Content
- St. John's wort - harvest correctly and process
- What is harvested?
- When will be harvested?
- Cut off the herb and dry it
- Uses: Tea, tinctures, oils and more
- Tips
After the harvest, St. John's wort is dried
St. John's wort - harvest correctly and process
St. John's wort is a well-known herb. It can help with depression, ill temper, nervousness, indigestion and poorly healing wounds and puffiness. How to harvest it and then process it, read below.
Early article St. John's wort care: What is important? Next article St. John's Wort for later use to dryWhat is harvested?
You can basically harvest all parts of St. John's wort. But it is gentler for the plant if you only harvest the flowers. The entire aboveground herb including stems and leaves can be harvested. The berries are usually not collected.
When will be harvested?
The active ingredient content in the plant is highest at flowering time. Therefore, the perfect harvest period has come from the end of June to July. It is ideal to harvest the herb on dry days in the morning.
Cut off the herb and dry it
You can cut off all aboveground weeds (or flowers only) with scissors or a knife, or simply collect them with your bare hands. It is recommended to cut no more than about 20 cm - so the upper shoots with the flowers. This does not weaken the plant too much.
The shoots are then tied together into small bouquets and dried:
Uses: Tea, tinctures, oils and more
Whether fresh or dried, the leaves and flowers can be used in many ways. Here are some ideas:
Tips
The St. John's wort oil is said to help, among others, in eczema and psoriasis due to its anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties.