that shading has to be combined with covering the plantings from long and heavy seasonal rains. In addition, fresh and loose soil in home gardens attracts domestic animals, which greatly harm young plants.

Each amateur in the manufacture of fencing and shading canopies can show their own ingenuity and resourcefulness. I offer a version that I have tested and has served me reliably for many years. A four-sided frame is made from light bars above the beds. The height is set arbitrary, but with a sufficient margin of space for the approach to landings. The north side of the frame must be made 20 centimeters higher than the south for best drain moisture and illumination of the ridges. On the south side, along the frame, it is necessary to cover the landings with a picket fence made of slats 4-5 centimeters wide, with gaps between the slats 2 centimeters. To make it more convenient to approach the landings, the picket fence can be assembled with shields and made them attached or mounted. The northeast, northwest and north sides of the nursery are best covered with a metal mesh. On the upper part of the frame, with some overhang to the south side of about 20 centimeters, I make a roof of slats 4-5 centimeters wide with gaps between them 3-3.5 centimeters. It is convenient to put a piece of film on such a roof, which will protect the plantings well from waterlogging, while creating sufficient illumination.

The shading described above reliably covers the plants from the burning rays of the sun and allows less intense rays from the east and west to penetrate unhindered into the shelter. And the morning and evening sun rays have a beneficial effect on the growth of ginseng, increase its resistance to diseases.

Shading canopies for plants aged three years and older differ from nursery canopies in area and lighting requirements: the commercial plantation should be lit more than the nursery. For a significant part of the Non-Black Earth zone, we can recommend the simplest shading developed by the Belarusian ginseng grower A. K. Shestakov. Its essence lies in collapsible canopies over plantings of ginseng. In practice, this is done as follows: along the longitudinal edges of the ridges, strong stakes are hammered, the height of which is 80 on the south side, and 100 centimeters on the north; on top of the stakes of strong poles or bars, a strapping is made that exceeds the length of the ridges by 40-50 centimeters. From light boards measuring 8-10 by 1.5-2 centimeters and 170 centimeters long, shields are knocked together with gaps between the boards of 3 centimeters, which are placed on the prepared harness, covering the landing from above. The approximate size of the shields in width is 100-120 centimeters. With a good general fencing of a backyard or summer cottage, the ridges with plantings can be arranged so that they themselves will consistently shade each other from the south side, and this, in turn, will lead to savings in labor and materials. In Primorsky Krai, ginseng growers living in countryside, make shading only from local materials. The outer fence is made of poles, and branches of coniferous trees are used for upper shading, which deserves the attention of ginseng growers of the Non-Black Earth Region. Residents of the city for the construction of frames can use slats used for packing furniture, which accumulate in furniture stores, and for the manufacture of upper shading, you can take pieces of textile material or plastic film.

Scheme of placement of shelter canopies over the ridges according to Shestakov (figure).

The practice of growing ginseng has shown that direct sunlight, penetrating into the shading cracks and falling on the leaf blade of the plant in a narrow strip, does not bring any harm to the ginseng leaf. And the larger the leaf, the wider the band of the sun's beam that falls on it can be. Therefore, the dimensions of the gaps between the slats or shading boards from above and from the south side are given taking into account this feature, they must be adhered to. According to the recommendations of scientists, the illumination in the nursery should be about 3000 lux. This is about 1/10 or 1/12 of the ambient light. In a large root plantation, the recommended illumination is about 4000 lux, which is about 1/5 or 1/8 of the total ambient light.

IN CARING HANDS

Vegetation of ginseng in the Non-Black Earth region begins in early May and ends in September. At the first appearance of seedlings, it is necessary to install shading and in sunny weather check the effectiveness of its action. Plant care during this period is basically as follows: you need to make sure that the soil is sufficient, but moderately moist, does not cake to form a crust, does not overgrow with weeds and is sufficiently fertilized.

Soil moisture control in the nursery and commercial plantation is important and must be done constantly, because soil moisture has a direct impact on growth, root weight and disease resistance in general. During the period active growth, and in the Non-Black Earth region it is May, June and the first half of July, the plant needs only a slightly increased humidity. And in the second half of July, August and September, when the roots have passed the growth stage and begin to gain weight, the humidity should be less, but sufficient for plant growth. The interval between watering depends entirely on climatic conditions and the ability of the soil to retain moisture, an average of 5-7 days can be recommended.

It must be constantly remembered that excessive moisture leads to disease and root loss. In summer, during hot and dry times, watering is done early in the morning or in the evening. It is necessary to water from a watering can with small holes and preferably soft water - river, lake or rain. In an exceptional case, tap chlorinated water can be used, but only after its daily settling in an open wide bowl. The water temperature must match the ambient temperature.

When planting plants in rows, as recommended above, the best conditions for watering are created. Plantings should be watered between rows and strictly ensure that water does not fall directly on the thick parts of the root, because in this case deep longitudinal cracks form on them. As a rule, infectious bacteria penetrate through the cracks, the roots rot and die.

Proper formation of furrows between plants will speed up watering and evenly distribute moisture to the roots. The crest of the furrow should, as it were, spud the plants, and the ditch, where water accumulates and is absorbed into the soil, should pass along the border of small roots.

When planning plantings, the dimensions are given taking into account such watering. During loosening of the soil and during weeding, the profile of the furrow should be restored. Plants from three and older, planted in rows, watering along one longitudinal groove is not enough. For the stability of the stem, such plants have to be hilled each separately and make an additional groove around the circumference.

Watering ginseng during flowering should be especially careful. Moisture, falling on the flowers, will moisten the pollen, as a result of which pollination will not occur and the fruits will not be tied, and hence the seeds.

Properly and timely prepared, well-fertilized and developed soil requires less attention in the future and facilitates plant care. Every beginner ginseng grower should remember this truth. At the same time, it is also important if the seeds in the nursery and the roots on the plantation are planted in strict rows, observing the recommended distances. To reduce the time for carrying out such work as weeding from weeds and loosening the soil, and these operations must be combined, that is, carried out simultaneously, I have made and successfully use the tool shown in the picture.

The aerial part of ginseng is very fragile, and the root system is delicate, so a set of tools for weeding and loosening should be light, convenient, of the appropriate size and purpose. Since the root system of ginseng is not deep in the soil, loosening must be carried out carefully and in a special way. It is not difficult, but still requires a certain skill. At the estimated depth of small roots (approximately 5-7 cm), a narrow chopper is buried in the soil. The lump of soil captured by it with a slight movement moves from its place by 1-2 millimeters, but no more, and is left in place. The next lump of soil moves to the first one in the same way, and so on until the furrow is completely processed. Such a slight displacement of the soil from its place destroys the compaction that has arisen, but small ginseng roots that have fallen into a lump of soil are preserved intact, and weeds are easily removed. Loosening is carried out at the place of irrigation in the furrow, under the leaves of plants, where the soil is most compacted from moisture. In places where large roots are located, the soil must be loosened more carefully, with a smaller chopper or even without it, by hand. Near the thickened part of the main root, the soil can only be loosened by hand.

Behind summer season loosening should be carried out as needed, but at least three times: in spring - after germination, in summer - after flowering, in autumn - in preparation for winter. In addition, loosening is usually carried out a couple of days after each liquid plant nutrition.

BE CAREFUL WITH FERTILIZERS!

In the nursery, as a rule, fertilizer is laid for two growing seasons of seedlings at once, when the soil is being prepared. But if the need arises, liquid top dressing can be applied during irrigation. On a commercial root plantation, top dressing can be done both in dry form and in liquid form when irrigating the soil, and it is better to dry dry at the beginning of the growing season, in spring. This is done as follows: a nutrient mixture is prepared from well-rotted cow or horse manure three or four years ago. If there is no rotted manure, then the nutrient mixture is prepared from well-rotted leaf humus. Humus must be sifted through a sieve with a mesh diameter of 4 millimeters. Add 3-4 cups of sifted fresh wood ash to a bucket of sifted humus and mix the components well. I separate the soil from the plant with my hands so that small roots appear, after which I cover them with a thin layer of selected soil. On prepared in this way root system I lay the nutrient mixture around the entire circumference of the plant and supplement it with the previously selected soil on top.

After such top dressing, you need to restore the irrigation groove and then carefully water the plants until the added soil is completely wetted. It is desirable to combine dry top dressing with a nutrient mixture with the general spring loosening of the soil on the plantation. One such top dressing is quite enough for the season, in the future it contributes well to loosening the soil.

Liquid top dressing is desirable to combine with watering both in the nursery and on the plantation. In liquid top dressing, mullein infusion can be used in a ratio of 1:10, that is, 1 part of concentrated mullein is taken for 10 parts of rainwater; infusion of chicken manure in a ratio of 1:20; infusion of fresh wood ash - 0.3 kilograms per 10 liters of water; microfertilizers - 1 tablet per 10 liters of water.

