Some of the Antients, and divers Modern writers which have professed
Astrology, have noted a Sympathy between the Sunne, Moon and some
principal Starres, and certain Plants, and so they have denominated
som herbes Solar, and some Lunar, and such toyes put into great words.
Art of Simplina
William Coles, who wrote this
gem of good sense in 1656, had only just escaped the enormous
amount of legend, rumor, magic, and nonsense that surrounded
herb culture throughout the Middle Ages. He fumed against
it, well knowing that some of it was distorted from monkish
skills, which were often quite remarkable, some came from
the undoubted knowledge of the Arabs, and some were
survivals of the fabulous, and often untrue, tales brought to
Europe by the Crusaders.
Today it seems incredible that such an essentially simple
process as the harvesting, drying, and storing of herbs should
ever have been surrounded by such hocus-pocus as, when,
picking mugwort, it must be done "before sunrise, but let him
first say 'tollam te artemisia ne lassus sim in ma.'" We now
know that no herb should be picked "before sunrise," for that
is when the dew is heaviest upon them, and it is moisture that
the careful herb gardener must try to eliminate.
This moisture is mostly the sap of the plants themselves,
together with any atmospheric moisture that may be clinging
to leaves or flower clusters from dew, fog, or left-over raindrops. Hence all herbs, of which the foliage is harvested,
should not be picked until free of atmospheric moisture, which
means on a bright, sunny day, preferably before noon. Late
afternoon picking is to be avoided, for reasons not too well
known, but late picking appears to decrease the fragrant oils
found in nearly all herbs and hence diminishes their flavor. The best way to water your herbs when you can't be there is the Water Worm. It's highly recommended!
These oils, especially those found in foliage and flower
clusters, are not found in greatest quantity at all stages of the
plant's growth, so that it is important to harvest these at the
most advantageous time. In practically all of them the oil
content of foliage and flowering tops is greatest just before
the first flowers expand. A day or two (or even a few hours)
before blooming is the ideal time for harvesting all those that
are to be dried and stored. In many herbs, as noted in the lists,
more than one cutting can be made, since taking off the flower
cluster and upper leaves often induces fresh growth and a
second or even a third crop of flowers.
Generally it docs not pay to pick old leaves, nor those near
the base of the plant, unless the latter arc part of the first
growth of spring, when basal leaves often contain considerable
oil.
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