It's spring! Take the opportunity to gather plants!

Spring marks the beginning of the best season for gathering medicinal plants to prepare your own therapeutic oils. Today, we’re sharing a few tips on how to harvest them and what to do with them.

Harvesting

The best seasons for gathering medicinal plants are from April and May until autumn. If we are looking for the aerial parts of the plants (leaves, flowers), we must go searching in spring and summer, the time of their blooming, as this is when they contain the maximum concentration of active ingredients. Flowers must be collected immediately after they sprout, except for chamomile and arnica, which can be gathered while they are still buds. Also, there are plants, such as rosemary, that bloom all year round, so they do not require a specific time for harvesting, although we should ensure it hasn't rained for several days.

The bark is collected in spring, before flowering, as there is more sap circulating through the stems and branches at this time.

Roots, rhizomes, and tubers, on the other hand, should be collected in autumn.

One must consider the weather at the time of harvesting. To extract the greatest amount of active ingredients, we should do this on clear, sunny days, choosing the warmest hours of midday or the early afternoon. Never collect plants early in the morning, as they will be damp with dew, which can damage the plant and prevent proper drying. The same applies to rainy days.

If we are interested in plants rich in essential oils, we must collect them in the mid-morning, as the intense sun rays could cause a certain amount of their oils to evaporate, thereby diminishing their potency.

A few simple rules:

• Never store plants in plastic bags; the lack of ventilation would make them sweat, accelerating their decomposition. (This can, however, be done with tougher parts, rhizomes, and roots.)
• Use cardboard boxes or baskets, being careful not to compress them against each other.
• If you find toxic plants, they must be collected and dried separately; wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly after handling them.
• Never collect more than you need. Stripping a plant weakens it significantly, resulting in a less substantial second harvest.
• Always collect the healthiest specimens; do not cut diseased ones or those growing next to roads or near large crops, as there is a risk they may be contaminated with pesticides or herbicides.
• Back home, plants intended for storage should be dried as soon as possible, whereas if we want to prepare macerations, this is the time, as they require fresh plants.

Drying

The purpose of drying is to extract water from the plants to ensure their preservation. Direct sunlight is not a drying method and should not be used as such. It is too intense and could cause the essential oils to evaporate or alter the color of the flowers. Spread out the plants, carefully selected and cleaned, on a surface of paper, cardboard, or wood in a cool, sunny place; the temperature should be high but not exceed 32ºC (90°F), and they should be brought inside at night to protect them from moisture.

Roots can be dried in full sun and will be ready when they break under the slightest pressure.

Storage

Keep your plants in glass jars or paper bags in a cool place protected from light.

Expiration

Dried stored plants retain their medicinal properties for 2 years; after this, there is a risk of contamination.

Enjoy nature, learn to identify medicinal plants, understand their properties, and learn to make your own home remedies.