How to Harvest Medicinal Herbs

The most rewarding aspect of growing herbs is the harvest. While herbs for seasoning can be harvested throughout the growing season, medicinal herbs should be harvested at the optimal time to produce an effective medicine. As with all things herbal, there are exceptions to these guidelines and always keeping wildcrafting ethics in mind.

Herbs:
The tops of plants including leaf, bud, and flowers, should be harvested just as the flowers begin to open. Soft stemmed plants such as basil and echinecea can be pruned more severely than woody plants. Woody plants such as rosemary and thyme will not survive if they lose more than half of their mass. Harvest should occur before midday, especially if you are trying to preserve essential oil content. If the 'herba' is to be dried for storage, the harvest should be timed after the dew dries off of the leaves. When harvesting in the wild, only forage ten percent of the existing crop. The rest will produce seed for future generations.

Radix/Root:
Roots are typically harvested in the Fall when the nutrients and energy have descended into the roots of the plants. Shake the earth that has adhered to the roots back into the hole and smooth out disturbed areas and cover with leaves or mulch. Only abundant wild crops should be harvested for the root of the plant.

Cortex/Bark:
This is a process best demonstrated by a skilled herbalist. Trees can heal themselves, so long as small amounts of bark are taken during a time when the tree is not stressed by drought. Cuts should be up and down the tree rather than around the tree. If the bark is removed all the way around the trunk, the tree will die.

Semen/Seeds:
It can be quite tricky harvesting seeds in a timely manner. Gardeners are often competing with birds that are paying more attention than we are. Often seeds can be harvested before they completely mature and allowed to dry in a well ventilated sack. Another method to try involves tying panty hose around the seed head in the garden until they mature. Heavy rains would be a setback to this method, as the seeds may rot.

Once harvested, herbs must be dried, or made into medicines quickly to maintain their active chemical contituents. Learn more at www.SwanCreekFarm.com