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Collecting dandelion root for medicinal purposes, as well as leaves with flowers, is necessary taking into account the maturity of the plant. In folk medicine, all parts of a dandelion are used, however, they all have a different peak of usefulness - the time period when they accumulate the maximum possible amount of useful micro- and macroelements. For example, it is better to collect the leaves before flowering, until the flowers have drawn the vitality of the plant, and the roots after. Of course, you can neglect these rules, there will be no harm to health from this. Nevertheless, the benefits of the raw materials collected for procurement will be much lower than the original ones.
When to collect dandelions for medicine
Regardless of which part of the dandelions is harvested for drying or freezing, there are several rules that are effective in all cases:
- The collection of raw materials from the same place can be carried out only once every 3 years, not more often. Otherwise, there is a great risk of depleting the flora in the area.
- It is recommended to collect dandelions as far from the road as possible. Urban plants, in general, are not very suitable for collection for medicinal purposes - they quickly accumulate toxic substances and are more likely to be harmful to health than beneficial. It is best to harvest plants growing in a forest or in a summer cottage.
- There is no need to rush to prepare material for the winter. If you collect dandelions ahead of time, the raw materials will turn out to be scarce in vitamins and nutrients.
When to Harvest Dandelion Root for Treatment
At the roots of dandelion, two time intervals can be distinguished for collection, when the concentration of nutrients in them is at its peak: spring before flowering (late April - early May) and autumn (September-October). The dandelion root is dried at the same time as it is harvested.
The collection is carried out as follows:
- All leaves are collected in one bunch.
- Firmly holding them together with the stem, grasping at the very base, the plant is slowly pulled out of the ground, trying not to break the root. Pre-watering the soil will facilitate the process - it will be easier to pull out the roots from the softened soil.
- The lateral roots of the medicinal dandelion are cut off.
- After that, the plant is soaked in any suitable container. This is necessary in order to finally soften the remaining clods of earth, so that the roots can later be easier to clean. After 10-15 minutes, the collected material is removed from the water.
Dandelion Leaves Harvesting Time
Dandelion leaves are harvested and dried in spring - during this period, the concentration of nutrients in them is especially high.Young leaves of those plants that have not yet bloomed are most suitable for harvesting - they have not yet transferred their strength to flowers. They are carefully cut with scissors and placed on a tray or basket. In this case, it is important to ensure that the leaves do not crumple. Also, all damaged, yellow and diseased specimens should be discarded immediately. In addition, the raw material must be cleaned of insects and undesirable impurities in the form of dry leaves of other plants, etc. The fallen leaves cannot be harvested, therefore, it is better not to tighten the material after drying.
It is recommended to harvest this part of the plant in dry weather or in the afternoon, when the dew residues are completely dry.
Dates for collecting medicinal dandelion flowers
Collecting flowers of medicinal dandelion usually falls on the period from April to October, and the blanks from samples collected during active flowering - in May - are especially high-quality.
It is recommended to pick flowers in sunny weather in the afternoon or late afternoon. It is desirable that the dew has already disappeared from the plants by this time. Flowers should not have visible damage in the form of spots, plaque, debris, specimens with signs of wilting are also not suitable for harvesting. As a rule, only the head of the flower (or the basket) is cut off; the peduncle is usually not touched. It is better not to pick flowers with your hands - there is a great risk of shaking off pollen from the petals, which contains a large amount of useful macro- and microelements. It is she who determines the main healing qualities of the flowers of the plant. Without it, the heads become practically useless, although some benefit still remains.
Before starting drying, the collected flowers are inspected for foreign debris, insects and other herbs.
How to Harvest Dandelions for Treatment
The biological activity of plants grown on an industrial scale is steadily declining, so people are increasingly collecting herbs on their own, including dandelion: its roots, leaves and flowers. The process of procurement of raw materials occurs in two main directions: the collected material is either dried or frozen. Separately, the manufacture of all kinds of decoctions, infusions and dandelion jam is distinguished.
