How to make a birch broom. Bath broom: preparation time, preparation rules

A broom for a steam room made of oak branches is in second place after birch in popularity among bath lovers. This “second line” is due, perhaps, only to a smaller prevalence wood (it’s easier to find birch in Central and Northern Russia), and oak in terms of its qualities is practically not inferior to its “competitor” in any way, and in some positions it even surpasses it.

The terms for harvesting oak brooms for a bath and the knitting procedure will be discussed below, but in order to know about their main qualities, about what diseases it is useful to use oak, you need to know the characteristics of this wood species, since these factors are closely interconnected.

This tree is considered the strongest in terms of energy among all species growing in Russia. There are strong beliefs, by the way, not denied by scientists, that, in contact with oak under any life circumstances, a person receives part of its strength, which means that additional potential appears in the body to fight various ailments.

That is why very often in Rus' oaks were planted near the house and turned to them for help, asking them to give health for many years. Today, living in high-rise buildings and not having a suburban area, it is difficult to grow your own"family" oak, which is why many turn to bonsai. This art allows you to grow an exact copy of a real tree, only in a miniature form, in a flowerpot. Oak grown using this technique will always be present in the house, sharing its energy forces.

But this tree is rich not only in powerful energy - it contains in its bark, branches and leaves a large number of substances useful for the human body are gallic and ellagic acids, pectins, pentosans, flavone compounds, starch, sugar, flobafen, protein, tannins and other substances.

For medicinal purposes, oak raw materials are always tried to be prepared during the period of active sap flow to keep everything in it beneficial features. Any blanks are dried in a place protected from the sun, and they can be stored for five or even more years without losing their medicinal qualities.

oak bark

Oak bark decoctions are used to strengthen the walls of blood vessels, reduce excessive sweating, heal burns, festering wounds, treat gums and get rid of other diseases. inflammatory processes mouth, with severe frostbite of the skin and bleeding hemorrhoids.

Oak bark is a famous natural remedy

Decoctions are also considered an excellent antidote for poisoning with salts of heavy metals and mushrooms. As a vitamin remedy, they are used for rickets and scurvy, as a hemostatic agent - for internal bleeding.

It should be noted that this is sufficient strong remedy therefore, before giving it to children to drink, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

oak leaves

For medicinal purposes, young leaves are harvested along with branches. This process is carried out until mid-May, while the leaves are light green in color. They are dried by hanging under awnings and used throughout the year.

Decoctions are an excellent remedy for cuts and abrasions, they disinfect and help ulcers heal. In addition, they are used in the treatment of children suffering from nocturnal enuresis.

Oak fruits - acorns

Only those acorns are considered mature that have fallen from the tree. They are collected and dried away from sunlight - in attics or in well-ventilated sheds, and the final drying is carried out in ovens.

Dry fruits are peeled, then roasted until red, ground in a coffee grinder and consumed like coffee. This drink is useful for various diseases and has the following actions:

• Bactericidal, astringent, antitumor and enveloping properties.
• It strengthens and cleanses the stomach.
• Treats gum disease and soothes toothache.
• Stops bleeding of various kinds, including uterine.
• Cleanses the body in case of poisoning.

Broom for a steam room from oak branches

All this was not told in vain - all the components of this magnificent tree, except for the listed methods of use, are widely used in the "bath practice". Decoctions are made from the bark, leaves and acorns, which are splashed on the stove, and brooms, useful in every respect, are knitted from branches with young leaves.

• The oak broom has fairly wide and strong leaves, so it looks more like a fan. Thanks to this quality, it is excellent for them to pump the heat coming from the heater to the body.

Using a broom is quite comfortable - they seem to rake in hot steam and direct it towards themselves. This quality can be called the first of its advantages over other breeds used to make bath brooms.

• By using oak broom it is good to massage, as the tannins contained in its leaves and branches have a great effect on the skin, making it more elastic.

Oak brooms are an excellent tool for bath massage

• In addition, oak brooms reduce excessive sweating, as they cleanse the skin and activate the metabolic process. Thanks to the same quality, the skin becomes less oily, receives reliable protection against inflammation.

• The use of an oak broom in the steam room helps to significantly reduce blood pressure which is very important for people suffering from hypertension.
• To put in order nervous system, you should also go to the steam room, taking an oak "bouquet" with you, since the substances it releases have a calming effect.
• Such a broom is suitable for various massage techniques - they are passed over the entire body, lightly patting it on the skin, pressed against the body, collecting sweat from it, rubbing certain areas, and also making oak branches on a bench in the steam room.

So that the broom can be used several times, and at the same time it retains all its medicinal properties, the raw materials for it must be properly prepared and dried. A well-prepared oak broom can be used three to five times in the steam room.

Prices for oak brooms for a bath

oak broom for a bath

Preparation of brooms from oak branches

Harvesting oak brooms in the southern regions of the country is carried out from mid to late May, while in central Russia this event is held in the second half of June. At this time, the leaves are small and delicate in structure, and the branches have not yet gained thickness and have not lost flexibility.

You can, of course, harvest throughout the summer, however, the closer to autumn, the leaves become stiffer, and the branches thicker, so the broom will be heavier and less flexible.

