The end of summer and the beginning of autumn is a good time to collect herbs for the kitchen and home first aid kit. It is worth getting interested in wild ones, but also those grown in the garden. Many of them are proven natural medicines or dietary supplements. Which herbs and how to collect?
There are a few important things to keep in mind when acquiring herbs.Gathering herbsrequires rainless, relatively warm weather. Then the risk of molding of the cleaned raw materials is reduced. Remember to avoid harvesting from contaminated, industrialized and nearby roads with heavy traffic. You should not collect all the specimens from a given location. By leaving some plants behind, we give them a chance to regenerate and yield next year. The exception to this rule are species considered common and undesirable - e.g. weeds.
We don't destroy the environment
If we collect flowers, try to leave some of them on the plant. They will produce seeds that ensure species continuity and feed the animals. Similarly with fruit - some of them should be left for the birds. Sometimes this determines the survival of animals in the winter period. If we harvest the bark, it is only in autumn or spring, and from plants growing in the forest - only in consultation with the forest services.
With scissors in the basketWe go to the herb harvest with scissors. Cut the herb (stems with leaves and developing flowers) 10-15 cm above the ground. We don't tear all the leaves out of one plant. It is the assimilation apparatus that determines its development, and the stripped plant may not be able to regenerate. Sometimes plants can be harvested 2 or 3 times a year. But usually the young leaves before flowering are the most valuable.
Raw material | Harvest date | Important rules |
Elderberry fruits | August-September | The seed heads are cut when they are all ripe. |
Hop cones | August-September | Plantation cones should be harvested within 2-3 weeks. When ripe, they turn green-yellow. |
Rosehip | September-November | The collected fruits must be hollowed out and the hairs removed. |
Hawthorn berries | September-October | The fruit is harvested without stalks. They should be firm and dark red in color. |
White light herb | May-September | The herb is cut just above the ground. |
Buckthorn bark | September-October | The bark is obtained from cut branches. It can be used after a yearstorage or after drying at high temperature. |
Dandelion root | August-November | Dig deep - the dandelion produces a long root. |
Rhizome couch grass | August-October | You have to choose thick, firm and light rhizomes. |
Nettle leaves | September-November | If possible, the plant is cut and left in the position. It loses its stinging properties after several dozen hours. |
Sea buckthorn berries | September-October | Fruits can be picked after frost, they taste better then. |
Chamomile flowers | June-September | Freshly bloomed flowers are picked - systematically. |