I consider it necessary to draw the attention of ginseng growers to the use of ash. It contains, with the exception of nitrogen, all the nutrients necessary for the development of ginseng. Especially a lot of potassium in the ashes, it is rich in phosphorus and calcium. It contains a significant amount of trace elements - magnesium, sulfur, iron, boron, molybdenum, manganese and some others. In wood ash, potassium and phosphorus are in a form available to plants, which further increases its value as a fertilizer. Ash creates better conditions for the activity of soil microorganisms, which contribute to the accumulation in the soil of nutrients necessary for plants in a more digestible form.

All of the above indicates that wood ash is one of the best complex fertilizers for growing ginseng, it not only increases the yield, but also improves its quality. In addition, I use ashes as a pest control and disease treatment. It is also very useful to use it to reduce the acidity of the soil.

There are different opinions regarding the use of fertilizers. Under natural conditions, ginseng grows in forests, in places where there is a lot of forest humus, which contains all the necessary nutrients for normal growth. Based on this, we can safely say that mineral fertilizers are contraindicated for ginseng. In the practice of growing ginseng, there are cases of using mineral fertilizers, but organic fertilizers have been and remain the most useful. Some ginseng growers have begun to use mineral fertilizers in order to increase yields, and even in high concentrations. As a result, the vast majority of the roots rotted. Therefore, one should not get involved in the use of large doses of fertilizers, even organic ones. Better to under-fertilize than over-fertilize.

COLLECTION AND PREPARATION OF SEEDS FOR STRATIFICATION

In the first years, when I did not have my own planting material, seeds were sent to me by ginseng growers from different parts of the country, most of them with a low percentage of germination - no more than 40-60. Many ginseng growers are still convinced that such germination is a normal phenomenon. However, in later years I became convinced of the opposite. In all the recommendations that one had to read or hear from ginseng growers at meetings, it was said that with the reddening of the fruit, the seed also ripened. My subsequent experience gives me reason to assert that the first reddening of the fruit is not a sign of the full maturity of the seed.

Until the seeds are fully ripe, the fruits must be left on the plant until the end of the growing season, when they themselves begin to separate from the plant and fall to the ground. During the formation of the fruit umbrella on the plant (approximately the second half of July), in order to obtain full-fledged seeds, I do selective thinning of the fruits. With my left hand I hold an umbrella with fruits at the base, and with the help of tweezers I remove all small, underdeveloped fruits, which, as a rule, are located in the middle part of the umbrella. Healthy fruits left for ripening until the end of the growing season give large and full-fledged seeds, with 100% germination. Thus, all this is consistent with my statement regarding the reasons for the low germination of seeds I receive from other ginseng growers.

To save seeds on plants from being destroyed by birds during the period of fruit reddening, I close them with light caps made of gauze or nylon stocking. In September, with the appearance on the plants of characteristic signs of the end of the growing season (yellowness of the leaf surface), I cut off the fruits with part of the fruit stem and begin to prepare the seeds for stratification.

Preparation of seeds for stratification consists in thoroughly cleaning them from fruit pulp and treating them with potassium permanganate. Fruit pulp, like the whole plant from leaf to root, contains many biologically active substances. It must be collected, cleaned of fibers and preserved. The process of separating the seeds from the pulp does not require much skill. I put a handful of sorted and clean fruits in a dish with high edges, preferably glass, porcelain or enameled. I knead the fruits with my hands, trying to squeeze the seeds out of the pulp. When all the fruits are crushed, I add half a glass of boiled water to the mass and again bring the fruit pulp with my hands to liquid state. The seeds separated from the pulp will settle down, and the top layer should be carefully poured into a clean bowl. I wash the seeds remaining at the bottom with clean water, rubbing them in my palms until they are completely cleaned of pulp and fibers. When grinding seeds in the palms, you can act boldly: the stone of a freshly harvested seed is strong and reliably protects it from damage.

Peeled seeds must be treated with potassium permanganate to protect against fungal diseases during the stratification period in the manner described above.

I collect the fruit pulp remaining during the cleaning of the seeds in one dish and add the same amount of preservative to it. I put the resulting mass in a closed container in a dark, cold place and let it brew for about three weeks. After it acquires a bright red color, I filter it through two layers of gauze, squeeze out the rest. In this form, the tincture is ready for use.

HOW TO PRODUCE GINSENG

Transplantation of ginseng roots of all ages is one of the most important activities in ginseng breeding. Most beginner ginseng growers are afraid to transplant for fear of damaging the roots of the plants. But you still have to make root transplants, so you need to know some of the tricks of this work. In my nursery, the soil is so loose that I dig out the roots with my hands, without the use of any tool. With two hands I lift the plants together with a clod of earth, put them on free place and carefully, trying not to damage the small roots, I select the earth from them.

I immediately sort the roots extracted and cleaned from the ground. Healthy and well developed go to the 1st grade group. The roots, well developed, but with small signs of easily eliminated diseases, are put aside in the 2nd grade group. Underdeveloped and disease-damaged roots, but with a well-developed germ bud next year, I send them to the 3rd grade group. The group of the 4th grade includes all the roots that do not have a laid down resting bud of the next year, the so-called "sleeping" roots and having large damage.

Tools for root transplantation (figure).

Viewing, sorting, treating the roots take a certain time, which entails the danger of their drying out. To prevent this from happening, on a small piece of plywood I pour a thin layer of earth taken from the same place where the roots grew, lay them in rows and cover the thin parts of the roots with a damp cloth.

The roots of the 1st and 2nd grades, cleared of soil residues, are carefully examined to identify damage caused by diseases, and I do preventive treatment with potassium permanganate. I prepare the solution at the rate of 5 grams of potassium permanganate per 1 liter of water. I put the roots in rows in a bowl, pour the prepared solution and keep it in it for no more than 8-10 minutes, otherwise they can give a longitudinal crack.

After processing, the roots are slightly dried in a dark place, placing several layers under them. newsprint. In the same way, I prepare the roots of the 3rd and 4th groups for planting, but I place them separately. Underdeveloped and sick after treatment, I place in the nursery for growing. I plant dormant roots and with great damage separately and mark them with a tag with the inscription “sleeping”.

Such sorting and preventive treatment of seedlings grown in the nursery is a clear confirmation of the need for transplantation. Similar transplant will go the roots benefit, in addition, they get to a new place and in better growth conditions. With a significant number of seedling roots, transplantation is best done in the fall after the end of the growing season, when the plants are in complete physiological rest. You can do this in the spring, but then the rest period is much shorter, which creates many difficulties. I consider it appropriate to note that in special cases, ginseng transplantation can be done even during the growing season. A sufficient supply of nutrients at the root allows this, but such a transplant will lead to poor plant growth in the following year. Root transplantation should be done as soon as possible. This is especially important when the air temperature is above 6 degrees.

Before planting the roots on the ridge, a preliminary marking (22x27 centimeters) of the landing sites is carried out. In the designated places, holes are made according to the size of the root, with an inclined edge of about 45 degrees. The root is laid on the sloping edge of the hole, all its small root branches are carefully straightened. Small roots should not be allowed to be twisted or their tips bent upwards. The germinal bud of the root should be 3 or 4 centimeters from the soil surface. When the root is laid, I fill it in and lightly compact it with the previously selected soil.

Ginseng plants with fruits at the age of seven years (photo).

Planting roots with an inclination was borrowed by our ginseng growers from well-established Korean agricultural technology. Oblique planting allows the root to more easily tolerate soil deformations during compaction, and also contributes to the formation of an additional number of small nutrient roots, which is essential for better growth plants. If the soil has dried up during the transplantation period, then it must be watered around the planted root, but in such a way that moisture gets mainly to the locations of small roots.

Root transplantation from three years old and older does not differ significantly from transplantation of two-year-olds and is done as needed. And it occurs when the plant grows poorly or there is a suspicion of a root disease, as well as when thinning or compacting previously made plantings. When transplanting roots of older ages, it should be remembered that the root of such plants often has lateral horizontal branches. I begin to dig such roots from the selection of soil from the main root to branching into smaller ones. Having determined the location of the root, I lift it with a garden fork or a shovel, carefully clean it from the soil, trying to preserve even the thinnest roots. I carefully examine the root, I probe its thick parts for elasticity, that is, for turgor. The root intended for planting must be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate, as described in the section on the treatment of two-year-old roots. Commodity roots from five years and older, intended for sale, do not process with potassium permanganate, but thoroughly wash with cold water and dry.

At the end of October, after autumn transplants roots, I begin to prepare the beds for wintering. I cut off all the remaining dry stems on a stump, leaving no more than 5-6 centimeters, I spud all the roots with a layer of soil up to 10-12 centimeters. If there is not enough soil for hilling, I add it. In places where plantings are made in rows, hilling is done with a groove.

I do high hilling for two reasons: firstly, to save the roots from severe frosts until a permanent snow cover is established, and secondly, to protect them from warming up with autumn heat, which can cause unwanted germination of a germ bud. When all the roots are piled up and frosts are close, I cover the ridges with roofing material, laying it not on the soil, but on transverse light linings. I lay the roofing material in such a way that moisture from heavy autumn precipitation rolls into the passages between the ridges. After that, I remove the top film coating from the canopy and put it away for storage. After the snow falls, I cover the ridges on top of the roofing material with snow. Well-ripened and dormant ginseng roots, according to my observations, can withstand soil freezing up to 25 degrees Celsius.