You should not cut branches too early, as the leaves will be too tender, not gaining useful substances, so hovering will not give the desired therapeutic effect, and the strength of this broom will be extremely low.

Branches for such purposes are taken from the lower part of a large tree that grows in the thickest oak forests, where it penetrates least. sunlight. A good guideline for choosing a tree for cutting a broom will be burdocks growing under it, which have large juicy leaves. It is rather difficult to find single branches on old oaks, therefore, most often a branched branch with a dense leafy cover on a good annual growth is chosen. If the young growth on the old branch has the desired length of 500 ÷ 550 mm, then it is cut off and further brooms are formed.

Branches are also taken from young oak trees, having a height of only three ÷ four meters - such trees have the optimal thickness of branches for a broom and the size of foliage.

Branch of “winter oak”

Good brooms are obtained from the "winter oak" - this is the name of one of the varieties of wood that does not shed its leaves for the winter. The leaves change their hue from green to golden, but do not fly around, but hold tightly to the branches, although the sap flow in them stops. This type of oak does not grow in oak forests, but singly, and most often - on high hillocks or on small hills.

It should be noted that the best brooms are obtained from branches from trees growing in oak forests than those cut from single trees.

Rules for collecting branches

Traditional healers and experienced herbalists have developed rules that help to preserve cut branches for bath brooms and collected medicinal herbs for a long time:

• All natural raw material- both branches and grasses must be harvested in the morning, but only after the dew has disappeared, in dry and clear weather.
• You should not take already broken off sluggish branches, as when steaming they will gain more moisture, becoming heavy.
• The broom is cut only from those branches that have high flexibility - they bend well and do not break.
• When harvesting brooms, wood should be treated with the utmost care. You should not cut it completely or deprive it of large side branches, as this can only harm the plant. If only young shoots are cut in different places of the oak, then this helps him, since thinning the branches is very useful. With the right attitude to the tree, it will supply raw materials for baths and medicinal decoctions for many years.
• Young oak trees should not be cut off, for which the loss of several branches can be fatal. You need to let the tree take root well and get stronger before using it for your own good.

Video: tips for choosing oak branches for a bath broom

Knitting brooms

After cutting the branches, leaves and knots are removed from their lower part, and then they are laid out on the table in one layer and left for one hour and a half. You can not leave them piled in a heap, since from such storage the leaves can quickly crumble.

After this time, you can start knitting branches into brooms:

• Each of the branches is shaken, and then they are folded into a "bouquet". The branches are equalized along the upper leaves - they should be located at the same height and create the required density of the broom.
• Branches with thicker trunks are placed in the middle, but there should not be more than three of them in each of the brooms, otherwise the fan will be too hard, and they can damage the skin. The thickness of the broom handle should not be more than 50 mm, otherwise it will be inconvenient to hold it. The length is usually 100 ÷ 120 mm, and the height of the fan is 450 ÷ 500 mm.
• Further, the lower part of the branches, left without leaves, is compressed and tied with twine in two places - immediately under the leaves and below, forming a broom handle. It must be remembered that it is still impossible to tighten the handle strongly, it will finally be tied when the broom dries a little.
• Some modern bath lovers have adapted plastic brooms for tying brooms. self-locking clamps - "ties". They bind the branches lightly at first, then, after drying, they tighten it a little, and already before using the broom, they tighten it tightly.

• Pens related brooms trimmed with secateurs. And then the finished bundles are laid under not very heavy oppression. This is necessary so that the brooms acquire a flat fan shape, and the branches do not stick out in different directions. In this form, the brooms are left for one or two days.

• After that, the brooms are hung in a ventilated shed or in the attic. In no case should you dry them in the sun, as the leaves will be overdried and may simply crumble.

Video: a good example of tying an oak broom

Steaming an oak broom

All bath lovers have their own ways of steaming brooms:

A fresh broom is dipped in hot water for one to two minutes, and then it can be steamed.

• The simplest and fast way to prepare a dry broom is to lower it with a fan in cold water for three to five minutes, and then immediately transfer it to a container with hot water and leave it for the same time.
• Another method involves rinsing the broom in cold water and placing it completely in a bowl with warm water. After immersing the broom, the container is closed with a lid and left for 10 ÷ 15 minutes. The main thing here is not to overexpose it in water, otherwise it will become sour and quickly crumble.
• In the event that the broom is very dry for some reason, it is placed for 5 ÷ 7 minutes in warm water, and then pulled out, shaken off and held over hot stones, periodically turning. Both the fan and the handle will steam well, and the broom should become soft.
• Some attendants soak dry brooms in cold water in the morning and leave them in it until late in the evening. Then they are pulled out and wrapped overnight in a dense cloth. A broom soaked in this way is not only soft, but also gives a very rich forest aroma. In addition, it will last for several vaping sessions.
• Sometimes steaming takes place in a contrasting way, when the fan of a broom is moved from cold to hot water, leaving it in each of the containers for 1–2 minutes, and before entering the steam room, it is poured over with boiling water.
• Other bath lovers prefer to cook a broom on the eve of going to the steam room. After keeping the brooms in hot water for 15 ÷ 20 minutes, they are wrapped in polyethylene and left overnight. After entering the steam room, such a broom will remain heated over the heater - and it is completely ready for bath procedures.

