The medicinal value of plant raw materials, mainly depends on the correctness of its harvesting. Therefore it is important to know exactly where and when to collect birch buds and how to ferment them. Previously, such skills had only herbalists with rich experience or hereditary healers, now folk wisdom has become popular.
When to collect birch buds for making medicines?
To get the most useful raw materials, rich in vitamins, trace elements, essential chemical compounds, saturated with essential oils, it is important to wait for its maturation.
When it is necessary to collect birch buds for the treatment of various diseases, depends on the geographical location and climate in the region. Herbalists are advised to work on the preparation with the onset of heat, usually in the spring.
An important indicator of the maturity of the birch buds for collection is their swelling. The more they are filled with juice, the more useful substances they contain. In this case, the scales should fit tightly against the young greenery inside, otherwise the raw material is already overripe.
The color of the prepared buds is brownish-brown, at the base may have a greenish tinge. The smell is enhanced by rapid rubbing with your fingers, reminiscent of a balsamic fragrance. If you try the buds to taste, you feel a pronounced oily, resinous, slightly numb tongue ("knits").
In what month do they collect birch buds?
The exact time of harvesting depends, as already mentioned, on the terrain.
If the spring is early, the beginning of the collection of birch buds occurs at the end of February. In other cases, it is better to wait for pronounced warming, so that the birch sap actively moved along the trunk and branches, preparing medicinal raw materials from the 10th of April and until the beginning of June.
How correctly to collect and ferment birch buds?
The considered process is carried out only manually, in ecologically clean areas, far from the trails and industry. During the collection you must follow the following rules:
- Cut the kidneys directly with young branches.
- Lay raw materials for drying in ventilated areas.
- Thresh dry branches.
- Sift the obtained kidneys through a sieve.
- Store raw materials in dry paper bags.
Experienced herbalists know one trick at collecting kidneys - if they are too small and badly swollen, you can leave the cut branches for 1-2 days in a warm moist room, and only then proceed to harvest.