How to prepare dandelion roots for medicinal purposes
Dandelion root harvesting begins with cleaning it. Raw materials are thoroughly washed, getting rid of soil residues, and dried for some time in the fresh air. After that, the root is placed in a dry freezer. When kept at low temperatures, the collected material retains its useful qualities for several years.
An alternative way to harvest the roots of a plant is to dry it.
How to dry dandelion roots
By drying, dandelion roots are harvested in the attic or under a canopy - high-quality raw materials can be obtained only on the condition that a sufficient amount of oxygen is supplied to it. In this case, it is important to place the roots in the shade or partial shade, since under the influence of direct sunlight they lose most of the nutrients.
You can speed up the process by drying in the oven, however, you cannot set the temperature too high. The recommended limit is 50 °.
Small roots dry out faster than large ones, so quite often the collected raw materials are passed through a meat grinder. The crushed dandelion roots are laid out in a thin layer on a flat surface, after having spread a cloth or burlap on it. From time to time, the roots are gently mixed.
You can determine the readiness of the dried root by the following criteria:
- if the material for harvesting was collected on time and dried according to all the rules, then the roots will be dense and slightly wrinkled;
- when pressed, the root breaks easily and with a bang;
- outside the dried dandelion root is dark brown, inside it is almost white;
- little or no smell;
- a properly prepared root tastes slightly bitter.
If, as a result of drying, the roots turn out to be soft and light, it means that poor-quality material was collected or mistakes were made during the harvesting process. For medicinal purposes, such raw materials cannot be used.
How to prepare dandelion leaves
Dandelion leaves are harvested in the shade, in a well-ventilated cool area. The recommended temperature is 25-40 °. It is important to prevent the leaves from sticking together - to do this, they are regularly turned over.
How to prepare dandelion flowers
The most important rule for harvesting dandelion flowers is that they should never be washed. Water will inevitably wash away pollen from the petals, which means that a significant proportion of nutrients will be lost irretrievably.
The flowers collected for drying are transferred to the shade and spread on a spread fabric in a thin layer. After 10 hours, they are removed to a dry and well-ventilated room with a temperature of 25 °. In order to prepare flowers faster, you can put them in a drying chamber and set the temperature to 50 °.
Is it possible to freeze dandelion flowers
Freezing dandelion flowers is easy. The procedure for freezing raw materials is as follows:
- The collected flowers are slightly dried.
- After that, the green receptacles are removed.
- The yellow petals are placed in a plastic bag and frozen like regular greens.
Storage rules and periods
If you follow all the general rules for collecting herbs, dandelion retains its beneficial properties for an average of 2 to 5 years. Depending on which part of the plant is harvested, these parameters may differ slightly.
The dried roots of the plant are stored for the longest time - if you keep them in a cool dry place, away from sunlight, then the shelf life of the raw materials will be 4-7 years. The optimal container for storing roots, both crushed and whole, is cardboard boxes or wooden boxes.
Dried leaves are stored in a dry room, in bags of sufficiently dense material or cardboard boxes. The shelf life of raw materials does not exceed 1-2 years.
Flowers are stored in fabric or paper bags, glass containers are also suitable. In the room where raw materials are stored, it is necessary to maintain room temperature and good air ventilation. In such conditions, dandelion flowers retain their medicinal properties for 1 year.
Conclusion
It is best to collect dandelion root for medicinal purposes when a maximum of useful substances accumulate in them. The same rule applies to other parts of the plant: leaves and flowers. It is important to remember that in some cases, dandelion-based medications can harm human health, despite the obvious benefits for the body as a whole. This occurs most often with an allergy to the plant, but also infusions, decoctions and other dandelion products are contraindicated for blockage of the biliary tract, peptic ulcer and gastritis.
In addition, you can learn more about the features of using various parts of a dandelion for medicinal purposes from the video below:
