Echinacea is easy to grow from seed; pick a moist, sunny spot with room to spread. The plant takes two years to flower (and become large and potent enough for harvest) when grown from seed, but can flower the first year if you have a longer growing season or plant early indoors. Echinacea is a pretty common garden flower; it self-seeds and will spread where you let it.
HARVESTING ECHINACEA
Once your Echinacea is ready for harvest, you have options for extracting the medicinal properties of the plant. Tincturing the fresh plant is highly recommended for getting the most out of the herb. A honey or glycerin extract would be a good choice for kids, but a strong alcohol tincture will be more versatile.
The root is the most concentrated medicinally, but harvesting this kills the plant. This is only recommended if you have a sizable stand of Echinacea and can leave enough to continue growing. The flower and leaf can be harvested without affecting growth, especially if you just use the flower petals and allow it to go to seed.
ECHINACEA TINCTURE RECIPE
10 oz strong grain alcohol or vodka. Everclear 190 or 151 proof will make a stronger tincture that you can dilute if desired.
1 oz Fresh Echinacea root/flower/leaf
Glass jar with tight lid
Mix herbs and alcohol in your clean glass jar. Cap tightly and let sit in a cool, dark place for at least two weeks. Shake the jar several times. The longer you let it sit and the more you shake it the stronger it will be. When your tincture is ready, strain and press the herbs through a muslin bag or fine mesh sieve. Bottle in amber glass to help preserve the extract. Store in a cool dark place
USING ECHINACEA TINCTURE
Dosage will depend on the strength of your tincture, which can only be determined by use. Most commercial tinctures recommend a dosage of 15-30 drops up to four times a day. Start at the lower end and increase the dose as needed. Echinacea works best if taken when you are first exposed to a sickness or immediately when symptoms appear.
#echinacea #flowers #gardening #health #herbs #livinggreen #noordinarychick
Once your Echinacea is ready for harvest, you have options for extracting the medicinal properties of the plant. Tincturing the fresh plant is highly recommended for getting the most out of the herb. A honey or glycerin extract would be a good choice for kids, but a strong alcohol tincture will be more versatile.
The root is the most concentrated medicinally, but harvesting this kills the plant. This is only recommended if you have a sizable stand of Echinacea and can leave enough to continue growing. The flower and leaf can be harvested without affecting growth, especially if you just use the flower petals and allow it to go to seed.
ECHINACEA TINCTURE RECIPE
10 oz strong grain alcohol or vodka. Everclear 190 or 151 proof will make a stronger tincture that you can dilute if desired.
1 oz Fresh Echinacea root/flower/leaf
Glass jar with tight lid
Mix herbs and alcohol in your clean glass jar. Cap tightly and let sit in a cool, dark place for at least two weeks. Shake the jar several times. The longer you let it sit and the more you shake it the stronger it will be. When your tincture is ready, strain and press the herbs through a muslin bag or fine mesh sieve. Bottle in amber glass to help preserve the extract. Store in a cool dark place
USING ECHINACEA TINCTURE
Dosage will depend on the strength of your tincture, which can only be determined by use. Most commercial tinctures recommend a dosage of 15-30 drops up to four times a day. Start at the lower end and increase the dose as needed. Echinacea works best if taken when you are first exposed to a sickness or immediately when symptoms appear.
#echinacea #flowers #gardening #health #herbs #livinggreen #noordinarychick
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