Unusual Addition

[Ech]

I like to try and find unusual and unique plants every year. These are Ashwagandha, Vedic seedlings.



While they are a perennial I live a region that routinely gets to 0 c every winter so I guess I will be harvesting them as an annual.

[valley]

Hi, Do you plan to use it for medical reasons or as a spice? I've only read of it, never seen a mature plant.

Richard

[Ech]

Well I would not use the word "medical" per say. I am looking into it as an alternative to ginseng at the moment. From what I have read Ashwagandha may have a stronger effect against free radicals then ginseng. However ginseng has other benefits so it won't be completely removed from my diet, especially considering that I live in north New Jersey and I have decent access to wild Appalachian plants.

Also to be completely honest I have no idea what it tastes like. It was not until about 2 years ago that I found some credible studies about the effects and safety of the plant. Those seedlings are my first time growing Ashwagandha and I will not be able to harvest the roots until late in fall this year.

After that I will do an allergy test then slowly introduce it into my diet. I will keep you posted on the effects and the taste.

[imafan26]

Yours did better than mine. The ashwagandha I planted never sprouted, but the seeds were old.

[valley]

Please do update. I've always been interested in ginseng also, never seen a ginseng plant or root in person.

Richard

[Ech]

I will keep you updated on the ashwagandha. The ginseng however I collect from state forests. And yes, I did look it up, and yes, you can, just not everywhere. I am lucky to live in an area in North New Jersey that is mostly state forest. Also, I love to hike, and not exactly along the beaten trail. So mostly I will start out this time of year and scout a few areas where I know the plant grows. Then around June or July I will harvest one or two which lasts about a year. That all being said I would advise anyone who is not sure exactly what ginseng looks like to avoid harvesting it from the wild. There are several VERY TOXIC plants that look almost identical to ginseng above the surface. Also I perform an allergy test before using ANY new plant as food or medicine regardless of where I got it from.

[valley]

Greetings, The mountain ranch has several hundred foot border with National Forest. The old Pony Express Trail passes in front, goes down the valley, up the mountain and passes behind us 1300ft up the mountain. In one place it crosses a waterfall and can't be crossed in spring because of the thaw and greater amount of water.