Do not throw water from steamed brooms into the street. She, during the stay of oak leaves in her, is saturated with useful substances, and a kind of decoction is obtained. It is used for rinsing the body, washing the hair, or poured onto the heater to create a healing steam. Hair after such water acquires a pleasant shine and receives a significant vitamin dose. A decoction of oak leaves also has a positive effect on the skin, thanks to all the natural substances that this plant is rich in.

Naturally, it is difficult to get the desired results in one trip to the steam room with an oak broom - you need to do these bath procedures every week for a long time. Only in this case, you can significantly improve your physical health and get energy from this amazing tree.

In conclusion, I would like to say that, despite the unique properties of oak, many sauna lovers prefer mixed brooms, consisting of oak and traditional birch branches. This complex combines everything necessary qualities for vaping - birch leaves adhere well to the skin, collecting sweat and opening pores, while oak leaves nourish skin vitamins and strength.

Therefore, when preparing brooms, you need to collect different variants, try each of them for yourself and choose the best one.

Have good broom- only half the battle!

The first trip to a real bath is better to organize with an experienced person - so as not to harm your health out of ignorance. – read in a special publication of our “sauna encyclopedia”.

When to prepare brooms for a bath? Each plant has its own timing.

Birch broom for a bath

By folk custom birch brooms are harvested after the Holy Trinity Day, which happens on the 50th day after Easter. It usually falls in early to mid-June. In some regions of Russia, at this time, the birch may not bloom, while in others the catkins may be thrown away. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on the stage of maturation of plants, when the leaf is the strongest, a sign of the appearance of the first catkins, but at the same time take branches from a birch without catkins. Brooms should be harvested on a dry day. Brooms are broken in the first half of the day, after the dew has disappeared.
Weeping birch is suitable for a broom. As a rule, this is a tall tree. The branches of such a tree are very flexible and unbreakable, long hairy for a steam room. Young birches are well suited, they have never bloomed, it is believed that they have the most tender leaf. The upper side of the leaf should not be rough, the leaf should be tender, velvety. And the branches are thin and straight.
At first, the branches are tied loosely. Hang on poles or a stretched rope under a canopy, so that direct sunlight does not fall, where there is a good draft. After 6-7 days, when the brooms dry well, they are tightly tied and tightly stacked on racks in a dry dressing room, shed or other dry and well-ventilated room.
Best of all, when brooms take the form of a fan, and not a broom. To do this, fresh brooms are laid out on the floor and turned over every day until they dry. The main thing is not to overdry.
Studies have shown that it is precisely with the observance of all centuries old traditions collection medicinal plants(this also applies to birch brooms) the material retains active medicinal substances in the optimal quantity and quality. If you tie a broom of fresh branches tightly, then in the center of its leaves will lose color, darken, and such a broom will have almost no smell, since the leaves will “burn out”.
Finished brooms after drying should have all the leaves of a concentrated matte Green colour, and the broom itself should smell like balsamic birch oil. This smell sharply intensifies after steaming the broom. The collection of brooms at the beginning of summer is fully justified, because the leaves of the birch have already become large, but they still have enough essential oil glands, which are numerous not only in the leaves, but also on the young shoots of the birch. Large young shoots are very elastic, so it is pleasant to whip the body in the steam room with such a broom.
Knit a broom should be as follows. First, the branches are cleaned of leaves and knots in the place where the handle will be. Then the desired number of branches is wrapped with twine, squeezing the branches with your left hand. It is important to lay thicker branches inward, and around them - thinner ones, bending inward. The broom will turn out dense - it will be enough for several baths.

Oak brooms for a bath

Harvesting takes place from June to August in moist shaded oak forests. One of the characteristics of such a “correct” place is large mugs under the trees. Having collected branches in such a thicket, you will get a durable broom, which is enough for several (3-4) visits to the bathhouse.
Oak brooms for a bath are designed for hardy, healthy people- real Russians!

Nettle broom

Nettle brooms for a bath: harvesting time - mid-summer, immediately before flowering or during the flowering of nettles.
Steaming with a nettle broom is a special pleasure. Do not be afraid of the “burning” of nettles. When steaming with such a broom, a pleasant tingling sensation is felt, the body becomes ruddy and light. No blisters and burns - only undoubted benefits to the body. Among other things, having steamed with a nettle broom, you “risk” getting rid of sciatica, rheumatism, and gout.
The only drawback of such brooms is that they are disposable. But it is also easier to prepare them.

Cherry and currant brooms

These brooms are not as durable as oak or birch brooms, but steaming with them is an incomparable pleasure due to their delicious aroma. In addition, they are very beneficial for the skin. Harvesting branches for brooms occurs in early June.
Young unnecessary shoots, root shoots are cut off. It’s also good that you don’t need to go far for such brooms (unless, of course, you live in a private house or you have a dacha) - there are probably a few currant bushes and cherries in the yard.