In the spring, with active snowmelt, I make sure that flood waters do not penetrate the ridges, remove excess snow as necessary, but leave the roofing material until stable warm weather sets in. I remove it from the beds with the general beginning of the growing season in nature and at the same time I make a summer covering of the shading frame with a film.

DISEASES OF GINSENG

Waterlogging of the soil and the surrounding air contributes to the active spread of fungal, viral and bacterial diseases. It should be constantly remembered that excessive moisture leads to diseases not only of seedling roots, but also of a large root. Prevention of diseases of ginseng, unlike diseases of other crops, has its own characteristics, and in the treatment of its diseases there are still many unresolved issues, much more than in the treatment of diseases of plants common to us. In addition, certain difficulties arise in this matter, due to the fact that ginseng is a perennial plant and therefore, for a number of years, it can accumulate a source of infection in certain areas of the surface tissue of the root and in the soil environment adjacent to it. Ginseng does not have specific diseases, but is susceptible to diseases common among other plants. On the basis of localization, they can be divided into diseases of the aerial part of the plant, diseases of the root and basal parts of the stem.

phytophthora. The disease most often first affects the leaves in the form of dark green spots, later covers the petioles of the leaves and the stem. The stem at the site of the lesion bends, and the leaves droop. When the infection passes to the roots, soft root rot develops.

ANTHRACNOSE and PHOMOSIS OF THE STEM. With anthracnose, numerous black spots form on the stems, which gradually cover the entire stem. In the later stages of the disease, the stem may break. With phomosis, the stem at the base takes on a light brown color, later becomes gray, its surface is covered with black accumulations of the fungus.

ROOT ROT. The disease is caused by various fungi, sometimes together with bacteria. A sign of the disease is the wilting of plants; during excavation, softened or half-decayed roots are found.

MOSAIC. A bright pinnate mosaic forms on the leaves, followed by yellowing and dying of the affected areas.

PESTS OF GINSENG IN THE NON-BLACK EARTH REGION, periodically causing significant damage to plants, are among the widespread polyphagous pests. There are no specialized pests on ginseng.

TRACKS SCOOP. Caterpillars first feed on the leaves, then go into the soil and gnaw through the base of the stems and roots. Adult caterpillars, earthy-gray in color, feed at night, during the day they hide in the soil near plants. They reach a length of 5 centimeters.

Wireworms, larvae of click beetles live in the soil for 3-4 years. Adult larvae are yellowish and brown in color, with a developed head and three pairs of legs, 2-3 centimeters long, the body is dense, rigid. Wireworms bite into seedlings and gnaw roots.

LARVOYS Dangerous are the larvae of the May and June beetles. The larva of the May beetle lives in the soil for 4-5 years, of the June beetle - 2 years. Older larvae are very large, white, curved, with three pairs of legs and a well-developed brown head. The larvae are able to gnaw through the roots of even well-developed plants.

MEDVEDKA. Harm larvae and adults that are similar to each other, differing only in size and the presence of wings in adults. A characteristic distinguishing feature of the bear is the device of the front legs, which have a spatulate first segment with teeth. Bears live in the ground, eating seeds, roots and small insects. More populated areas in low places.

BOTTOM APHI. Small sucking insects are dark green, almost black. Inhabit mainly inflorescences. Aphid damage weakens plants, and strong pest reproduction can lead to a decrease in seed yield.

LEAF ROLLER. Sometimes ginseng is damaged by caterpillars of leaf-rolling butterflies, which eat leaves and pull them together with cobwebs.

SLUGS. Ginseng is mainly harmed by field ginseng and bordered slugs. Slugs lay their eggs under lumps and cracks in the soil, young individuals are similar to adults and differ from them only in their smaller size. They breed mainly in damp, low places. Most often, slugs gnaw or eat the stems and leaves of plants.

MICE. Depending on the location of plantings, forest or field mice, voles that eat seeds and plant roots can harm ginseng.

Proper and timely control of diseases and pests is the key to maintaining the yield of ginseng. At present, a whole system of protective measures has been developed and is being put into practice to help ginseng growers protect plants from diseases and pests. The protective system includes preventive, agrotechnical, organizational and economic measures. The latter are of the utmost importance. They are effective only in combination with each other, and none of them can be replaced by another. For example, all the required measures were observed, but the shading related to the organizational and economic event was performed with a greater degree of shading or illumination. In this case, all the efforts of the ginseng grower will be in vain, because there are no trifles when growing ginseng.

At the beginning of the brochure, we already mentioned the importance of choosing a landing site. For persuasiveness, I repeat once again that the right place will save the ginseng grower from many worries and troubles in the fight against diseases and pests. Soil preparation for planting is an important agrotechnical measure. Selection, exposure, preparation of components for the preparation of the required soil composition is also essential condition growing healthy plants.

Thus, the successful protection of ginseng from diseases depends on the correct observance of the agrotechnical system, on the qualitative and timely implementation of its individual measures.

When growing medicinal plants, in my opinion, in no case should pesticides be used to combat diseases and pests. One does not need to be a great specialist to understand that the systematic use of pesticides creates conditions for the accumulation of harmful substances in plants. Receiving nutrition from the soil, ginseng, as a perennial plant, will accumulate substances harmful to the medicinal plant.

In my practice of combating ginseng diseases, I use and recommend using infusions prepared from plants that have a detrimental effect on microorganisms. As an exception, I consider it possible to use time-tested products: Bordeaux liquid, potassium permanganate, wood ash and formalin. I use formalin in exceptional cases, for example, during quarantine tillage and sun protection facilities.

I carry out seasonal work on plant protection with the onset of spring in a certain order. In the spring, when the winter shelter has not yet been removed, I process the shading structures with a 2% formalin solution until the surface to be treated is completely wetted. After removing the winter shelter, but before the emergence of ginseng seedlings, I treat the surface of the ridges and passages between them with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid or a 0.05% solution of potassium permanganate (5 g per 10 l of water) and also until the surface is completely wetted.

When all the plants sprout, I do their first spraying with an infusion of fresh wood ash at the rate of 200 grams per 10 liters of water. After 2-3 days, I process it with an infusion of garlic in a proportion of 200 grams per 10 liters of water. Further, at intervals of 3-4 days, if possible with different infusions, I do treatments until the plants are fully developed.

In the spring, there is not yet a large selection of phytoncidal plants for preparing infusions, so most often you have to use infusions of garlic, wild rosemary, ash, and partially a solution of potassium permanganate.

When the plants gain full growth of the aerial part, I carry out the processing separately, according to age and in relation to further phases of development: plants from 3 years and older - with an infusion of wood ash before flowering and after flowering, at the beginning of fruit set. I also prepare the solution in the proportion of 200 grams of ash per 10 liters of water. And in the nursery, I treat one- and two-year-old seedlings with a similar infusion as needed, but at least once every 10 days.

All treatments are conveniently carried out with a manual garden sprayer with a fine spray type GPS-035 (portable rock). In case of suspected Fusarium disease, I urgently do the treatment until complete wetting strong mortar potassium permanganate at the rate of 50 grams per 10 liters of water.

PREPARATION OF WATER PLANT INfusions. I prepare garlic infusion for the first spring treatment at the rate of 2.00 grams per 10 liters of water. For subsequent treatments, I take 300 grams of garlic per 10 liters of water. Garlic should be finely crushed without peeling, or passed through a meat grinder. Pour crushed mass with hot water and insist in a dark place for a whole day. After that, I drain the infusion, pour the garlic mass again with hot water and set it to infuse in a dark place. I do a similar operation three times, after the third drain, I supplement the infusion with water up to 10 liters, filter it through gauze and use it for its intended purpose on the same day. When loosening the remaining mass of garlic, I bury it in the grooves to repel pests.

For the preparation of aqueous infusions, a number of plants with phytoncidal properties can be used. I have tested and successfully applied against pests and diseases the following plants: bird cherry, small branches with leaves and flower tassels are used; wild rosemary, young tops with flower buds, flowers; blackcurrant - small branches with leaves and flower buds; high celandine - all grass from top to root with flower buds and flowers; common tansy - the upper part of the stem with inflorescences; common yarrow - the upper part of the stem with inflorescences, common wormwood - the tops of the stem with inflorescences.

In relation to local conditions, other plants can also be successfully used - horseradish, turnip, belladonna, calendula, etc.

For water infusions, I harvest plants early in the morning, before the dew dries. I chop the branches of plants finely with an ax, I grind the grass with an ordinary cut. I put the mass in a bucket, filling it up to half, pour it with hot water or boiling water, cover it tightly and leave it to infuse until the morning next day. In the morning, I pour the infusion into a separate bowl, pour boiling water over the mass again and leave it to cool completely. Then I drain this infusion and combine it with the previous one, add water to 10 liters and filter if necessary. At the end of the day, I process the plants with this infusion.

The infusion is more effective if used on the day of preparation. The concentration of the infusion, if necessary, is easy to change by increasing or decreasing the number of plants. The quality of infusions largely depends on the period of use of volatile plants. best period the time when the plants are preparing for flowering is considered, and the flowering period itself. In the Non-Black Earth region, plants bloom for a long time and simultaneously with the period of active development of ginseng diseases and pests. And to fight them, ginseng growers can always provide themselves with enough protective equipment vegetable origin.

