There’s not a lot on this world that may high the fantastic thing about a lavender discipline. At Osmia, we reward this improbable purple plant, and we harvest our founder’s crop yearly to be used in a few of our merchandise. Be a part of us as we discover a day within the lifetime of a stupendous lavender bud, and watch the journey from plant to reap to luxuriously infused oil.
WHEN TO HARVEST LAVENDER
Lavender must be harvested whenever you discover the flowers on the base of the stem have barely began to open, however the flowers on the high are nonetheless closed—that is the height time for the sensible purple hue and comfortable aroma. Harvesting very first thing within the morning is finest, and provided that the climate is dry. You do not need moisture within the crops at harvest, or mildew spores can get caught within the drying flowers. And harvesting late within the day is just not splendid, as a result of an excessive amount of time within the solar can bake the plant, and lower the colour and the important oil within the buds, making them dry and fewer potent. So seize your cup of espresso or tea, and take heed to the early birds as you collect your self for the harvest.
HOW TO HARVEST LAVENDER
Instruments wanted: a sickle and an enormous pile of rubber bands!
Seize your sickle fastidiously, and head out to your backyard. Lavender is a sturdy plant, so seize a bundle, and use your sickle to chop it, leaving a number of inches of stem on the backside. Be extraordinarily cautious that your fingers and thumb are utterly out of the way in which as you make a swift minimize with the sickle. If the stems aren’t densely packed (some varietals are extra dense than others), you possibly can gently twist the bunch earlier than you narrow, making a tighter group of stems which is able to make it simpler to chop. As you harvest, take into account leaving some uncut lavender for the bees to take pleasure in. Upon getting a pleasant, fats handful of purple flowers, use the flat facet of the sickle to faucet the minimize ends so they’re all even, and put together to bundle! When you’re reducing from potted crops, a pair of fine scissors is a greater instrument.
HOW TO BUNDLE LAVENDER
Instruments wanted: the bundle of lavender and rubber bands.
Take every tidy handful of lavender stems and safe them with two or three rubber bands instantly after reducing them. The stems will lose water, and subsequently quantity, as they dry, so a rubber band is best than a string—it’s going to contract with the drying stems. Additionally, make sure to use a couple of rubber band on every bunch, in order that if one breaks throughout drying, you’ve got acquired a backup system in place.
Tip: Don’t attempt to harvest all of the lavender and bundle it later. It is vastly simpler to rubber band the bundles as you go!
HOW TO HANG AND DRY LAVENDER
Instruments wanted: twine and a wall or rafters.
Upon getting your bundles prepared, thread your twine by way of the rubber band, making a knot. Our founder, Dr. Sarah Villafranco, nonetheless makes use of the medical knots she tied whereas stitching her sufferers within the ER! No have to get that technical, only a sturdy knot will do the trick. Her favourite option to safe them is by tying a bundle on every finish of a chunk of twine, then hanging the twine on a hook or a nail, like fish on a fishing line. The bundles ought to all the time hold flowers-down, so the important oil of the crops can focus within the buds as they dry. The bundles ought to hold in a cool, protected place for a minumum of 10-14 days to make sure they’re utterly dry.
HOW TO REMOVE DRIED LAVENDER FLOWERS FROM THE STEM
That is so easy, and so efficient! All you want is a pair of unpolluted rubber gloves and a clear bucket. We want to make use of a sanitized bucket that has been sprayed with alcohol and allowed to dry, however that is as a result of our lavender goes into your skincare merchandise!
Holding a bunch of dried lavender flowers with the buds dealing with down into the bucket, and some inches under the rim, gently roll the bunch backwards and forwards between your palms, permitting the flowers to fall into the bucket. Maintain rolling gently till you have got solely stems left in your hand. If you’re executed with all of the bunches, you possibly can take away the rubber bands and compost the stems you probably have composting obtainable the place you might be.
HOW TO INFUSE LAVENDER INTO OIL
First, decide the oil you’d wish to infuse. For lip balms, we love natural olive or castor oil. For physique oils, attempt jojoba or sunflower oil. In a clear, dry jar, add one tablespoon of lavender buds per cup of oil, safe the lid tightly, and place within the container someplace you may bear in mind to shake it no less than as soon as a day. Enable the oil to infuse for 3 weeks, then pressure by way of cheesecloth to take away the flowers.
DIY LAVENDER HEALING BALM RECIPE
1 tablespoon *lavender infused olive oil
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon beeswax (pellets or grated)
15 drops lavender important oil
Mix substances in a small, heatproof measuring cup.
Warmth in a double boiler, with the measuring cup sitting within the higher pot of water, which solely wants an inch or so of water.
As soon as the beeswax melts, pour the liquid right into a jar with a lid and permit to chill.
Wipe your measuring cup with a paper towel whereas nonetheless heat, and clear within the dishwasher.