Brooms from linden, mountain ash, alder, willow and other trees

In principle, brooms can be made from almost any tree. Don't get hung up on traditional.
Tree branches are harvested from early July to mid-August. The rules for choosing trees are the same - young trees with flexible straight branches.
Of course, it is impossible to collect them near the roadway or an industrial enterprise. The distance from “civilization” should be at least 3 km.

Did you know?

Preparation of brooms for a bath: general rules

• Brooms, like any medicinal herbs, you need to harvest in dry, clear weather in the morning, after the dew has disappeared.
• Try to take care of the plants, cutting off only extra branches. This is how you thin out the plant and allow the remaining branches to grow freely.
• For brooms, you should choose young plants with flexible, well-bending branches.
• Freshly cut branches should be dried in a shady place for an hour, spreading them out in one layer. It is recommended to transport them without packing heavily so that the leaves do not crumble from overheating.
• After the broom is already tied, it should be put under pressure so that it acquires a flat shape. After that, the broom is hung in a cool, well-ventilated room for 2-3 days.

How to steam a broom for a bath

• There are several ways to steam a broom for a bath. The fastest of them is this: lower the broom into a basin of cold water for 2-3 minutes, then into warm water for the same time and, finally, into a basin of hot water (but not in boiling water). At the same time, the pelvis must be covered so that the broom “steams”. When you take out a broom, you will know by the delicious aroma that it will begin to exude.
• Do not pour out the water remaining from steaming: it can be diluted with water and poured over hot stones or walls to fill the steam room with aroma.
• You need to steam only dry brooms. Fresh or dried, but not completely dry, do not steam, because they become limp, become heavy, quickly heat up and can burn the skin.
• A bath is an incomparable pleasure, besides, a bath is effective for weight loss and recovery. The main thing is not to forget about the contraindications for the bath and take care of your health.

Greetings, our dear readers. Let me be a little late with the release of the article, but I think having studied this topic, it will come in handy for you on next year. Although why is it late, for example, the preparation of brooms for a bath in our region of Siberia has just begun.

In the European part of the country, Dak has already finished preparing brooms. This is where the question arises, but when do you need to prepare birch brooms for a bath? I studied this question, tested the result as follows:

• Collected brooms before the right time;
• At the right time;
• And I prepared it after the required time (August).

As a result, I realized what is true and what is not. And since our country is huge and the climate sometimes varies greatly in different territories, there is no single rule for the whole country. Summer is different and birches bloom and live in different ways.

Then it became clear that it was necessary to observe the weather and the development of the birch itself. And when the time comes, there will be about 1-2 weeks to prepare brooms.

But when does the preparation of brooms for a bath in Siberia, or in the Urals or in the Moscow region begin? It turns out it depends on the region. And it also varies from year to year. Someone says that after the Day of the Holy Trinity, after 1-2 weeks, but even in the old days it was determined precisely by observation and by trial and error. Indeed, due to different climatic zones, relying on a single date is not worth it.

Below we will determine when and how to prepare brooms for a bath. And in order for everything to work out correctly, it is advisable to observe the weather and the development of the birches themselves, figuratively speaking.

In fact, everything is quite simple if there is time to observe the development of birches.

The principle is as follows: we focus on the characteristics of birch ripening. The maximum strengthening of the sheet will indicate the imminent appearance of earrings. This short time period, when the leaves are the strongest, and the earrings are not yet available, is the most suitable for preparing the right bath brooms.

It is also correct to collect branches on brooms in June for the reason that during this period the leaves already grow to a fairly large size. But they keep desired level essential oil glands, which are present, at the same time, not only in foliage, but also in young birch shoots.

Non-old large shoots retain high elasticity, thanks to which whipping with such a broom is easily tolerated by a visitor to the bath.

The right time for harvesting determines the quality, service life, aroma and softness of brooms. For example, if you collect branches too early, subsequent steaming will make the broom flimsy, short-lived and slippery.

If there are earrings, the harvesting period is missed

That's just the batch that I collected at the end of May, turned out to be like rubber. It's just that the broom turned out to be very soft and really more slippery, at first I thought that a lot of soap got on the broom.

And the batch that I prepared very late - the leaves are much darker, the smell is not the same and the leaves fly around almost immediately. It turns out that you are steaming with branches - it hurts.

A well-prepared product will “keep the sheet” for as long as possible.

Dry weather is chosen for harvesting.

If the foliage is moistened with dew or rainwater, when dried, it will collapse, twist, fly around, darken. If it rained the day before, it is better to wait a few days, and only after that collect branches for the preparation of brooms.

In practice, two-year-old branches growing near the ground have the best properties. For cutting, it is convenient to use a secateurs. But you can use a knife or an axe.

Where and how to collect branches for brooms?

Okay, when the preparation of brooms for the bath begins, we have decided. But where to collect these same branches? This question is of great interest to those who live in big city. And the answer is obvious.

To assemble branches, choose an environmentally friendly place, remote from highways and other pollutants.

Bath brooms are traditionally made from weeping birch. Usually these trees have a rather impressive height, while possessing long, strong and quite flexible branches.

Beautiful brooms are obtained from the branches of young and previously unflowered birch trees - such trees have the most delicate leaves.