The use of phytoncidal preparations of plant origin against diseases and pests of ginseng finds more and more supporters among ginseng growers every year. So, ginseng grower A.P. Kuznetsov from Vladivostok in his practice widely uses phytoncide plants and in the brochure “ Guidelines on the Expanded Reproduction of Ginseng” advises other ginseng growers to do the same. The Kursk ginseng grower V.I. Polyakov already several years ago abandoned the use of pesticides and successfully uses herbal products. V.P. Tokin in the book on phytoncides "Healing plant poisons" (Lenizdat, 1974), based on his experience and the experience of many other scientists, proves the possibility of using phytoncidal agents of plant origin in the fight against viral, bacterial and fungal diseases.

INfusion of WOOD ASH. For the first spring treatments, I make ash infusion at the rate of 200 grams of ash per 10 liters of water. Subsequent treatments for mature plants are carried out with infusion at a concentration of 300 grams of ash per 10 liters of water. Since the ash infusion is a strong complex fertilizer, I must combine such treatments to prevent diseases with watering and feeding the plants no earlier than after 13-15 days, pour 200 or 300 grams of ash with 3 liters of hot water, stirring slightly, cover warmly and leave to infuse. The next morning I shake the infusion well and, when large particles settle, I pour it into another bowl. I pour the remaining ash again with hot water, mix well, cover and let stand until it cools completely. Then I shake it again and after settling of large particles I drain it. I combine both solutions in one bowl, add it to 10 liters with water and use it for its intended purpose. When using the ash infusion, it is necessary to shake it up so that phosphorus, which is sparingly soluble in water, does not precipitate.

BORDEAUX LIQUID. For many years, flower growers, gardeners and gardeners have been using in the fight against plant diseases Bordeaux liquid. This universal remedy has been transferred to the practice of ginseng growing and is successfully used, but not all ginseng growers know how to prepare it correctly. Copper sulphate and ordinary quicklime. For the preparation of various infusions and Bordeaux liquid, I purchased 2 polyethylene tanks with well-closing lids with a capacity of 20 liters each. Such dishes create certain conveniences, simplifies the preparation of solutions and herbal infusions. To prepare a 1% Bordeaux liquid, I take strictly by weight 100 grams of copper sulfate, and for a 0.5% Bordeaux liquid - 50 grams. I pour the required amount of vitriol into the tank and pour 3-4 liters of hot water. blue vitriol dissolves well in hot water with vigorous stirring. After that, I make a weight of lime, for a 1% Bordeaux liquid - 150 grams, and for a 0.5% liquid - 80 grams. I put lime in another tank, pour 3-4 liters of water (for lime, take cold water), stir well until lime milk is obtained and filter.

When the solutions of vitriol and lime are ready, all that remains is to combine them. It must be remembered that a solution of vitriol in a thin stream should be poured into a solution of lime with slight stirring. After connecting the solutions, I bring the volume of Bordeaux liquid to 10 liters by adding the missing amount of water.

The resulting liquid cannot yet be used, it must be checked for suitability. The simplest way to check is as follows: a clean iron object immersed in a liquid for 2-3 minutes should not change its color. In such cases, I advise you to use a knife blade or a thick, clean nail. If a thin coating of copper appears on the iron, then the liquid is not yet ready for use, an additional portion of lime should be added to it and checked again for suitability - the lowered iron object must remain clean. After checking, I filter the Bordeaux liquid and use it on the same day. You can cook it only in wooden, glass or ceramic dishes.

So far, I have not mentioned the use of needles. And this is no coincidence. The fact is that, starting to grow ginseng, I adopted many skills and techniques from my first teacher P. N. Kryukov. He widely used spruce and pine needles for mulching beds, added coniferous humus to the prepared soil. I repeatedly heard from Pavel Nikolayevich complaints that his ginseng began to grow worse, that other fertilizers had to be selected to improve growth, and the plantings should be covered with foil. When Kryukov died, I began to grow ginseng on my own, I had the opportunity to widely use pine needles. I collected empty old anthills in the forest, coniferous litter under the trees, and used all this to prepare the soil and mulch the beds. It looked like excellent soil, with a large percentage of humus, well aerated, but, unfortunately, ginseng did not grow well on it, most of the plants died. All my efforts to improve the situation with different dressings did not bring success.

I was in such bewilderment for several years, I began to suspect a bad qualitative composition soil. In the newspaper "Selskaya Zhizn" on May 27, 1981, an article "Beware of needles" was published, which clarified a lot to me. An amateur gardener near Moscow, I. Semenko, observed a similar phenomenon, after which he himself conducted experiments that confirmed the harmfulness of needles that slow down plant growth. I. Semenko warned amateur gardeners about this. The journal, in particular, reports that Professor Maspalier from the University of Bordeaux (France), after experimenting with an extract from fallen coniferous needles, found that they contain a substance of the pycnogenol group, which delays seed germination and plant development. Semenko, in the same year, I replaced all the soil on plantings, and my ginseng began to grow normally, giving an increase of 10 to 15 grams per year. Since then, I began to provide myself with planting material completely.

The question of the use of needles in the cultivation of ginseng, in my opinion, has not yet been sufficiently studied, so I refrain from making any recommendations.

ROOT PRESERVATION

Methods for drying ginseng root can be varied and are used based on the available conditions and opportunities. Drying can be done on a warm air stream, in a vacuum, by freezing, in a conventional oven, but with a temperature not exceeding 60 degrees Celsius, and in other ways. It should be remembered that at temperatures above 60 degrees, the starch particles present in the root turn into a gelatinous mass and become poorly soluble, fats and non-heat-resistant substances evaporate or decompose, also forming poorly soluble compounds.

The root, as a rule, has three types of thickenings. Small roots will dry first, medium roots second, and the thick main root last. Such uneven drying creates some difficulties in drying the root. Small roots, drying out, will begin to break and be lost, while the medium and main roots will have even more moisture.

With any drying method, to keep the lint intact, I dry it on a baking sheet. I lay the roots in one row, but so that all the roots are completely straightened, if possible, in one direction and do not have twists. Drying on a baking sheet makes it possible to give the root the desired presentation and control the degree of readiness, while keeping the small roots intact.

After active drying, a baking sheet with roots should be placed, without disassembling the roots, in a cool place for two days in order to even out the moisture in all parts of the root. After such a procedure, small roots do not break. The permissible degree of moisture in the dried root should be no more than 13 percent.

The root cut into pieces dries out much faster, while retaining all its qualities. For long-term storage the dried root is placed in a glass dish, hermetically sealed and placed in a dry, dark place. In this way, you can save the root for 2-3 years.

I preserve the roots differently. I wash the excavated root well with cold water using a light brush, and when it dries, I weigh it and place it in a jar of the appropriate size. If the root weighs 50 grams, then I put it in a standard half-liter jar. For long-term storage, I fill it with 40% vodka, close it with a plastic lid and put it in a dark place with room temperature. And if the root needs to be stored for a short time, say one year, I fill the jar with the root with vodka, diluted with boiled water up to 20 percent. In diluted vodka, alcohol is half as much, but it is quite enough for canning and preserving the root. This kind home canning has an advantage over other methods in that it is simple and reliable. The root, filled with diluted vodka, as needed, can be used in the form of a medicinal tincture prepared in a ratio of 1:10, which corresponds to pharmacological conditions.

HEALING PROPERTIES AND USE

In folk medicine, the healing properties of ginseng have been known since time immemorial. Modern confirmed its great biological activity and high medicinal properties.

Main requirement modern medicine to the use of ginseng lies in the fact that all preparations made from it can be taken only as directed and under the supervision of a doctor. When prescribing a drug for therapeutic purposes, careful dose selection is necessary. Dosing of the ginseng preparation should be strictly individual and only on the recommendation of a doctor. In order to avoid mistakes due to ignorance or gullibility to various interpretations of medical experts, amateur ginseng growers should know the main features of the pharmacological action of ginseng. Below is information taken from official sources. Ginseng increases physical endurance, promotes concentration, thereby delaying the onset of fatigue, and increases labor productivity. Ginseng is widely used in medicine in eastern countries - China, Japan, etc. It is not classified as a specific medicine for certain diseases. It is a highly tonic. It is used for exhaustion, fatigue, decreased performance, fatigue, functional diseases of the cardiovascular system, anemia, neurasthenia, hysteria, sexual dysfunction, asthenic conditions caused by various diseases. It can be prescribed for atherosclerosis. In oriental medicine, it is generally accepted that ginseng increases the immunobiological properties of the body, and its systematic use prolongs life. In Eastern countries, ginseng is used in the form of powders, pills, tinctures, decoctions, extracts, ointments, and even in the form of tea, the so-called ginseng-cha. Powders are prepared from the dry root by fine grinding. For the manufacture of pills, powder is used, honey is used as a filler. The tincture is prepared on 50-60% alcohol in a ratio of 1:10.

