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For most home gardeners, this is the time of year we start to think
about harvesting the plants that we have so lovingly cared for all
summer. Timing is a key part of achieving the maximum quality of the
plant, and harvest times vary depending on the part that you wish to
use. As a general guideline, you want to gather the plants when they
are at the peak of potency or are fully ripe. For example:
- Flowers
are usually best harvested just before the full bloom and in the mid
or late morning following evaporation of the dew
- Seeds
should be gathered when they are dry and ripe, but before they fall
from the plant on their own
- Roots
can be gathered in the late fall or early spring in either the early
morning or late afternoon
- Leaves
should be gathered when they are tender and the plant is beginning
to show new fall growth
Harvesting
plants during periods of heavy rainfall or drought does not provide
good conditions for harvest. Plants will soak up excess moisture, so
if there has been heavy rainfall, try to wait at least a day or two
before harvesting. As well, during drought conditions, when the plants
are stressed, harvest should be avoided.
In either
condition, the plants will not be as potent and therefore less effective
than they would be had they been gathered at a more appropriate time.
Keeping
plants potent once they are harvested is another matter. Air, heat,
light, moisture and reactive metals such as tin and aluminum all detract
from the vitality of the plant. It is best to store your herbs in a
cool, dark, well ventilated area such as a cellar, pantry or kitchen
cabinet - not the one over the stove as the steam and heat from cooking
will harm the herbs as well.
When
properly harvested and stored, our summer pleasures can bring us joy
all year round. Enjoy!
Harvest
Tip: Did your bergamot, rosemary, sage or thyme get a little out of
control this summer? Think you'll have some left over? Try this recipe
for a fragrant disinfectant:
Place
a good handful of bergamot, rosemary, sage or thyme in a pot and add
just enough water to cover the herbs. Simmer for about a half an hour
and strain. The liquid can be stored in containers and used to clean
sinks, toilets, and other nasty areas that might be in need of a little
fragrant disinfecting!
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