Advice! When choosing branches, make sure that the upper side of the leaves is not rough, the branches are straight and rather thin, and the leaves themselves are velvety and tender.

For greater convenience, the collector can climb a tree, bend it down, tie it to some neighboring tree and collect the required number of branches. Birch is quite flexible and durable, so such manipulations, provided they are carefully performed, will not harm.

Branches have been prepared, what to do next?

It often happens that they brought branches home, tied brooms. Yes, tighter. We hung it under a canopy and use it when we go to the bathhouse. It is possible so, but then the broom may not dry properly, and even have to be bandaged. Since the branches have dried up and decreased in size, then the broom simply scatters.

Important! Do not immediately tie the collected branches too tightly.

The material is hung on a strong rope under a protective canopy so that direct contact with the sun is excluded. There must be a draft in the room. A week later, the brooms are already quite thoroughly dry.

In this state, they are allowed to be laid out tightly on racks in a dry, ventilated room, for example, a dressing room or a barn.

It is better that the finished bath broom looks like a fan, and does not look like a broom. To comply with this recommendation, fresh broom should be laid out on the floor and turned over daily, repeating until the products are dry. Otherwise, the material may dry out or dry incorrectly.

For example, if the harvester ties birch branches tightly from the very beginning, the leaves in the center of the broom will become dark and “burn out”, which is why they will have practically no aroma.

The color of properly dried brooms is a concentrated green, pleasant matte. The branches should emit a scent of balsamic birch oil, which intensifies when steamed.

Most often, dried blanks are tied in pairs to a rope and stored in this position. You can not knit brooms at once, but combine branches into small sheaves. Sheaves are wrapped in hay and stored in the attic. Before going to the bath, the required number of branches is pulled out of the sheaf and tied into a broom.

We knit brooms correctly.

The image shows a step-by-step sequence of knitting a birch broom for a bath. For a better understanding of the process, check out the more detailed guide for this activity. The necessary information is presented in the table.

Table. Knitting a birch broom.

Stage of work	Description	A photo
Preparing branches for knitting	Pre-spread dried birch branches on burlap and leave for a couple of days. Branches dried in this way are better suited for harvesting birch brooms.
Definition optimal size products	At this moment, everything is individual: some attendants love massive brooms, others prefer small products. A shorter or longer broom will simply be inconvenient to use.
Branch cleaning	At the location of the handle, knots and foliage are removed. In general, about a third of the total length of the product is subject to cleaning.
Assembling a broom	The peeled branches are collected together. The product, in this case, is given a flattened shape. The frame is created from thicker branches - they must be placed inside the future product. Thin blanks are laid out around the frame. Position them with an inward bend. The leaves should be facing in the same direction, and the branches should lie like a fan. In this case, the broom in the course of the bath massage will “hug” the body of the bather. One thick and dense product is enough for an average of 2-3 visits to the steam room. After that, it crumbles and becomes unusable.
Making a pen	Pre-cleaned and collected branches are wrapped with twine: with one hand you squeeze the workpieces, with the other you wind the rope. There are no secrets here: the main thing is that the branches are tightly fastened. A strip of fabric is wound at the end of the handle - without it, there is a high risk of getting blisters in the future. The recommended handle length is 150 mm. The highest quality is ensured when tying the branches with twine in several rows near the foliage, and not along the length of the handle - a handle with a free end is more convenient to use, it will not slip out even with the most powerful movements.

Useful advice! When assembling a broom, add some fragrant herbs to its composition.

For example, thyme and chamomile are well suited, mint and blackcurrant do not interfere. If nettles, spruces and other thorny plants are added, they should be placed inside the product to eliminate the risk of injury and discomfort.

Don't make the broom too heavy. At this moment, be guided by your own feelings: the product should be comfortable and light just for you.

Subsequent drying and storage of brooms.

There are many ways to dry brooms. Regardless of the characteristic features of each method, there remains one main general rule: brooms should dry in the shade.

Direct contact with the sun's rays leads to rapid fading and curling of leaves, volatilization of fragrant and useful components, loss of aroma and external qualities. A broom dried in the sun will crumble immediately after steaming.

The room should have a moderate draft. The presence of powerful drafts is unacceptable, because. because of them, the final quality of the finished brooms will also not be the best. Ideally, the chosen room should be dry, cool and dark.

During drying, brooms can be both folded and hung. To ensure uniform drying of the branches, as noted, the blanks must be turned over daily.

The easiest drying option involves hanging brooms from a pole or even a simple rope. To provide protection from the sun, the cord is pulled under a suitable canopy.

It was previously mentioned that best form for a broom is a fan. To ensure compliance with this recommendation, about a week after the start of drying (during this period, the brooms begin to rustle a little), you need to tightly tie the collected branches and lay the blanks tightly.

They will cuddle and gradually flatten, becoming like a fan. Some clarifications require a method involving drying in hay. First, the hay must be sufficiently dried and fresh. Laying of products, in this case, is carried out in circular layers.

The foliage should be directed directly to the center of the stack. Fragrant hay is laid between the layers. Drying in such conditions contributes to the maximum preservation of aroma, color, as well as shape and quality characteristics.

