Tag: medicinal herbs

  • 4 Reasons to Keep Weeds

    4 Reasons to Keep Weeds

     

    Any serious gardener puts one thing at the top of their list when it comes to gardening headaches: weeds! What if I told you that it doesn’t have to be this way? The first step in conquering your weed problem is to change your mindset! Here are four compelling reasons to rethink the role of weeds in your homestead:

     

    Reason #1, They’re The Easiest “Superfood” You Can Grow!

    Have you ever heard of a variety of “super spinach” that didn’t bolt at the first sign of heat, had 4% of your recommended protein requirements and blew the calcium content of chard and regular spinach out of the water? Gotcha! I’m talking about lambsquarters, an incredibly common and hardy “weed”. What about another salad green that is bursting with omega 3 fatty acids and even more beta carotene than those carrots you lovingly tend to? It’s purslane, and you’ve probably been ripping it out of your garden for years! Both of these common weeds can be used fresh or in myriad delicious recipes, so leave them be!

     

    Reason #2, Attracting Beneficial Insects

    A bee doesn’t care if a flower was intentionally planted or wild. Other beneficial insects such as ladybugs, tachnid flies, hoverflies, parasitic wasps and lacewings use wild plants for food and shelter. Weeds also act as “bait” for prey insects such as aphids. This may not sound great, but wouldn’t you rather have aphids munching on weeds than your tomatoes? Plus, they won’t be munching for long before the ladybugs come around! A garden without a thriving ecosystem of insects is not healthy. If plants are healthy and vigorously growing, a little nibble here and there won’t be a problem. Here are just a few plants that attract beneficial insects:

     

    Alfalfa

    Butter and Eggs

    Clover

    Dandelion

    Goldenrod

    Tansy

    Yarrow

    Reason #3, They’re A Natural “Green Manure”

    Research shows weeds to be “dynamic nutrient accumulators”. This means that these plants shoot roots deep into the ground and pull up nutrients that they accumulate in their leaves. When they lose their foliage in the fall, the nutrients build up in the topsoil, making an instant fertilizer. So, if you see the following weeds in your garden, leave them alone and let them do their job:

     

    Borage

    Chickweed

    Chicory

    Clovers

    Dandelion

    German Chamomile

    Lambsquarters

    Lemon Balm

    Common Mullein

    Mustards

    Nettles

    Peppermint

    Red Root Pigweed

    Plantains

    Purslane

    Shepherd’s Purse

    Thistle

    Yarrow

     

    Reason #4, Wild Plants Can Be Potent Medicines

    Stung by a bee? Chew a plantain leaf and apply it like a band-aid. Wild plants can be used for anything from seasonal allergies to an upset stomach. Many of the plants we consider to be “weeds” were carefully introduced to this land by earlier settlers to be used as food and medicine because there was no drugstore or doctor’s office. Back then, you had to and knew how to, harvest wild plants for medicine. Those were the days!

    The next time you’re in the garden, start thinking about weeds as “resources” or “volunteers” instead of pests. To keep their population under control, you can nip in the bud or harvest regularly. Pick them before they go to seed to keep them from dominating your garden. Just like in life, it’s all about striking a balance!

    Does THIS Common Weed Grow in Your Backyard?  Find Out Here>>>

  • The Best Homesteading Herb (Video)

    The Best Homesteading Herb (Video)

    I normally follow this YouTube channel for survival-related stuff, but I loved this video on lemon balm, a great homestead herb.

    Lemon balm is very easy to grow and has a multitude of medicinal and culinary uses.

    In this video, she explains it’s medicinal uses, and a few different methods for using it in cooking or as an herbal remedy, as well as how to make delicious lemon balm tea! Enjoy:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBFyqAr6sZ4

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  • Medicinal Herbs and Roots for Homesteaders

    Medicinal Herbs and Roots for Homesteaders

    When living as self-sufficiently as possible, you want to keep trips to the drugstore to a minimum, naturally. Fortunately, you can find some great medicinal herbs that you can grow and keep around the house that will help to keep you and your family healthy. Of course, there may always come a time when you have no choice but to use meds from the doctor or the drugstore, but these herbs can help you with quite a few ailments.

    Cayenne Pepper

    Powdered cayenne pepper is for more than adding some spice to your meals. You can use it for several things. It is said to boost circulation and increase energy. It can also be sprinkled onto a cut or a scrape to help stop the bleeding.

    Ginger

    Ginger root can work wonders as well. Whether eaten or placed in tea, ginger can energize you and help deal with sore joints. When placed in a compress, it can be used to help treat mild burns.

    Aloe

    This plant is another very good option for treating mild burns, including sunburns. You can cut the leaves and use the gel on the inside to cover the burns. It provides a cooling and soothing feeling as it heals.

    Cranberries

    Cranberries are for more than just Thanksgiving. They can help to treat bladder and urinary tract infections. They also happen to taste good, which is a nice benefit.

