Managing Excess Water in Ginseng Gardens

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Considerations for water management

Introduction

Managing excess water in a ginseng garden can be a challenge. Landscaping a garden before planting is always the best option. When laying out a garden beds should be designed so that water flows freely from them and out of the garden. This can be done by digging a perimeter trench that is slightly lower than the ends of the garden trenches. Such a perimeter trench can drain into a collection pool or ditch. Before planting a ginseng garden the field should be assessed for natural water flow. In areas where water tends to flow during the early spring and after periods of rainfall a grassed waterway can be maintained to assist water movement. Gardens that are planted over an entire without regard for these waterways invariably have areas of Phytophthora infections where the water flows on a regular basis.

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Considerations for water management

	Standing water in the trenches of a ginseng garden always spells trouble. When water stands in the trench it also saturates the adjacent bed. Ginseng roots can reach well down into the soil in the beds and root tips adjacent to this trench will be in danger of infection by Phytophthora. When the water subsides the trench will be 'greasy' and soil borne pathogens can be spread throughout the garden on machinery and boots.
	Wet areas in a garden can be hot spots of Phytophthora root rot. In the garden at the left many plants were lost to disease through high water levels in the trenches. If there are areas of a garden where water tends to pool in the trenches and stand for periods of time then wood chips or other absorbent material (a layer of thick straw) should be added to the trenches to prevent splashing. Splashing from wet trenches in diseased areas is a leading cause of foliar Phytophthora blight.
	A perimeter trench can be useful in directing the flow of water out of a ginseng garden. Note the perimeter trench along the entire side of this garden. A natural ditch at the rear of the garden collects and removes the water. For a perimeter trench to work well it must be below the level of the garden trenches but not so low that tractors cannot go in and out of the garden easily.
	Collection pools can be dug to contain water run-off from ginseng gardens. Note the trench dug from the garden at the left to the collection pool. Such a pool should be in a low area and be deep enough to hold water from run-off after heavy rains. This garden also has trenches that have a generous covering of straw to avoid splashing. A garden that becomes flooded is susceptible to rusty root.
	Rusty root can be a result of exposure of ginseng roots to excess water in the soil. Symptoms can be similar to Rhizoctonia infection and even to some types of Cylindrocarpon infection. Low temperature injury also results in rusty root symptoms. Damage to the root is somewhat superficial but nevertheless is often enough to downgrade the root in the marketplace.

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