It is possible that the first harvesting experience will end with the drying of the products. In this case, you should not get too upset and get rid of blanks - brooms can be “reanimated”.

To do this, “marriage”, firstly, must be steamed for a longer (literally several minutes) time, and secondly, after steaming, the product should be held on the heater. Steam emanating from the stacked stones will contribute to the rapid restoration of brooms.

Important! After carrying out "resuscitation measures", be sure to remove the fallen leaves from the heater.

Summarize.

Preparing brooms for a bath is not such a difficult task. The most important thing is to choose the right time for harvesting them and dry the broom well.

Let not everything work out the first time, but then you yourself will understand when you can definitely collect a broom, and when not.

If a bath broom crumbles due to repeated use, an excuse can be found for this - nothing lasts forever. Much more tragic are the situations when the foliage instantly flies around after the first steaming. This state of affairs is direct evidence of a violation of the rules for harvesting birch brooms.

Having prepared brooms, ensure their proper and careful storage. The room should be cool, shady and well ventilated. Violation of any of the above recommendations will lead to yellowing and discoloration of the foliage, it will lose its aroma and freshness.

Hay is well suited for storing brooms, as well as for pre-drying them. In such conditions, the foliage will be even more saturated with useful elements, due to which its aroma will noticeably improve.

For storage in urban areas, plastic or paper bags and vacuum packaging can be used.

Practice also shows that brooms are best harvested with a small margin. However, you should not be too zealous either: it is much more pleasant to use a fragrant and fresh broom every time.

And that’s all for us, I hope our article has become a good guide for you on how the correct preparation of brooms for a bath takes place. Leave your comments below and join us on Odnoklassniki and support us on our channel Yandex.Zen.

Bye bye everyone and see you soon.

Harvesting brooms for a bath: timing and how to harvest correctly. updated: July 20, 2018 by: Subbotin Pavel

The bath allows not only to wash, but also helps to improve health. AT heat allows you to completely relax all the muscles, open up the pores and help the body get rid of pollution in the form of toxins and toxins that enter with food, water, air.

In the literal sense, after a steam bath, a person becomes younger - the skin becomes more beautiful, gaining healthy look metabolism normalizes, work improves of cardio-vascular system and the general tone of the body rises.

It is not for nothing that they say: "Whoever bathes in a bathhouse does not age for a long time!"

But not only a high temperature is important for improving well-being. No less important is such an accessory as a broom.

Today, brooms are made from a variety of plants - there are juniper, oak, wormwood brooms, brooms from tansy, nettle, eucalyptus, mountain ash, linden.

But one of the most popular for many centuries in a row is a birch broom. Why is he so good? Let's find out in this article what is the use of an oak broom, how to properly harvest, store, and then steam a broom from birch branches.

What is the use of a birch broom?

A broom in the bath can work real miracles. Branches and leaves steamed in hot water are not only a source of a delicate aroma that fills the steam room, but also a source of many useful substances - phytancides, flavonoids and aromatic essential oils that have a beneficial effect on all body systems.

Penetrating into the skin, they saturate it with useful trace elements, restoring beauty and elasticity, and volatile substances inhaled with air essential oils improve work respiratory system clearing the lungs. This is especially true for smokers and people working in hazardous industries.

Skillful "grooming" with a broom of different parts of the body improves subcutaneous blood flow and lymphatic drainage, contributing to the destruction and removal of plugs from toxins and toxins that interfere with normal blood circulation and form an unpleasant "orange peel" cellulite.

In this case, you do not need to whip the broom hard on the skin. Movements should resemble light pats, and the broom should act as a fan, driving waves of healing hot air.

Properly sweating with a broom, a person literally transforms - the mood improves, there is a surge of strength. The charge of energy after visiting the bath is stored for a long time, keeping the body in good shape.

When to harvest birch brooms?

From time immemorial, a very specific time was chosen for harvesting brooms, when it was believed that the plants were in the juice itself and the benefits from such a broom would be maximum.

As a rule, brooms were collected and knitted on the 50th day after Easter or 2 weeks after Trinity. The leaves at this time are in the juice itself and have the strongest and most pleasant aroma.

Birch brooms are harvested in the 2nd-3rd decade of June before the earrings appear on the trees. The leaf should by this time become smooth, velvety.

How to prepare birch brooms?

To collect brooms, it is better to choose dry weather. Harvested in the dry season, brooms have strong leaves that hold well and do not fly around when dried.

Collected in rainy weather, brooms darken, their leaves curl and fall off the branches.

If rainy weather sets in after Trinity, you should not rush, you should wait until it clears up and the rain stops.

It is best to collect branches for brooms away from highways and large cities. If possible, it is better to go to some remote corner where the trees are not exposed to harmful substances contained in car exhaust and industrial emissions.

To collect branches, you will need a secateurs, the purchase of which should be taken care of in advance.

The best branches for brooms are thin lower branches, those that grow closer to the ground. They are softer, but at the same time quite durable. If you like to whip properly with a broom, then you can choose branches that are more elastic.

How to knit a birch broom?

For knitting a broom, branches 40-80 cm long without dry knots and with a large number of leaves are best suited. If you like to bathe alone, then it is better to choose longer branches. This will allow you to make a broom with which you can soar your back without assistance.

Before starting to knit a broom, the branches must be cleared of knots, and also the lower part of the branches must be freed from leaves, where the broom handle will be.

Long branches are cut with secateurs.

After that, they collect a broom and tie all the branches with ropes.

As you can see, tying a broom is not so difficult. After that, the brooms should be thoroughly dried so that they are stored for a long time, and the wood and leaves do not deteriorate.

How to dry a birch broom?

In order for the brooms to retain their properties, do not deteriorate and do not become covered with rot or mold, they must be thoroughly dried.

In this case, the following rules must be observed:

• the broom should not dry in a draft;
• the broom should not be dried in direct sunlight;
• the broom should not be dried in a room with high humidity;
• the broom should be dried in a room with good ventilation.

A wooden shed is perfect for drying brooms, where you can hang them on ropes to dry.

If you live in a city apartment, it is best to purchase a ready-made broom. But you can dry on the balcony. To do this, you can hang brooms on clotheslines, closing from direct sunlight.

You can dry brooms in a suspended or lying position. In the supine position, the brooms are dried and then stored in the hayloft, periodically turning over. Such brooms then look flatter, less bristling.

How to choose the right broom when buying?

If you do not have the time or opportunity to independently collect twigs, knit and then dry brooms, then you can buy ready-made ones.

But when buying, you should carefully choose high-quality specimens so that the broom delivers the greatest benefit.

To do this, you should first of all pay attention to the size of the leaves. For a birch broom, the size of the leaves should not be more than 3 cm. The leaves on a birch reach this size just in time for the best time for harvesting brooms.

Leaves should not be curled. Most of the leaves should be flat. This suggests that they were dried correctly, observing the drying regime. If the brooms are dried with heat or in the hot sun, they wither, and the leaves curl up, losing their shape and beautiful appearance.

Also pay attention to the color of the leaves in the broom. If the leaves have a yellow or brown tint, then, probably, such brooms were harvested in the fall from branches that had already lost all their healing properties.

How to steam a birch broom?

Why do you need to steam a broom? First of all, this is done in order to soften the branches and make them more flexible and less prickly. Soaked twigs and leaves will not damage the skin, will not injure or scratch. In addition, having absorbed moisture, the broom begins to evaporate therapeutic essential oils, and the leaves and bark of birch branches release useful substances that saturate the skin when "grooming" with a broom.

But for this, the broom must be properly steamed. This is done in the following way. First, the broom should be doused with warm water and placed in a basin or bucket of cool water for a few minutes.

After that the broom take them out cold water and lowered into water heated to about 40 degrees, where it is left for 5-7 minutes.

After that, boiling water is added. to make the water really hot, cover with a lid and let stand for another 10-15 minutes.

Steamed in this way Birch broom becomes elastic and begins to exude a delicate aroma. To enhance the pleasant smell, you can hold the broom over the stove, turning it slowly. The heat from the stones will enhance the release of the volatile essential oils. contained in birch branches.

How to bathe with a birch broom?

It is necessary to bathe with a broom so that it acts as a fan, forcing hot air to the skin. You should not whip with a broom. Touches should not be painful and strong. The broom should barely pat on the skin. This will stimulate blood flow and saturate the skin with useful substances, while increasing sweating and the release of toxins accumulated in the body.

Below you can watch a video on how to properly bathe with a broom.

We have built a sauna in our summer cottage and really want to start using it next season.

And, of course, we need brooms. Where is it better to take them, from what raw materials should they be? How to knit and store them?

Igor Sergeevich DUBOV, Pskov

Although they say that there are no generals in the bath, real bathers consider a broom as such. It enhances the effect of the procedure, contributing to a greater opening of skin pores, regulating the distribution of heat over the surface of the body, massaging its surface and removing even deeply embedded impurities.

AT right broom there are phytoncides - specific organic substances that destroy viruses and microbes. Evaporating, they enter the air of the steam room, making it possible to breathe the purest air. And the essential oils contained in the broom penetrate the skin and produce a rejuvenating effect. By the way, it can be strengthened by adding medicinal herbs to the broom.

Now let's figure out where to get brooms. The simplest thing is to buy it near the bathhouse or in a specialized department of the store. However, there will be no confidence in the quality, because it is not known how and when the branches were cut, in what conditions the raw materials or finished products were stored. The best option there will be a purchase of brooms from "your" seller, the quality of which you have no doubts.

What are bath brooms made of?

Many people prefer to cut brooms on their own. But for this it is necessary to have conditions for their storage, as well as to know certain procurement rules.

First of all, you need to determine what to make brooms. Now birch, wild rosemary, oak, heather, linden, maple, chestnut, poplar, viburnum, willow, alder, hazel, mountain ash, ash, eucalyptus are used as raw materials for them, coniferous trees, juniper, laurel, currant, cherry, cherry, plum, lilac, bird cherry, nettle, Ivan tea. In addition, you can make all kinds of mixes (mixtures) both from traditional cultures and by weaving medicinal herbs into them.

