Turning cursed Weeds into treasured Herbs - it's a learning experience.

Plants available to buy:
We'll have these plants on Monday:
Comfrey
Motherwort
Spearmint
Valerian
likely others too
Many of the plants on this blog likely live in your yard too.
But if you need a start, we've probably got some for you.

Standard Harvesting Principles

Location:
Because of the fumes and oil run-off road traffic gives to the local environment, it is highly recommended that you refrain from harvesting any wild plants found within 50 feet of a road.
Preservation:
Although the plants mentioned here are commonly found in the wild, you should always be watchful to not over-harvest any plant you pick in the wild. General rule would be to take less than 50% of whatever you find, and take care to leave sufficient seed bearing plants to proprogate the next generation.

Time
Herbs generally are best harvested in the morning after the dew is gone and before the heat of the day.

The heat of the sun causes the volitle oil essences to release into the air to attract the beneficial insects (and people who appreciate their scent). So for best quality of nutrition, you want the most essence in the plants parts you pick. That's why the early bird gets the best leaves and flowers.

Leaves:
Leaves of good color and without blemishes should be picked before the plant buds.

Flowers:
Flowers should be picked just after opening or before they are past peak.

Roots:
Roots of perennials (plants that return every year)
should be pulled in the fall or early spring after the plant has stored it nutrients from the leaves in the roots for the winter.

Roots from biennial plants (plants that live for 2 years)
are best harvested in the fall after the first summer when the plant stores it's nutrients in preparation for the winter and next summer's seed making time.
Or if you didn't catch them in the fall, your second opportunity is in the spring of the second year before the plant sends up it's center stem for blossoms. When it blooms during the second summer all the plant's energy goes into the seeds and the root begins the dying process. The root will become fibrous and bitter once the blossom stem appears. The only reason you'd want to harvest a root from a 2 year old, blooming or past bloom biennial plant is if you like tough chewy bitter things.


Plant types

Annuals:
Come up from seed only. Die after one season. Must be replanted every year.

Biennials:
Come up from seed. Have leaves only the first year, they bloom the second year, then produce seeds and die.

Perennials:
Come up every year. They can be sprouted from seeds, roots, or cuttings.

A whole other reason to keep the weeds!

More to come........

Keep watching!

With the exception of only a few that I found online,
the pics on this site are my amateur photography from plants here on the farm. That's why they don't usually look professional.

This information is a compilation of our wild herb experience, and research from many herbal books. I am not, nor do I claim to be, an expert. You are responsible for your actions and how the plants you choose to eat effect you.

When using wild herbs and vegetables, you should understand that their nutritional content is generally greater than commercially grown and cultivated plants. This means that it takes less to achieve the same nutritional value as common produce. This also often gives them medicinal values along with food value. As with any diet change, when beginning to eat wild vegetables, moderation is key in digestive and taste adjustments. When beginning to learn about wild food identification and use, please follow the Biblical mandate “from the mouth of two or three witnesses may a thing be established” and make use of the many herbal books available as identification guides and reference books and web sites before dining in the wild. Verify with pictures, and observe the plants as they mature and bloom. The Bible, says, we have been given “the herbs of the field for our food and our medicine”, but it also says “study to show yourselves approved” ignorance in any area is never bliss. So, with this in mind, go forth and dine.