Many times I had to make sure that a person who does not have the slightest idea about the cultivation of ginseng destroys a scarce and expensive material in vain. Therefore, in order to provide practical help beginner ginseng growers, I have outlined my growing experience and provided a few useful improvements to other experienced ginseng growers. I hope that this brochure will be my answer to those who have already turned to me for help, and to those who, after reading it, wish to grow this amazing plant.

REFERENCES

Household S. M. A true story about ginseng. M., 1956.
Granadsky N. S. Growing ginseng in room and garden conditions. Cheboksary, 1983.
Grushvitsky I. V. Ginseng. Questions of biology. L., 1961.
Dardymov I. V. Ginseng. Eleutherococcus. M., 1976.
Malyshev A. A. Ginseng. Biology and breeding. M., 1978.
Malyshev A. A. Ginseng in the North Caucasus. Stavropol, 1980.
Collection of scientific works VILAR. Questions of agricultural technology of cultivation of medicinal crops. Part II.
Tokii B.P. Healing poisons of plants. L., Lenizdat, 1974.
Turova A.D., Sapozhnikova E.N. Medicinal plants and their use. M., Medicine, 1984.
Shestkov A.K. Ginseng. Minsk, 1971.
Fruentov H.K. Medicinal plants of the Far East. Khabarovsk, 1974.

Common ginseng (Panax ginseng) belongs to the Araliaceae family and is a perennial herbaceous plant reaching an age of 100-200 years or more. Often this plant is called real ginseng, Panax ginseng or the root of life.
The plant has a succulent taproot, usually producing one above-ground stem, at the top of which there is a whorl of 4-5 leaves. The leaves are long-petiolate, palmately compound, the leaflets are elliptical, pointed, finely serrated. The two lower leaves are much smaller than the others. A simple umbrella emerges from the center of the leaf whorl on a long peduncle, bearing small greenish nondescript flowers.

The fruits are bright red juicy berry-like drupes with two seeds, closely pressed to each other, forming a "red ball", clearly visible in autumn among green foliage. Blossoms in June, fruits are formed in July-August.

ginseng seeds

Reproduction of ginseng is exclusively seed, in the distribution of the species big role belongs to the birds. Seeds germinate in the second spring after ripening. The processes of growth and development of the plant at all subsequent stages also proceed slowly. Leaves characteristic of adult plants are formed after several decades. For the first time, ginseng blooms no earlier than 8-10 years after seed germination.
In autumn, the entire above-ground part of the plant dies off. Only the main root and rhizome remain constant. The annual fall of the leaves leaves scars on it. From them it is possible to determine the age of the root, on which there are up to 200 or more such marks. Dormant buds develop on the rhizome and, as a rule, one wintering bud - the “head”. The death of the head can cause the "sleep" of the plant. "Sleep" also causes the complete death of the rhizome; it can last up to 20 years. According to the external signs of the root, ginsengers have learned to determine its age. Chinese rooters gave ginseng special names depending on the number of leaves. Plants with three leaves; were called "tantase", four - "sipie", five - "upie", and rare plants with six leaves - "lippe".
It grows wild in Russia in the Far East, in the Ussuri taiga - in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories; also grows in China, Korea, Japan. However, wild plants are practically destroyed and their search does not always give positive results. Work is underway to cultivate ginseng in the Primorsky Territory, the North Caucasus and other places.
Prefers to grow under the canopy of broad-leaved trees and shrubs. A shade-loving plant, therefore it does not grow in sparse forests with wide access to sunlight. It does not occur in wet areas, likes well-drained soils. Grows in single specimens.

Collection and preparation of ginseng

Wild ginseng is harvested by experts or "ginseng hunters" at a time when it is easier to spot among other plants. Fresh roots are handed over to harvesting stations, where they are sorted by size, shape, degree of damage during digging into 4 classes, and each class into several varieties.
Depending on the use, the roots are kept fresh (for export) or dried and stored for use in the national economy. In warehouses, the root is stored packaged in 1 kg in plastic bags, packed in 10 kg in tightly wooden boxes lined with paper. When unpacking the boxes, the roots are transferred to glass jars with a lid. Shelf life 2 years 6 months.
Collection of young roots weighing less than 10 g is not allowed. Although rare, there are specimens weighing 300-400 g from old, 100-200-year-old plants.
Ginseng is a rare and valuable medicinal plant, so it must be carefully protected, otherwise it will be completely destroyed in the coming years. Everyone who is engaged in harvesting ginseng must remember that the search for plants should begin no earlier than in the first decade of August, only those plants that bear fruit in a given year should be dug up. In no case should young plants be dug up, since they are of no value either for procurement organizations or for use as medicinal raw materials at home. Ginseng fruits are harvested and buried in the soil to a depth of 4-5 cm. The root should be dug out of the ground with special bone spatulas, being careful not to break off the buds and not damage the root.

Ginseng cultivation

Currently, ginseng is cultivated in China, Japan and more widely in Korea, where this branch of medicinal plant production plays a significant role in the country's economy. In Russia, it is grown in one of the specialized state farms "Ginseng" in the Primorsky Territory. The cultivation of ginseng is very peculiar and differs sharply from the cultivation of most other plants. Growing ginseng is possible only if it is protected from the sun.

The maximum weight of the roots of 5-6 years of age is 300 g or more. The roots of 6-year-old (commercial) plants grown in the Primorsky state farm are superior in the content of extractive substances to the roots of the same age. Korean ginseng. The root is collected on plantations from plants aged 5-8 years. In terms of pharmacological action, cultivated ginseng is equivalent to wild-growing; besides, it is much cheaper.

"Relatives" of ginseng

The difficulties of growing ginseng on plantations, the extremely insignificant reserves of wild (relic) plants in nature prompted the search for new plants in the Far Eastern flora, analogues of ginseng. The search for such plants - analogues of ginseng - was carried out according to the principle of botanical relationship, while plants of the same Araliaceae family were studied. As a result, plants with tonic properties were proposed: Echinopanax high ( lure), aralia manchurian, and eleutherococcus(however, it does not contain saponins). Currently, a lot of work is being done on the study of ginseng leaves, and the prospect of their use as a substitute for the root has emerged. The issue of the raw material base for the medical industry based on ginseng plantations has been studied. In the leaves of ginseng, as well as in the root, triterpene mycosides - ginsenosides and flavonoids were found. The content of the total glycoside fraction in the leaves was higher than in the roots. Thus, ginseng cultivated in the Primorye Territory can be a promising raw material for the production of medical preparations; in addition, the possibility of waste-free use of the plant opens up.
Of the other species closest to ginseng and belonging to the genus Panax, medicinal value are: Panax five-leaf, or American ginseng (Panax quinquefo-lium L.), cultivated in the United States and Canada; false panax (Panax pseudo-ginseng Wall.), cultivated in southern China; wild japanese ginseng, or creeping panax (Panax Japonicus).

"Red" ginseng

To enhance the healing effect of ginseng root, its heat treatment at a temperature above 100C is used, while part of the polysaccharides (starch) of the ginseng root turn into oligosaccharides (caramels) and the root acquires a "red" (brick, red-brown) color - it turns out "red ginseng" , which has the most valuable healing qualities.

According to research by the Korean National Ginseng Institute (Seoul), red ginseng has a pronounced anti-cancer effect, inhibits the growth of tumors and their metastases in the body, and increases immune defense. It has also been proven that it is "red ginseng" that has the ability to slow down the aging process. "Red ginseng" also effectively protects against diabetes and atherosclerosis, increases energy production in cells and oxygen utilization by cells, enhances detoxification processes. "Red ginseng" has pronounced antiviral properties, in particular, in viral hepatitis, enterovirus infection and infection with herpes group viruses, including AIDS.

Ginseng root

In Chinese, ginseng means "root man". The name is given for the similarity of the root with a human figure. The more the root looks like a human figure, the more it is valued.
A large root (weighing 300 g) consists of a cylindrical root neck, densely covered with scars from fallen stems, expanded from above and forming a head. A spindle-shaped main root departs from the neck - the "body" (up to 20 cm long), in the lower part it branches into two processes forming "legs", and 2-3 branches growing away from the "body" form "arms" at the top.

The "body" of the root is thickened, with pronounced annular outgrowths. The outer surface of the root is wrinkled. The color is yellowish white. The root fracture is even. When the root is soaked, wrinkling disappears and the surface becomes smooth. The smell is specific. The taste is sweet, burning, bitter when chewed. The content of extractives extracted with 70% ethanol must be at least 20%

Ginseng properties

The study of ginseng was mainly carried out by scientists from Russia and Japan. It is now believed that the root contains tetraterpene saponins, panaxosides. The structure of the aglycone and the composition of the carbohydrate part have been established. In addition, it contains traces of essential oil, fatty oil, phytosterols, resins, pectin, starch, vitamins, fatty acids, a mixture of which is called panaxic acid, many trace elements - iron, manganese. Root ash is more than half phosphate.
The action of ginseng is explained by its stimulating effect on the cortex and subcortical formations of the brain, a positive effect on the blood formula, an increase in gas exchange, stimulation of tissue respiration (especially the brain), an increase in the amplitude of heart contractions, a decrease in heart rate, and acceleration of ulcer healing.

