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When to harvest hawthorn
Timeliness is an important factor in the collection of medicinal plants. If you know when to harvest hawthorn and how to do it correctly, then you will be able to preserve the beneficial properties of this amazing berry for a long time. The effectiveness of the fruits of the shrub has been proven by modern medicine as a result of research. The components of the plant are part of some heart preparations.
How to determine when to harvest hawthorn fruit?
In a state of full maturity, hawthorn berries have a uniform color. The color of the fruit, depending on the type of shrub, can be intense bright red or orange.
When it is time to harvest the hawthorn, you can tell by the appearance of the plant.
The choice of a place for collecting medicinal berries must be approached responsibly. The place must be environmentally friendly. Do not pick herbs and berries near highways and industrial plants. Due to harmful emissions, they can contain poisons and heavy metals that are dangerous to humans.
The hawthorn begins to ripen in the second half of September. You can harvest the crop almost before the first frost. It is recommended to go for berries in dry, clear weather. You can pluck them both with brushes and scattered. In order not to waste time sorting berries at home, do it right away: make sure that damaged, rotten or dry fruits do not fall into the container.
What parts of the hawthorn can be harvested for the winter?
In addition to fruits, other parts of hawthorn bushes are also widely used in folk medicine. For example, decoctions and tinctures from the bark, leaves or flowers of the plant are used to treat and prevent hypertension and heart disease.
Raw materials are procured in the following terms:
- In early spring, at the beginning of the growing season of the plant, harvesting of the bark begins. First you need to cut off shoots that are not older than 3-4 years. The bark is separated from these shoots with a knife. After drying, the bark is crushed. The prepared raw materials do not lose their healing properties for 2 years.
- Before setting the fruit, you can harvest the young leaves of the shrub. They should be free of traces of disease and damage. It is recommended to cut off no more than 1/3 of the total number of leaves from one branch.
- As soon as the shrub begins to bloom, the inflorescences can be harvested. The flowering period of hawthorns is from 7 to 10 days, so you should not hesitate with their harvesting.
It is necessary to store dried raw materials in a dry and cool place, protected from bright light. Subject to these recommendations, the blanks will retain their healing qualities for at least 2 years.