Conscious Choice: Seed Harvest Time

October 1999 | Herbs for Health

Seed Harvest Time

by Meg McGowan

Autumn is a time of abundance, a time for embracing the bounty of the earth. The herb garden also relinquishes its final harvest now — fruit and leaves and roots that will nourish us until the first green shoots of spring emerge. It also offers us a chance to gather seeds, to hold in our hearts and our hands the promise of next year’s plants.

Growing herbs from seed is a way to increase the genetic diversity of the plants in your garden and on the earth. Plants grown from seed are individually unique, unlike plants propagated by root cuttings, tip cuttings or division of root stock, which are clones of the parent plant. For that reason, saving seeds from your garden to plant year after year may result in plants that are particularly adapted to your location. As the plants grow to be resistant to local environmental hazards, they may also offer these protections to the gardener who consumes the plants and uses them medicinally.

Now is the time to gather seeds as they mature, turning in color from green to brown or black or gray. Seed is an easy way to start a large number of plants cheaply. Basil (Ocimum), calendula (Calendula officinalis), cilantro (Coriandrum sativum), dill (Anethum graveolens) and purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia & E. purpurea) are good choices to propagate from seed. One can never have too much basil or too many cheery calendula flowers. Cilantro and dill plants flower and generate seed quickly.

Once they produce seed, the plants stop producing many leaves and finally die back entirely. In order to harvest dill and basil throughout the summer months, it is best to seed new plants in the garden every three weeks or so. Purple coneflowers will often self-sow in the garden, but if you want to share plants with friends or establish a stand in another area, seed makes it simple. Other herbs you may want to consider growing from seed include borage (Borago officinalis), burdock (Arctium lappa), chamomile (Chamomilla recutita., Matricaria recutita, or Chamaemelum nobile), chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium), comfrey (Symphytum officinale), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), lavender (Lavendula officinalis or L. angustifolia) lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), sage (Salvia officinalis), thyme (Thymus vulgaris) valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and wild yam (Dioscorea villosa). Do keep in mind how much space for plants you actually have.

Many plant species that reproduce by self-seeding can be successfully sown in fall. In fact, some seeds (like those of the purple coneflower) require the period of moist coldness naturally provided by winter before they will germinate. While it is possible to mimic their native growing conditions by placing seed in a sealed plastic bag filled with moist growing medium and storing in a refrigerator for two months, it is certainly easier to sprinkle the seeds on the ground in autumn and let nature take its course.

For seeds that you’ll want to store till spring, paper envelopes make good seed containers. Paper breathes, allowing minute amounts of moisture to evaporate. Airtight containers seal moisture in, providing an ideal environment for mold growth. Envelopes are easily labeled with the plant name, the location and the date seed was collected. After a week or so, when you are certain that the seed is entirely dry, the envelopes may be stored in tins. Place the tins in a cool, dry location.

Now is also the perfect time for harvesting roots such as valerian, marshmallow, and purple coneflower. As long as the plant is actively growing, it is producing energy that will be stored beneath the ground during winter. When the top part of the plant dies, it is time to dig. Dig deeply, and remove the root carefully. Once lifted, it is often easy to see where the root might be sectioned or split. Replant a portion of the root cluster so that the source is not depleted. Brush loose soil from roots, then swish in warm water. A mushroom brush is useful for thoroughly cleaning roots without damaging them. Assess the roots, much as you would assess a potato before cooking. Cut away any prominent blemishes or spongy areas. Roots can then be sliced, like green onions, for drying.

Berries too, are ripe for the picking in fall. Select fruit that is still firm, not overripe. Fruit and roots are dried similarly. A food dehydrator is one option. A conventional oven can also be used. Andrew Chevallier, in The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants (DK, 1996), recommends spreading root slices or berries on a tray covered with absorbent paper. Place the tray in an oven that has been warmed and then shut off, leaving the door ajar. Chevallier suggests drying roots for two to three hours, and berries for three to four. Then relocate the berries or roots to a spot that is warm, dark and dry, such as an attic.

Remember you will need to protect pieces from dust and hungry critters! Using screens promotes good airflow, which is essential, while keeping larger pests at bay. A large piece of brown paper or breathable cloth placed over the topmost screen will keep your harvest clean. Once pieces are thoroughly dry, examine for mold before storing in airtight, opaque containers.

While, strictly speaking, it is best to harvest herb leaves to be used for medicinal purposes just before flowering occurs, don’t abandon your harvest at the end of the season. Perfectly good tonic teas can be made from leaves gathered and dried before a killing frost. Spreading leaves on a white cloth makes it easier to spot errant insects before drying. Bundle small bunches of stems and tie them together. These bundles may be hung in a closet or attic — as with the roots and berries — somewhere warm, dark and dry. If bundles or leaves are too large, air will not circulate properly. Leaves can also be dried in a single layer in a warm oven. When dried through, keep herbs in airtight, opaque containers. It is best not to crumble leaves until just before use, in order to preserve their volatile oils.

It can be great fun to warm yourself in winter with herbal tea made from customized blends of berries, roots, and leaves you’ve grown and dried yourself. A large mesh tea ball, or a teapot or teacup infuser allows room for the dried herbs to expand, providing full flavor and greatest medicinal benefits. It is best to use water that is just off a boil to protect the more fragile herbal constituents. Don’t limit yourself to mint and chamomile. Try sage tea for a sore throat. Toast your tummy with ginger tea. Experiment with unusual accents such as coriander seed, rosemary leaves. or juniper berries. Then snuggle under a blanket, put your feet up, sip your tea and watch the snow fly!

DISCLAIMER: Choosing a holistic approach to medicine means choosing personal responsibility for your health care. Herbs for Health offers a doorway through which to enter the realm of herbal healing, an invitation to further investigation on the part of the reader. It is in no way intended as a substitute for advice from a health care practitioner.

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