Application of ginseng

For many centuries, ginseng root has been used in all countries of the Far East. He is credited with all-healing properties, activating hidden vital reserves in a weakened body. In all countries of the world, ginseng root is also widely used. Ginseng preparations have a tonic, stimulating and adaptogenic effect in case of physical and mental fatigue, with a reduced ability of mental concentration, depressive states, disorders of the cardiovascular system, hypofunction of the gonads, neurasthenia, after suffering debilitating diseases, especially in old age.
Indications for the use of tincture of ginseng leaves are diabetes mellitus type I and II, diabetic and other angiopathy, necrosis, trophic ulcers that complicate diabetes, peptic ulcer, hepatitis (especially toxic), neuropsychiatric diseases (neurosis, asthenic conditions, various amnesias), malnutrition, prematurity. Prophylactic methods of ginseng in experimental animals showed an increase in their resistance to radiation exposure. Ginseng preparations are non-toxic and have a wide therapeutic effect. Such a wide and active effect of ginseng on the body is due to the influence of its constituent parts. So, Panaksin has a stimulating effect; "panaxic acid", enhancing oxidative processes, actively affects the metabolism, leads to a faster breakdown of fats; panavilon (glycoside) stimulates the endocrine system, helps to create the necessary level of hormones in the body; ginsenin (glycoside) regulates the processes of carbohydrate metabolism, causes a decrease in blood sugar, increasing the synthesis of glycogen.

It is also necessary to take into account the fact that the effect of ginseng does not appear immediately. To feel more alert and energized, you will need to take supplements for weeks or months. For a complete recovery course, ginseng preparations are consumed three times a day 20 minutes before meals. The period of admission is three months with intervals after a monthly intake - 10 days. It is better to conduct a recovery course in autumn or winter. In spring and summer, ginseng is taken with meals for health improvement and prevention by adding it to tea, coffee, juice, water, milk, vodka, cognac, wine, beer, other drinks and products at lower recommended doses. Ginseng preparations should be stored in a dark place.
Do not store a small amount of tincture in a large container, pour the tincture into a container with a small volume.

Ginseng preparations

Ginseng tincture

1. Tincture of dry ginseng root: 15 gr. dry ginseng root per 500 gr. alcohol liquid, a fortress of 30 hail. The root is crushed, the smaller the better. Infuse the tincture at room temperature, in a dark place for at least two weeks. Dose: 10-25 drops 2-3 times a day 20 minutes before meals. The course of treatment is 90 days. Every 30 days of taking the tincture, take a 10-day break.
Store ginseng tincture in a dark place. "Root of Life" has a very low toxicity, but not limitless, there are cases when, after taking 150-200 gr. root tincture death occurred.
After using all the liquid in the remaining mass of ginseng, pour half the volume of the first time with alcohol liquid with a strength of 40 degrees and infuse again for at least two weeks. Take the dose of the secondary tincture in the same way as the first one, only shake it before taking it so that the ginseng particles in an equal proportion fall into the dose. In this case, the root of life will be fully used.
2. Fresh root tincture (fresh root must be processed within 5 days!)
To prepare the tincture, the root is washed with cold water, dried, crushed, poured with vodka at the rate of 100 g of root per 1 liter of 40 ° alcohol, insisted for 3-4 weeks, shaking occasionally. The finished tincture is filtered. For preventive purposes, 15-20 drops of tincture are taken 3 times a day 20-30 minutes before meals.
3. Water tincture is prepared from a powder in a ratio of 1:100, which is brewed with boiling water, infused and taken one teaspoon 20 minutes before meals 2-3 times a day. Shelf life 1 day.

Ginseng extract

Ginseng extract is an adaptogen, improves the tolerance of various adverse conditions, stress, increases the body's nonspecific resistance, has a stimulating effect, increases mental and physical performance, improves the absorption of oxygen by the cells of the body. It is used for asthenic conditions, overwork, decreased performance, physical and mental overload.

Available in the form of the following dosage forms: capsules, tablets, tincture and elixir. Capsules should be taken without chewing with water.
Assign inside once (after breakfast) or twice (after breakfast and lunch), 100-200 mg. The optimal daily dose is 200 mg. (in severe stress conditions at the beginning of treatment, the daily dose may be 400 mg). 0 mg. Tincture is taken 20-30 drops 2 times a day. Reception within 1-2 months is recommended.

Ginseng decoction

To prepare a decoction, 2-3 tablespoons of crushed ginseng root are poured into 1-2 glasses of cold water, boiled over low heat for 3-5 minutes, then filtered and cooled to 37-40 ° C.

Ginseng oil

Due to its properties, ginseng oil can be effectively used in cosmetology for the treatment of fading, aging and sensitive skin as an anti-wrinkle and tonic agent. It normalizes the water-salt balance, perfectly moisturizes the skin. Ginseng glycosides stimulate the process of epidermal cell division, the rate of which is significantly reduced in aging skin, and also have a positive effect on the synthesis of collagen in the dermis. Ginseng oil also has an invaluable beneficial effect on the hair, due to which it is often an active ingredient in shampoos, balms, and conditioners.

Balm ginseng

A large number of hair care products with ginseng extracts are produced. Ginseng extract relieves inflammation, itching, strengthens the hair structure, eliminates and prevents dandruff.

Ginseng Recipes

The addition of ginseng and its preparations (in recommended doses) to drinks and food habitual for a person gives them new therapeutic and prophylactic properties.

Ginseng honey

1. 30 gr. dry ginseng root is ground in a coffee grinder into powder. Then they take 1000 grams of honey, heat it in a water bath to 40 degrees C, pour ginseng powder into it and mix thoroughly. A mixture of honey and ginseng root powder is poured into a glass container.
Insist at room temperature in a dark place for at least two weeks. Ginseng honey crystallizes quickly and has a delicate aroma. Take it 3 times a day, one teaspoon 15-20 minutes before meals. The course of treatment is the same as for alcohol tincture.
2. In autumn, cut leaves are washed and dried well. Put in an enamel bowl at the rate of 25 g of a dry leaf (or 30 g of crushed dry ginseng root) per 2 liters of water and bring to a boil. The broth is insisted for 24 hours. Then, on low heat, 4 kg of honey is dissolved in this infusion, without raising the temperature above 70 degrees. When the resulting syrup cools down to 20 degrees, it is poured into pre-prepared feeders and given to the bees for processing. Usually the average bee colony processes 3 kg of syrup per night. Such honey is pumped out no later than on the third day, in order to be in time before its crystallization, immediately packaged in glassware and hermetically sealed.

Honey ginseng jelly

To prepare jelly, crushed dry ginseng root is mixed with honey (50 g of root per 700 g of honey) and infused for 10 days. The drug is taken 0.5 teaspoon 3 times a day 20-30 minutes before meals. Course - 2 months.

Ginseng paste

To prepare a paste, the ginseng root is crushed, poured with hot water (2 tablespoons of crushed root per 2-3 tablespoons of water), left for 2-3 hours, then, stirring, heated in a water bath to 60-70 ° C and cooled to 40 °C ready-made paste is used to treat skin diseases, as well as for cosmetic purposes.

Ginseng tea

To prepare tea, dry ginseng root powder is poured with boiling water in a ratio of 1:10, infused for 10 minutes, then filtered. Tea is drunk 1 tablespoon 3 times a day 20 minutes before meals for 30 days. After a 30-day break, the course preventive treatment repeat.

Yogurt with ginseng

To prepare this drug, popular in China, 1 teaspoon of ginseng honey extract is diluted in hot boiled milk, the mixture is cooled to 38-40 ° C and fermented milk is added. After obtaining curdled milk, the mixture is shaken. The drug is taken 250 ml 2 times a day 30 minutes before meals.

Ginseng with grape juice

To prepare the preparation, 1 tablespoon of crushed fresh ginseng root is mixed with 2 tablespoons of grape juice. The dose of admission depends on the nature of the disease.

Beer with ginseng

Add 25 drops of tincture to a bottle of beer. Drink like regular beer

Ginseng vodka

In a bottle of vodka 0.5 liters. add one teaspoon of tincture. Drink like regular vodka. In the same way, you can use cognac or wine.

Ginseng Contraindications

Hypertension (in the case of a persistent increase in blood pressure that is not amenable to drug correction). With the normalization of blood pressure while taking medication, ginseng can be taken (after consulting a doctor), starting with small doses.

Increased intracranial pressure (encephalopathy).

Increased blood pressure with the appearance of "noise" or pulsation in the head, dizziness.

Age (up to 12 years of age, ginseng, like other adaptogens, is not used).

Pregnancy.

Acute diseases accompanied by fever, suppuration, infiltrates, abscesses.

Thyrotoxicosis (hyperfunction of the thyroid gland, Graves' disease).

Neuropsychiatric diseases accompanied by convulsions.

Allergic reactions to honey.

With an overdose of the drug, as well as a side effect, there may be: tachycardia (rapid heartbeat); muscle tension in the neck and shoulder girdle; insomnia; increased hair loss. In all these cases, you should reduce the dose or completely stop taking the drug.

