04/07/2026
The RAMPTURE has begun! ππ±....and instead of belittling and bashing others on how to sustainably harvest ramps, I find it far more effective to educate. But first, we must analyze if what we have been told about ramps is actually true!
Ramps (Allium tricoccum) AKA wild leeks are a variety of wild onion that is extremely sought after by foragers. Unfortunately due to their popularity, ramp populations have dwindled over the years and are now considered in jeopardy.
From seed, it takes each ramp plant 6-18 months for germination and about 7 years to reach full maturity. When foragers pull an entire plant up before it has reached maturity, it has no time to spread it's seeds, or spread through bulb division. This is where the one leaf rule came in......π
π± ONE LEAF RULE? πππ
Experts usually recommend the "one leaf rule", meaning taking only one leaf per plant. We have been told that this is the most sustainable way to harvest and preserve the species.... But is it? I too for the longest time thought this was the best way to harvest these delicious plants, but unfortunately, I was wrong.
See, photosynthesis is actually the most important thing to a plant aside from water. Cutting one leaf (solar panel) in younger plants actually reduces the photosynthesis and late stage bulb development. In simpler terms, you stunt the growth of the plant itself. It also leaves the remaining solar panels (leaves) susceptible to decay from fungi and bacteria. This ultimately shortens the season of photosynthesis and greatly reduces the biomass of the total population. Sadly, the people that mean well, are the ones that are destroying this plants population the most by harvesting only one leaf. π
So what does this mean for harvesting? If you find a small patch with only a few plants, don't harvest anything. Sucks, but it's the best thing you can do for the plants. Allow it to naturally propagate, and eventually you will be able to come back and harvest. If you find a large patch, harvest a few plants, bulbs and all, leaving as much of the rhizomes as possible. You can also divide plants with several bulbs and transplant them to a ideal location nearby.
The 10% rule is a good guideline to follow, meaning only harvest about 10% of any ramp patch. If you find a patch of 30 ramp plants, you should only harvest 3, but you still need to be conscious about the frequency of harvesting. If you're doing this several times a year, obviously you will deplete the patch quite quickly. There should be at least a year or so in between harvesting rounds again giving the plants time to propagate. If you harvest from this patch yearly in 7 years, you will harvest 21 plants. This means, if they were all the same age, you would only have a few left that would be able to spread its seed or bulb. If it is an older patch that is already producing at all stages, you will be fine.
Places like public land where it's illegal to dig wild plants, can easily be over-harvested since multiple people will be hitting the same patch. This unfortunately is the situation with the declining ramp populations. Nobody is giving these plants enough time to establish new generations and too many people are harvesting from the same places.
PLANT YOUR OWN PATCH! π±π±π±
Believe it or not, ramps are very easy to grow and can even be grown in pots! If you have the space for a small raised bed even, better!
Add soil to something 12 inches deep or larger and plant ramp bulbs 3-6 inches apart. Either build or move your raised bed into the shade. Ramps are woodland plants, so they need protection from summer's sun and heat. If you can't plant them on the edge of a woodland, where they will be sheltered as the trees leaf out, at least give them a spot in the shade to partial shade. Soil moisture is key! Ramps require damp soil. Much like the conditions they would grow in naturally, in damp deciduous forest where they stay hydrated. Keep them watered, and they will thrive!
DON'T BE THAT PERSON π§π§π§
Don't be the person that becomes selfish and ruins it for the rest of us. These are the reasons the foraging community has become so defensive of this subject. If we all practice sustainable foraging, we can preserve these sacred plants for many generations to come. If you're not worried about the next generations, at least worry that you yourself won't be able to harvest these plants in a few years, if you don't act responsibly. If you don't, that will be on your karma you will have to make peace with down the road.
π± WHAT WE CAN DO
The most important thing we can do is harvest sustainably. We want these plants to be around for many generations. In fact, ramps have been and still are an important food source to many indigenous communities. It's important for us to preserve these traditional foods.
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Fighting and arguing is never the way to accomplish anything. Education on the other hand, we always benefit from and hopefully this article has helped some understand how we should approach harvesting these plants. Enjoy them! We all should enjoy them! But if we don't work together to preserve their future, none of us will enjoy them for very long.
For more information on edible and medicinal plants, visit our site below
www.healthprimitive.com
Stop the Hate, Educate, & Stay Wild! βοΈ
NOTE: these ramps are from my personal food forest and were cultivated by me years ago.
