Environmental wellness doesn’t just mean protecting the planet from human damage; it also involves utilising the world around you to improve your own health and wellbeing. In the context of human health, you’ve probably already heard of the Chinese medicinal herb ginseng, but did you know you could grow it in your own home or garden?
Ginseng is an ancient medicinal herb of which many wellness experts toast the benefits. In fact, ginseng tea has been declared as one of the healthiest beverages available to you, but it’s not always the easiest thing to find. True, you can purchase packaged ginseng from a supermarket, but how do you know that it’s trustworthy? And why would you go for pre-packed ginseng – and pay top dollar for it – when you can grow your own reliable ginseng in the comfort of your own home. Sure, popping to the shop to get it may seem more convenient, but it is actually astonishingly easy to grow ginseng at home – you can even grow it indoors!
So how do you grow ginseng in your own kitchen garden? Firstly, the seeds are the most important aspect of planting the ginseng root. This is because the seeds need to be stratified in order to be effective. It’s easy enough to stratify your ginseng seeds, but this may delay the process somewhat. Stratification involves placing the seeds between two equal layers of sand, covering this with a cloth, and then refrigerating them for six months. However, if you don’t want to stratify them yourself, you can buy ready-stratified ginseng seeds.
Once the seeds are stratified (which can take six to eight months if you’re doing it yourself), take them out of the fridge and discard any seeds that have decayed. The best seeds for planting are the ones that have grown in size and started sprouting. You can grow your ginseng as a potted plant – all you need to do is fill the pot with eight inches of well-draining soil, and then plant the seeds three inches deep. Ginseng plants like moderate sunshine, so place your pot in indirect sunlight and water the plant regularly for six months. As soon as the berries and leaves appear, you can use them, although it takes eight years for the root to mature – which is the healthiest part of ginseng.