The well-known Russian botanist A. N. Krasnov, the organizer of the Batumi Botanical Garden, even in pre-revolutionary times, suggested that ginseng could be grown in the Caucasus.

The first such attempt was made in 1937 in the Teberdinsky Reserve, but it ended in failure. In 1952 the experiment was repeated, but only a few plants sprouted. And only since 1953, an experimental ginseng plantation began to exist here, expanding every year.

So far, there is only one industrial plantation in our country (the Ginseng state farm in the Primorsky Territory), organized in 1962 by the All-Union Association Soyuzlekarsprom of the USSR Ministry of Medical and Microbiological Industry. It occupies an area of ​​up to 50 hectares and in recent years has been renting out commercial roots to the state.

In addition to the Teberdinsky State Reserve, work on the study of ginseng is carried out by the country's research institutions: the Far Eastern Zonal Experimental Station of the All-Union Institute of Medicinal Plants in the Primorsky Territory, the Boyar Forest Experimental Station (near Kyiv), the Central Ukrainian Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR and the Vinnitsa Botanical Garden, the Central Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences BSSR.

Since 1980, the Teberdinsky Reserve has been the scientific and methodological center for growing ginseng in the European part of the USSR and Siberia. Its tasks include providing advice to organizations involved in the cultivation of ginseng, as well as amateur ginseng growers.

The Scientific and Methodological Center provides assistance to state farms in the acquisition of seed and planting material, as well as through mentors selected from among the most experienced ginseng growers in different republics and regions of the country, organizational and advisory assistance to amateur ginseng growers. Under the leadership of the center, state and collective farm ginseng plantations, as well as clubs and cooperatives, are being created locally.

Mentors allocated by the center are approved at all-Union meetings of ginseng growers. Currently there are over 80 of them. They work on a voluntary basis and are united in 11 regional groups: Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, the North Caucasus, the Urals and the Urals, Siberia, the Far East, the North-West and the Baltics, Central Chernozem, Central Non-Black Earth Region, Middle Volga Region.

Each group of mentors has a leader - a representative of the scientific and methodological center. With the help of mentors in 40 different regions, more than 80 pilot plantations have been created in forestries, state farms and collective farms. They are located in the North Caucasus, in the central regions of Russia, in Belarus, in Ukraine, in Moldova, Lithuania, as well as in the Urals and Siberia.

I. S. Glazkov, N. S. Polonchuk, E. G. Zhuk, L. A. Govorun (Ukraine), L. G. Biryukova, V. A. Borisevich, P. M. Masarnovsky (Belarus), M. G. Savitsky (central region) and a number of others.

New promising areas for growing ginseng have been discovered in different zones countries: I. S. Glazkov (created 12 plantations) and Z. E. Dzvankovsky - in the middle part of the Right Bank of Ukraine, N. S. Polonchuk (created 12 plantations) - in the Ukrainian Polissya, L. G. Zhuk, L. A. Govorun, N. I. Pendus - in the Kiev region, N. S. Granadsky and A. S. Bulatov - in the Middle Volga region, A. K. Shestakov, V. A. Borisevich and others - in Belarus, I. V. Kalashnikov - in the Kuban.

Among the mentors are such experienced amateur ginseng growers as P. E. Elizarov and D. P. Sorokin, state plantation workers T. T. Timchenko, N. P. Smirnov (Primorsky Territory), V. I. Konareva, V. G. Zharova, IV Kalashnikov (Northern Caucasus) and others. Some mentors have more than 25-30 years of experience in working with ginseng.

Almost all those who became ginseng mentor are enthusiasts, but each of them went to the cultivation of ginseng in his own way. Many started growing it with just a few seeds. So, for example, A. D. Petrov and M. A. Basov received them from pensioner P. N. Kryukov, who, having recovered from paralysis with the help of ginseng tincture, decided to grow it himself in his summer cottage near Leningrad and successfully did this for about 20 years.

Mentor I. V. Kalashnikov, before starting to breed ginseng, worked the field season for workers on the Teberda plantation, where he received the necessary knowledge and skills, as well as help with seeds and seedlings.

Far East mentor P. E. Elizarov, while still young, suffered from a bite encephalitis tick, he was ill for a year, and only ginseng helped him get back on his feet. But the right hand remained paralyzed. He heard about the legendary treasure of Dersu Uzala, but he could never imagine that nature itself would give him a treasure similar to it. Porfiry Evstigneevich was allocated a building plot in the taiga village, where he decided to start growing ginseng. And now, almost next to the site, on the slope of the hill, Elizarov unexpectedly discovered a whole colony - up to 200 young ginseng plants growing together. He carried them to the house and planted a plantation.

It is impossible not to tell about how ginseng first came to the Urals, to the Sverdlovsk region. In the small village of Komarov, on the banks of the Ufa, there lived an inquisitive hunter Stepan Mineevich Syropyatov, who, already in his old age, started growing plants in his garden that never grew in the harsh Ural climate - watermelons, peanuts and even ginseng. Ginseng seeds were sent to him from the Far East. Syropyatov lived for over a hundred years and left behind a garden and a plot of the "root of life" outlandish in these places. Many of local residents they still remember a tall, bushy-bearded old man who managed to "accustom" the legendary ginseng in the Urals. After the death of Syropyatov, the experiment was continued by the Artinsky forestry, which created a ginseng nursery here, where the seeds acclimatized by Syropyatov were sown. Now, with the help of mentors I. P. Sorokoletovsky and V. A. Bogolepov, the nursery is successfully developing and producing commercial roots. They also created a club of amateur ginseng growers among the local population. The case of the pioneer Stepan Mineevich Syropyatov did not disappear.

Throughout the country, ginseng mentors serve over 80 regions where ginseng has been cultivated for the first time in recent years. Currently, more than fifty clubs and dozens of cooperatives have been created. There are several thousand amateurs in clubs and cooperatives. The largest clubs of ginseng growers - Primorsky and Moscow - consist of more than 600 people each. Such clubs have branches in other areas.

The tasks of the clubs include mass attraction of the population to amateur ginseng and assistance to club members in studying biology and mastering ginseng farming techniques, as well as assisting in the purchase of planting material and the sale of grown products.

With regard to the training of ginseng growers in the biology and agricultural technology of ginseng, an indicative example is the work of the Maikop club, which was set up by mentor I. V. Kalashnikov. A people's university for nature protection was created here and on the basis of the club a ginseng department was organized, where dozens of future ginseng growers study. At the end of the academic year, an exam is held and students receive the appropriate certificates, after which they are admitted to the ginseng club. Excursions to ginseng plantations are held in the club, consultations are given, club members take part in the annual exhibitions "Gifts of Nature", compete for the best work on their ginseng plots.

Fans and mentors in new regions of ginseng cultivation since 1983 began to sell commercial roots. For example, A. D. Petrov, a mentor in the Kalinin region, for six years handed over to the state 185 kg of raw ginseng roots from his personal plot at a procurement price of 500 rubles. for 1 kg.

A number of state plantations in new regions of ginseng cultivation are renting commercial roots to pharmaceutical factories and procurement centers: Beshtaugorsky, Zelenchuksky forestries, Vinnitsa Botanical Garden, Boyarskaya LOS, Teberdinsky Reserve and others.

Ginseng growers - scientists and practitioners periodically gather at all-Union conferences-seminars in order to exchange experience. Five such meetings have been held. They developed plans for the further development of ginseng in the country and studied the experience of state and collective farm plantations, as well as the experience of mentors and amateurs.

In addition to knowledge of ginseng, mentors are required to have certain moral qualities, first of all, honesty and decency. According to the mentor B. K. Pushkin, “ginseng growing is the very occupation that helps to develop in oneself the true elixirs of youth - kindness, disinterestedness, diligence, optimism ... And mercy is also required from a mentor-ginseng grower. Encouragement to grow and promote ginseng should not greed, but the desire to help people who need this valuable and irreplaceable medicine." One can name a number of mentors, among them K. I. Kulikov, D. A. Petrov, who do not consider it possible to sell to anyone the roots and seeds of ginseng grown by them at a higher price than the current state price.

Thus, mentoring among ginseng growers as a social movement that has existed for more than a dozen years has fully justified itself, becoming a significant phenomenon in the history of the development of ginseng in the country.

Currently, republican societies of ginseng growers are being created, the goals of which are to organize mass cultivation of ginseng, attract the population to amateur ginseng cultivation, and provide comprehensive assistance to members of the society in breeding this crop. The first created in 1989 was the All-Russian Society (Association of Ginseng Growers).

The work of the scientific and methodological center and its mentors should go in close contact with the activities of these societies.

So, the widespread development of ginseng growing in new regions of the country, where ginseng had not previously grown, showed the real possibility of creating an industrial raw material base for ginseng in the European part of the USSR.

Work practice has also shown that it is expedient to create industrial plantations of ginseng in the field not immediately, but in three stages. The first one is pilot production sites, where the technology of growing ginseng is developed and mastered in relation to local conditions, and the necessary stock of plants of different ages is created.

The second stage is the transformation of these plots into mother nurseries that grow and sell seeds and seedlings. The demand for them is very high, state prices are quite high. Since seeds are received on the plantation starting mainly from the fourth year of plant life, the economic return is faster than when growing commercial roots at six to seven years. The mother nurseries are sources of further distribution of ginseng in different geographical areas.

