How to Pick Herbs

SEVERAL TIPS FOR HERB PICKING

It should be done with herbs as with mushrooms – pick only those you know well, as some wild-growing species are poisonous. Beginners should definitely own a pocket herbal guide and bring it along. Only ever pick herbs in places that are not contaminated, and never pick mouldy or infested plants. Also, make sure that you leave a couple behind in a place where many grow so that they can multiply further. It can also help to bring a small gardening shovel and a basket.

The general rule of thumb is that roots should be picked in the morning or the evening. Pieces of the plant above ground like blooms, leaves or haulms are best picked at midday.

WHICH PARTS OF HERBS SHOULD WE PICK AND WHEN?

Collect blossoms when they are in bloom. Once they start fading away, the number of effective compounds starts to decrease. Haulms are best picked when the plant starts blossoming, or right before it starts fading.

Roots should be picked during dormancy, meaning in early spring or fall. It is during those times that the plant is at the peak of its strength, meaning it has the most medicinal properties. The root is best picked right after a rain shower by carefully taking it out with a small gardening shovel.