    Of course, as with any illness or ailment that you might have, the best course of action is to seek the help of a medical professional. These tips are for the homesteader who might not have immediate access to a doctor and who still needs some help in the meantime. Continue to learn more about various herbs, roots, and plants that can help you with other ailments.

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  • All About Lemon Balm

    All About Lemon Balm

    Lemon balm is a perennial herb in the mint family.  It gets its name from the strong “lemony” smell of the leaves, which also have a tangy taste to them.  If you aren’t currently growing some, here are a few reasons why you should start.

     

    1. Ease: Lemon balm is easy to start from seed and once established it needs little care.  It can be grown in full sun in areas with mild weather, or in partial shade in hotter climates.
    2. Anti-viral: Lemon balm can help fight off viral infections.
    3. Sleep aid: Lemon balm has shown in tests to provide a natural and healthy deeper sleep.
    4. Antioxidant: Lemon balm contains eugenol, rosmarinic, ferulic, caffeic acids, and quercetin.  All of which can help protect your cells against damage by free radicals.
    5. Brain health: Lemon balm has been linked to improved memory and in animal studies compounds in lemon balm have shown promise in protecting the brain from damage after a stroke.
    6. Child safe: Don’t go crazy with a child safe sleep aid, but lemon balm has not been shown to be dangerous for children or pregnant women.  Though of course if you were to buy a product made from lemon balm it would tell you to consult a doctor so I’ll say the same so I don’t get sued.
    7. Attracts bees: Bees aren’t doing so good these day.  Lemon balm is a favorite food for bees.  By planting it in your garden you are not only attracting pollinators that will help your fruiting plants, but you will be helping to strengthen a vital species that is in danger.

     

    So, from detoxifying your system, putting your kids to bed when they don’t feel good, and helping to save the world’s bees, lemon balm can do it all.  It’s not a plant that you want to go without in your garden or your medicine cabinet.  Start growing some, you won’t regret it.

  • All About Feverfew

    All About Feverfew

    Feverfew is a great resource to have on your homestead.  With so much work to get done, you can’t just take a sick day every time you don’t feel good.  You need to have a medicine on hand to get you back on your feet.  Feverfew can help with that.

     

    Uses

    Feverfew can be used to treat headaches, reduce fever, and help with inflammation.  It works by opening up your vascular system and allowing the blood to flow smoothly as it should.  Feverfew is said to be safe for pregnant women and children.

    Cultivation

    Feverfew is grown from seed.  Once established it is a hardy herb, tolerating low to full sun, drought resistant, and frost resistant.  You may even need to weed out seedlings in the spring to prevent it from spreading.

    Harvest

    All above-ground portions of the plant can be used medicinally.  When harvesting plants that you want to continue to grow, find the stems that green and bendable, avoiding the hard woody stems towards the bottom.

    Methods

    Most people who treat migraines with Feverfew eat the leaves daily, as little as 1 leaf a day can be effective, some eat as much as 3 leaves a day.  Others make tea from fresh or dried leaves.  Because of the bitter taste, you may want to add some honey, or just hold your nose and hurry up and swallow it.  Alcohol tinctures are a great option since they make the medicinal components more bioavailable, and can be used in the winter when your plants have stopped producing leaves.

     

    Growing medicinal herbs will allow you to stay healthy and working to your best potential on your homestead, while also reducing your need to spend your hard earned money on store bought remedies or pharmaceutical drugs.

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  • How to Make Herb-Infused Oil

    How to Make Herb-Infused Oil

    Simple, homemade herb-infused oils are a very easy, affordable and healthy way to use herbs in your garden for topical use or to add flavor to your cooking. Whether you simply want a fragrant, herbal oil to use as a moisturizer, or you’d like to harness the healing power of your medicinal herbs, it’s a great thing to know how to infuse them into oil. You can use the oils as a base for simple DIY healing balms. There are a number of home remedies you can make with infused oils as a base.

    For topical use and to add to lotions and balms, almond oil works best, and for cooking, olive oil is preferable. But feel free to experiment with different oils and see what you like best!

    There are two ways to make the infused oil:

    The first method, which is more effective at maintaining the healing properties and fragrance of the herb but takes longer, is to take your thoroughly dried herbs and stuff into a jar. Then cover completely with oil and set on a windowsill or shelf, preferably that gets direct or indirect sunlight for at least a portion of the day. Let sit for 2-3 weeks, shaking every day or so.

    The second method is the quicker method, but because it uses heat, you will lose some of the properties of the herbs. There are a number of ways to do this one. The easiest is to place your in a saucepan over low heat and cover with oil. Keep it very low and gently stir frequently so the oil doesn’t burn. Alternatively, you can use a small crock pot, like the ones they make for fondue, by simply adding your herbs and oil and letting it cook for a few hours. This is easier than doing it on the stove.

    Once your oil is properly infused, you can strain the herbs out and keep in a bottle or jar as you would any other oil. They are now free to be applied to your skin as needed, as an ingredient in lotions or balms, or in every day cooking to add flavor.

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