And, finally, the third stage: where farms are sufficiently prepared to grow commercial roots, industrial plantations are created on the basis of nurseries with annual digging of roots and collecting seeds for sale.

Let us dwell on the experience of creating pilot production plots of ginseng in forestries Stavropol Territory(North Caucasus). Here in 1973 - 1975. Employees of the Teberdinsky State Reserve organized three pilot plantations at different heights above sea level: in the Beshtaugorsk forestry (600 m), the Urup timber processing plant (900 m) and the Zelenchuk forestry (1350 m). These plantations were an example of the creation of pilot production sites for ginseng in other regions of the country. Forest enterprises were provided with planting and sowing material by the reserve. Currently, these farms collect seeds and commercial ginseng roots grown on their plantations.

According to the thermal regime, all these areas are characterized by the sum of temperatures (over 10°C) from 2000 to 3000°C and the average annual rainfall of 600 - 800 mm. Ginseng plots are located under the canopy of beech-hornbeam, hornbeam-oak and beech-maple forests (in the belt of beech forests). In the foothill areas (600 - 900 m above sea level), the soils are not favorable enough for growing ginseng (heavy loam). However, this was not an obstacle to the cultivation of ginseng. The soil was artificially improved by mixing in leaf humus, sand, crushed stone and lighter forest soil brought from other sites.

Here, in the belt of beech forests, ginseng has a high biological activity. On these pilot plantations, the agricultural technology previously developed by the reserve is being refined, and a number of experiments are being carried out.

At present, the plantations of the Beshtaugorsky and Zelenchuksky forestry enterprises have become uterine nurseries of ginseng, which distribute seed and planting material. Commodity roots obtained here in the order of sanitary cleaning are handed over to pharmaceutical factories.

Experiments have shown that in the warmer foothill regions of the Caucasus, the seed yield per plant under favorable meteorological conditions is usually higher than in the mountainous regions, where the summer is cooler and more humid. At the same time, in the foothills, the seeds ripen in a shorter time (about a month and a half earlier than in the mountains), and this makes it possible to extend the warm period (up to 5 months) for pre-sowing preparation of seeds, which increases the yield of hatched seeds after stratification.

Consequently, it is possible to conduct such an economy when it is advisable to carry out seed reproduction in the warm and dry zone of the beech forest belt, and grow roots in cool and humid mountain conditions that are more suitable for them, where their productivity and quality are higher than in the foothills.

Currently, the cultivation of ginseng in new regions is limited by the lack of seeds. To plant 60 - 70 thousand two-year-old plants on one hectare (in a permanent place), at least 20 - 25 kg of ginseng seeds are required. To obtain one hectare of seedlings, 100 - 120 kg of seeds are needed. If we take into account that after stratification, an average of 70-80% of seeds are suitable for sowing, and their germination in the soil is also practically up to 70-80%, then the total, so-called "field germination" of ginseng seeds does not exceed 60%.

Plant mortality in the first two or three years is quite high, especially in seedlings, as noted above. In adult plants, it usually does not exceed 5 - 10% per year. Timely detection of diseased plants allows (starting from the fourth year of life) to increase the marketable yield of roots from the plantation.

The yield of roots per hectare is, tons: in China - 0.5 - 0.7 (up to 1), North Korea - 0.5 - 1.0, sometimes up to 2 (if at the time of harvesting 50 - 60% of plants from the number landed); USSR (state farm "Ginseng") - 0.7.

In the conditions of the North Caucasus, with the industrial cultivation of ginseng under the forest canopy, according to our data, it is possible to plan a harvest of roots (without replanting as they fall away, but taking into account partial sampling and conservation until the onset of complete harvesting on the plantation) 1.0 - 1.5 t / ha.

When preparing the soil, it is necessary to add up to 60% of the net area to the passages along the ridges (paths) for plant care (covering with shields, watering, etc.), i.e. when planting plants per hectare, you need to have a prepared area with passages of at least 1 .6 hectares of usable area.

At what age is it economically more profitable to harvest ginseng roots?

In Japan and the DPRK, they are harvested, as noted above, at the age of five or six, in China - at the age of seven or nine, and in some farms at 15 - 20 years. Practice shows that in the North Caucasus it is advisable to harvest the roots at the age of ten years, but not earlier than seven or eight years.

Let us give the calculations for the yield of marketable roots and seeds of ginseng in industrial cultivation per hectare.

When collecting roots in the seventh year, the yield will be 1300 kg per hectare, with 30% harvested during the fifth to seventh year selectively, in the order of sanitary checks (10% per year). The remaining 70% of the roots will be removed in the fall during the final harvest.

From the fourth to the seventh year, at least 130 kg of seeds will be collected, which can ensure sowing on 6.5 hectares of a new plantation.

With these calculations, we focus on the yield of seeds prepared for sowing (from stratification) in the first year of at least 70% and their average field germination is 60%. The average mortality of seedlings during the first year (summer and subsequent winter) can reach 50%, at a young age - the first two or three years up to 20 - 25% per year (counting from the presence of plants at the beginning of each growing season), from the fourth to fifth year - up to 10% per year.

On the plantations of the Teberdinsky Reserve, the mortality of ginseng roots is much lower (for example, in adults, no more than 5 - 6% per year), but for industrial scale waste should be considered higher.

Fruiting starts from the fourth year, 60% of plants bear fruit, each gives an average of at least 0.5 g of seeds. In the fifth year, 70% of plants bear fruit - 1 g of seeds each, in subsequent years 80 - 90% - an average of 1.5 g each.

These data are taken for mountainous conditions such as the Teberda plantation, which is located at the altitudinal limit of ginseng cultivation. In the foothills or on the plain, where there is more heat and less weather fluctuations, fruiting is characterized by higher rates (2.5 - 3 g per plant).

Given the acute shortage of ginseng seeds in the country and their high cost, it is advisable to start industrial digging of roots no earlier than the tenth year, and before that, collect seeds from these plants annually. At the same time (taking into account the growth of roots) a crop of 1580 kg per hectare will be obtained, of which up to 40% is collected in the order of sanitary inspection starting from the fifth year, and the remaining 60% - at the end of the tenth year.

The collection of seeds from the fourth to the tenth year (with minimal calculations) will be 200 kg, which will ensure the sowing of up to 10 hectares of new areas. In addition, on the basis of reproduction by own seeds, starting from the ninth year of life (from sowing seeds obtained from the initial hectare in the fifth and sixth years), an additional 540 kg of roots will be obtained in another area in two years.

Thus, the economic feasibility of industrial collection of roots in the tenth year is obvious.

Ginseng is considered a very labor intensive crop. Mechanization is hardly acceptable here, and its methods are almost not developed. According to the calculations of the Boyarskaya VOC, labor costs range from 2 to 3.5 thousand man-days per hectare.

If we take the labor costs of 2.5 thousand, then with eight months seasonal work(taking into account two days off a week) 14 people will be required to process one hectare. According to other data, 10-16 people are required to provide one hectare of ginseng.

It should be noted that if you focus mainly on the seed direction of the economy, the economic return will be much earlier than when growing commercial roots. Creation of uterine nurseries with release from them to the side of seeds and seedlings is a completely cost-effective measure.

At present, in addition to the uterine nurseries of ginseng in the North Caucasus (Teberdinsky Reserve, Beshtaugorsky, Zelenchuksky, Guzeriplsky forestries), there are nurseries in Ukraine (Boyar forest experimental station, Vinnitsa Botanical Garden, Kommunar collective farm, Khmelnitsky region), in Belarus, these ( Republican Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences), in the Sverdlovsk region. (Artinsky forestry). In addition, ginseng nurseries are being created in some cooperatives (Yoshkar-Ola, Omsk).

With the help of these and other nurseries, ginseng will develop more rapidly in new regions of the country.

It is necessary to pay more attention to the creation of a new industrial raw material base for ginseng in the European part of the country on the part of all-Union and republican governing bodies, as well as the USSR Ministry of Medical and Microbiological Industry.

To grow ginseng, we need not only knowledgeable, but also people who love their job. Interest in growing ginseng in our country is great. Hundreds and thousands of amateurs ask for help in purchasing seeds and advice on how to grow the "root of life". Our Ginseng Societies and Nurseries should learn from the experience of the Americans and Canadians assisting ginseng budding growers. For example, the Catskill Forest Association, which brings together ginseng farmers, is offering a "starter kit" containing one thousand seeds, 50 young ginseng roots and expert advice. It should be noted that at a very low cost of American cultivated ginseng - 108 dollars per kilogram of dry root, the indicated starter kit, taking into account the consultation fee, costs the buyer 150 US dollars.

International symposiums on the cultivation and medical use of ginseng (in 1974 and 1989 in South Korea, in 1975 in Switzerland, in 1988 in the USA; the last three with the participation of a representative Soviet Union) show how much interest in ginseng has increased around the world.

People need ginseng. The time will come, and the legendary "root of life" will be successfully grown on many, many industrial plantations of the Soviet Union.