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

Natural Remedies for Travel

Nothing is worse than being sick or hurt when traveling. The trick to assembling a useful traveling first-aid-kit is making sure that it is compact, and has multi-functional remedies to combat many types of health crisis that you may encounter while traveling. These are 5 remedies you should never leave home without:

1.) Lavender Essential Oil is available at any well stocked health food store. It is one of the few essential oils that you would use without diluting. It is highly anti-viral, and can be applied below the nose and around the neck to avoid catching a cold or flu while flying. Here are some other ways that Lavender EO can be used:

• for any type of burn, sunburn, or scald it works much like aloe
• removes the pain from stings and bug bites
• is anti-bacterial and can be used on cuts and scrapes
• stops painful muscle spasms, helps relax tense muscles
• can help you go to sleep in a strange place
• can relieve stress when you are in new situations
• can be used in a hot bath at the onset of a cold to release exterior pathogens much like echinacea does
• can be applied to the temples to relieve a headache
  

2.) Rescue Remedy is a Bach flower essence remedy that can be purchased at any health food store. It is essential in any crisis situation, for trauma, or for shock. It calms those who are overwhelmed or suffering with an anxiety attack. It is gentle enough to use with children and animals.
3.) GSE, or Grapefruit Seed Extract, can be added (just a few drops) when you are traveling overseas, or are leery of the drinking water. Contaminated water is one of the leading causes of illness for travelers. It's best to resort to bottled water, but if none is available and there is no way to boil water, GSE will kill bacteria, such as E. coli, cholera and salmonella. Most well-stocked health food stores will have a small bottle of GSE available.
4.) Charcoal capsules are also available at health food stores. Charcoal will absorb bacteria and viruses in the gut. It can be used preventative if you fear that you have been exposed to a bug, or on the onset of digestive upsets.
5.) Curing Pills formula is an ancient Chinese formula used to treat any type of digestive upset from over-eating and bloating to nausea and diarrhea. They are a cure all for any digestive disorder and will restore the digestive system after a stomach virus. They are non-toxic and can be taken by children.