1 - From planting to conservation

The plantation

Medicinal plants can be grown in your vegetable garden or in a special area on your balcony or in your garden. Make the most of it! Gardening is the way to become a gardener!

Before you start....

Read about all the good gardening practices out there, talk to experienced gardeners, and take the time.
Study your soil and your plants. Don't try to grow exotic plants if you live in Europe or North America. Also find out if your soil is chalky, clayey, etc. There's no point in trying to grow certain plants if the climate and soil aren't right for them.
Identify your needs, think about what you want, choose a maximum of 10 plants and go for it!
Choose simple plants to start with.
Choose the right place, the right soil, the right method and get started! Gardening is also an excellent way to meditate and be in the moment: your body and mind will thank you!

Harvesting through the seasons

The effect of a plant depends directly on its quality... which in turn depends on the time and method of harvesting and the conservation techniques used. In fact, the medicinal properties of a plant are directly linked to its environment (soil, climate, altitude, sunshine, etc.) and to the moment when the part of the plant is harvested: it is never picked at random.
Here's how it works:
- Flowers: harvest before full bloom so that they are full of solutes and active ingredients.
- Leaves: harvest just before flowering
- Buds and young shoots: usually harvested in spring
- Fruit: harvest according to use: ripe for eating and just before ripening for drying and preserving.
- Above-ground parts (leaves, flowers and stems): wait for flowering.
- Roots: harvest when there are no aerial parts, in spring before flowering or in autumn when aerial parts are dry.
- Bark: harvest when it has reached a certain thickness. It should peel easily from the trunk.

The drying

This stage in the processing of medicinal plants is essential, as the efficacy and action of the plant's active ingredients is directly related to the quality of the drying process. Follow this perfect drying protocol to ensure that the plant retains its benefits.

Step 1: Make a selection

The first step to successful drying is to remove any unwanted intruders from the crop. The easiest way to do this is to spread the crop out on a table so you can see what you want to keep and what you don't! Next you need to remove:
- Unwanted plants
- Insects

Step 2: Clean the plants

Once you have harvested the roots, you will need to remove the soil. There are 2 ways to do this:
- dry brushing
- or by rinsing the roots and then brushing them off: in this case, you'll need to dry the roots thoroughly before brushing them off.
For the rest, it's rare to clean the aerial parts as this could damage them...

Step 3: Isolate what you need

This only takes a few minutes: isolate the parts of the plant (flowers, leaves, roots, etc.). Note that you can do this after drying, but isolating them before drying helps to keep the plant almost intact (depending on how fragile it is), as they can fall apart after drying.

Step 4: Choose a place to dry

To dry outdoors, you need to choose a place that is:
- dry and well ventilated: for optimum drying, humidity must be avoided! Ventilation prevents the accumulation of moisture and improves drying.
- out of direct sunlight: just as mixtures must be kept out of the light to protect them from UV rays, the same applies to plants
- with a mild temperature: the warmer your space, the quicker it will deteriorate. Conversely, the colder it is, the greater the risk of humidity affecting the drying process. The ideal temperature is between 25º and 30ºC.

Step 5: Choose the drying method

To best preserve the active ingredients in plants, they should be dried at a low temperature. You can use:
- An oven with the door open
- A plant dryer
- A dehydrator
- An airy, moisture-free room, especially for roots, bark and wood.
The method depends on the part of the plant you want to dry:
- Flowers and leaves: these fragile parts of the plant prefer to be dried in the shade, on shelves or simply hung in small, isolated bundles. They can also be dried in a tumble dryer or dehydrated.
- Stems and thick leaves: these should be separated as much as possible before drying and you should remember to stir them several times during the drying period. You can then:
  - hang them up like flowers
  - on the shelves of a plant dryer or dehydrator.
- The roots: if they are more than 1 cm in diameter, the easiest way is to cut them in half lengthways. They can then be dried in the same way as the stems.
- The seeds: the first thing to do is to pick them! Nothing could be easier: turn the flower head downwards. Place them in a paper bag under the branch and shake to collect them. You'll see the seeds fall out by themselves.

Don't feel like growing or harvesting medicinal plants? You can simply buy them from a medicinal plant supplier in Portugal. There are many, and we know that short cuts are always the best option for the quality and preservation of our planet. We've selected a few interesting addresses:

Conservation

Cultivation: OK; Harvesting: OK; Drying: OK. All that remains is to preserve the plants. The best way to store them is in wooden or cardboard boxes, in amber glass jars, vacuum-packed or in paper bags.

Average shelf life:

Leaves, flowers and fruit: 1 year
Roots, bark and seeds: 2 to 3 years
Resins: 2 years

It is said that plants begin to lose their medicinal properties after one year. The easiest way to tell is to look at their colours and aromas! For example, if a dark and fragrant plant becomes pale and odourless, it won't be very effective!