Dry St. John's wort for later use

Content

• Dry St. John's wort for later use
• First: harvest at the right time
• Clean and bundle before drying
• Where and how is it best to dry the herb?
• Uses for the dried St. John's wort
• Tips

St. John's wort should be dried upside down in a shady spot

Dry St. John's wort for later use

Which gardener does not know: At a certain time there are tons of the same variety to harvest. There are tons of cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, etc. Even with St. John's wort often not everything can be used immediately. Therefore, you are well advised to dry the herb.

Early St. John's Wort - harvest and process properly

First: harvest at the right time

If you are looking for a high level of active ingredient, you should harvest the St. John's wort at the right time, then dry it. At flowering time, which usually begins towards the end of June, the active ingredient content is highest. Then is harvest time!

It's quick if you use a pruning shears or a sickle for the harvest. It all depends on how many plants you want to harvest! Cut the herb just above the ground. Alternatively, you can only collect the flowers.

Clean and bundle before drying

Before it goes to dry, St. John's wort should be cleaned from any leftovers or other dirt. Do not do that under a stream of water! The water extracts aromas from the herb. If the St. John's wort is to air-dry, do not cut it up, but tie it with a rope into bundles.

Where and how is it best to dry the herb?

Generally, St. John's wort should always be gently dried. This means that it should not be exposed to sunlight or temperatures above 40 ° C. Suitable for drying are dehydrators and open ovens. But even in the air, the herb dries well.

You can hang the bundles upside down in a dark (shady) and airy place like the loft. The drying takes about 2 weeks. The collected flowers can also be spread well open, for example, on a baking sheet or newspaper to dry.

Uses for the dried St. John's wort

The dried herb or flowers can be used for various preparations and healing purposes. Here are some suggestions:

Tips

A tea from St. John's wort can be prepared with hops, lemon balm and / or lavender combined. He has a sleep-inducing and calming effect.