Allium tricoccum Ait.
Researcher: Elise George
Cultivation and Market

History/culture and Uses (incl. Warnings & Parts Used)

Medicinal

The whole plant (except the flower) is used as a spring tonic to treat colds, croup, and worms.  For earache, the juice of the spring plant is warmed.  A decoction of the root can be taken as an emetic.  According to a 2000 study, ramps grown in certain concentrations of selenium appear to have potential for the reduction of cancer in humans. Effects of garlic probably could be applied to ramps as well.

Food

Ramps have a garlicy taste.  Young plants can be boiled, fried, eaten raw, or dried for winter use.  The Cherokee cook the bulbs and leaves like poke, with or without eggs, while the Iroquois cook ramps and season them with salt, pepper or butter.

Cultivation

Site Selection
Ramps are hardy in zones 3-9 and most often naturally grow under a forest canopy of beech, birch, poplar and/or sugar maple trees. 
Ramps can also grow under buckeye,
basswood, oak and hickory.  Good site
indicator plants include trillium, toothwort,
nettle, black cohosh, ginseng, bloodroot,
trout lily, mayapple and bellwort.  While no optimum shade level has been determined,
ramps do require consistent (year-round) soil moisture, both to grow and reproduce.  For
this reason, a wooded area with at least 47% shade and rich moist soil high in organic matter
is recommended.  A well-drained site is also preferable.  Grower Glen Facemire
recommends testing out multiple growing sites before doing any major planting. 

Site Preparation

As in site preparation for ginseng planting,
rake back the leaves and remove any
unwanted weeds, roots etc.  If planting in
an open field, it is necessary to control weeds (grasses in particular), turn existing vegetation under, and incorporate organic matter into the soil.  If possible, till the soil and then build
raised beds.   While further research is
currently being conducted, soil tests from naturalized populations indicate that calcium
is an important nutrient to the growth of ramps.  Thus far in a study being conducted by Jeanine Davis in western North Carolina, a 4.9 pH is optimal.  Thus, she recommends using gypsum
but not adding lime.

Seed Collection
Collect mature, black seed in late August
before seeds fall to ground.  Either plant immediately in nursery bed or store in paper envelopes in a cool, dry place.  Plants must
be 5-6 years of age to produce seed. 

Direct Seeding

For optimum success, plant during the fall in
moist soil.  Protect seeds from wildlife until germination.  Sow seeds thinly on top of
ground in rows 3” apart or by broadcasting seeds.  Gently press seed into ground. 
Cover the bed with at least a few inches of
dry leaves from the surrounding forest, composted leaves or good compost.  As this mulch layer will deter weeds and retain
moisture, it is recommended that one be maintained all year round.  Seeds germinate
in the second spring following planting, unless
they are planted very early, i.e. they receive a
long warm period before the soil cools for the winter.  Bulb harvests can begin 5-7 years following planting.  

Transplanting

Ramps can also be grown as a transplant, allowing a faster harvest of 3-6 years
depending on size of bulb.  Purchase dormant bulbs in February or March for spring planting
or harvest from wild populations to which you have legal access between September and
March (and preferably between February and mid March.)  Wait until the ground has thawed
to dig.  If transplanting a growing plant instead
of a dormant bulb, retain some soil cover on
the roots while doing so. 

To plant your bulbs or transplants, dig trenches 4”-5” deep across a bed, and space trenches 4”-6” apart to give the plant room to multiply.  Place dormant bulbs 3” apart and 3” deep and cover with soil until just the tip of the bulb
shows.  Leafed-out transplants should be
placed at the same depth they had been
growing in when they were dug.  Cover with several inches of mulch as you would seeds.

Harvest

Harvest from a mature bed, one that demonstrates both repeated flowering year after year as well as bulb divisions.  If harvesting from a planting bed, harvest one-fifth to one-seventh of the planting area and replant that section in order to have a continuous harvest.  To promote a perpetual harvest with no replanting, researcher Jeanine Davis recommends thinning by taking no more than 15% of the bed or wild population, taking the largest bulbs and harvesting from clumps.  In a study conducted at the southern range limit, researchers suggested a sustainable harvest level of 10% of a population once every 10 years.

Dig using a ginseng hoe, pick or garden hoe.  Keep harvested ramps cool and moist while digging.  Leaf harvest is also an option, allowing the bulb to grow the following year.  Harvest leaves after fully matured but before yellowing.

Post-harvest

Wash ramps thoroughly and trim off roots.  Air dry until surface moisture is gone, then store in waxed cardboard produce boxes in a cool place, preferably a walk-in cooler.  Airtight containers will speed the degradation process.  Bundle with a rubber band and do not leave out of refrigeration for more than an hour or two.

Market

Potential markets include specialty stores, supermarkets, roadside stands, tailgate markets, caterers, restaurants, festivals, and value-added products.   Jeanine Davis recommends creating value-added products and using creative marketing strategies such as including a recipe. Bulbs will sell for $1-5 per bunch (depending on size, etc.), at $7.50/lb. wholesale, and at $15/lb. to restaurants.

One example of a successful ramp enterprise is G & N Ramp Farm and Ramp Farm Specialties, both owned and operated by Glen and Norene Facemire of West Virginia.  This family has carried various ramp products, operated a small store as well as a mail-order business.  Currently, most of their business is in selling ramp bulbs and seeds for planting.  Their website (see references for link) lists their selling price for 1lb. of fresh ramps at $11.50 while 3 dozen planting bulbs sell for $12.75 and a packet of seeds for $4.00.