Questions about Growing Goldenseal

I'm interested in growing goldenseal. I live in Connecticut (U.S.A.). How big will the plant grow? How much space is required? Can I prune the plant and use the pruned pieces to grind into power? Will buying rootlets produce a hardy enough plant the first year to survive the winter? Will the rootlets produce a plant at all the first year? What kind of soil does the plant like?

The plant grows 20-40 cm (8-15 inches) high with a spread of 15-30 cm (6-12 inches). You cannot prune the plant; the roots are harvested after two or three years, but root divisions may be replanted. Fall planted rootlets will survive the winter in zones 4-8 provided the soil is well-drained. Goldenseal prefers a soil rich in organic material, typical of a hardwood forest. The rootlets are really mini-plants with leaves, but they will not be harvestable the first year. It takes at least two seasons, and preferably three, to get good sized roots.
A good source of information on growing goldenseal is A.R. Harding's "Ginseng and Other Medicinal Plants" (available from Richters) which has three chapters devoted to the cultivation and harvesting of goldenseal. The book was written at the beginning of the century but it is still a useful source of information.