Growing American Ginseng

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I belong to Hive account@sotall's seed swap and just got my latest seed packets in the mail today and was real curious about one of them; American Ginseng. So I started my research and now I'm waiting to see the perfect location to plant the seedlings once they are ready.

We have a creek at the western edge of our property and it does have a slope downward; so after reading about the best locations for growing Ginseng, I am thinking this is more than likely the spot I will plant the seeds come this fall. From what I have read, ginseng prefers the colder temperatures and needs to be dormant over the winter.

Here are the seeds I got today from Hive account@sotall

What You Need To Know About American Ginseng

Where to plant ginseng for best growth, maturation and harvest:

Tall shade (which is given by tall trees of a mature forest)
Soil containing equal parts of sand and silt soil (preferably with high calcium levels but a low pH)
Good air flow (ie. bottom of a hill or slope)
Morning sunshine is preferred with a north-facing slope; or even west facing

Companion Plants & Trees

Trees with leaves that break down/compost easy (ie. beech, maple, pawpaw or poplar
Plants American Ginseng prefer are goldenseal, black cohosh and ferns

According to the North Carolina Extension,

Ginseng (Panax quinquefolium) is most commonly propagated by seed. The seeds require special handling because, to germinate, they must first be subjected to a long period of storage in a moist medium with a warm/cold treatment; a process known as stratification

So what is stratification?
The main definition is as follows:

In the wild, seed dormancy is usually overcome by the seed spending time in the ground through a winter period and having its hard seed coat softened up by frost and weathering action. By doing so the seed is undergoing a natural form of "cold stratification" or pretreatment. This cold moist period triggers the seed's embryo; its growth and subsequent expansion eventually break through the softened seed coat in its search for sun and nutrients.

The basic explanation of cold stratification is keeping the seeds cold (but not freezing) and also moist for specific amount of time. All seeds that need to have cold stratification are different, so make sure to read up and research the time frame and appropriate instructions.