Raw material collection time

Of no small importance is the time of cutting raw materials. In the Orthodox tradition, the period for preparing brooms is a period of two weeks after the Trinity (50 days after Easter), but I believe that since Easter moves annually according to the calendar, then this landmark can be used conditionally - to the extent that you trust folk omens and traditions. In fact, it is necessary to proceed from the actual phase of crop development, which depends on a large number of factors (soil conditions, average temperatures, abundance of precipitation, etc.).

Since brooms are made from various trees and crops, the harvesting time will depend on the selected source material. For example, the last ten days of June and the first ten days of July are ideal for harvesting birch brooms - the leaves are in the juice itself, the concentration of nutrients is at its peak, and the branches are quite flexible and strong. For heather best time- from mid-May to mid-June, the same period is acceptable for the manufacture of viburnum brooms. The time for harvesting oak branches is August and September. Willow reveals its qualities best in May.

For maple, the best time is from late August to early September. Linden must be harvested before active flowering (May-June), then you can be sure of the maximum healing effect. It is best to harvest brooms from nettles at the beginning of summer, since later the plant coarsens and loses some of the leaves.

Juniper brooms are good because they can be harvested at almost any time. But if it is not possible to get to this plant in the winter, you can pick up its branches for future use during the summer. Alder is harvested from May to July, and mountain ash - in June and July, at the same time you can work on lilac and bird cherry.

It is better to prepare a plum broom in early June. Currants and cherries can be used the whole summer in fresh, and it is good to harvest in June-July. Personally, I use cherries for the entire period, while it is covered with leaves. I tear off a couple of branches and steam them together with the main broom, and when it's time to steam, I put a cherry on a broom from another culture.

Rules for the preparation of bath brooms

Most of the crops are best harvested in dry sunny weather - the branches collected at such a time hold the leaf better. The best time to go for brooms is in the morning, but after the dew has fallen. Remember that in the forest you should not stop at one tree and peel it off. what is called sticky: it can harm him. Therefore, do not spare time and your legs, walk and try to cut branches from as many trees as possible.

It is best to use the middle part of the tree, where the branches are already quite strong, but at the same time still retained elasticity. Preference should be given to biennial trees.

When harvesting branches, do not break them with your hands, but use a sharply ground pruner. Cut branches 50-60 cm long, although this will depend on your preference for the length of the broom and how the leaves grew at the time of harvesting.

There are two ways of harvesting brooms: the first is when the branches are not knitted immediately, but are collected in a large sheaf, which is stored in a special place, and only before going to the bath, part of the shoots is taken from it to knit a broom: the second method is an immediate “release® ready” products”, which is convenient to take to the bath without additional hassle.

"Firma" knits brooms

Regardless of the chosen harvesting method, before you start knitting a broom, you need to clean the branches from knots and leaves where the handle will be located (about a third of the length). Then they begin to assemble the broom - thicker and coarser branches are placed inside, they will serve as a core base. Then, smaller and thinner branches begin to be applied to it - be sure to bend inward (then the broom does not fall apart like that), do not forget that the resulting structure should be dense. Having finished with the assembly of the broom, we start knitting the handle: we wrap the ends of the branches with a rope (linen hemp works well), pulling it as tight as possible. After that, it is necessary to cut the edge of the handle so that no knots protrude from it. It is best to wrap the place for which you are going to hold the broom with a small rag. Do not use wire for knitting - you can scratch your hands or burn your skin.

Drying and storage of brooms

It is very important to properly dry the broom, it depends on how it will be stored, how much it will save useful properties and how long it will last in the bath. Agree, it’s not very pleasant when a bought broom, beautiful in appearance, loses half of the leaves already during soaking, but you just have to hit them several times, as it turns out that there is nothing to bathe with.

Dry in a dry, well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight. The perfect place- an attic of a bathhouse or a barn. Brooms are dried in a suspended state, for this they are tied in pairs and thrown over a stretched rope or wire.

Highly important rule- use loosely laid brooms, then the drying process is faster and molding of the leaves is excluded. After a week of drying, when the brooms begin to rustle, they are tied more tightly and stacked in piles, pressing against each other so that they take the form of a fan. Then the finished products are stored in a dry, ventilated room. Villagers can store brooms in hay, while city dwellers can store them in paper bags.

A BROOM WITH YOUR HANDS - FROM WHAT AND HOW STEP BY STEP..

On a note

If you are preparing brooms for the whole year, you need to store them either under a canopy or in a well-ventilated area. Brooms need to be tied in pairs and hung on a pole crown down.

“In the bath, a broom is more expensive than money”

A GOOD BROOM IS NOT JUST A ATTRIBUT, IT IS THE MAIN SUBJECT IN THE BATH. LINKING IT IS A WHOLE ART. THIS PROCESS SHOULD BE APPROACHED SERIOUSLY, THAT AFTER A VISIT TO THE STEAM ROOM, THERE IS PLEASURE AND NOT DISAPPOINTMENT.

Someone will say what is so difficult here? I cut the branches, tied them into a bundle - and the main bath attribute is ready, but this is not so. While such a broom is stored, its branches dry out. Before going to the bath, the broom should be pulled with twine, otherwise it will simply fall apart. If you dry the broom incorrectly, then at the first blows to the body, the foliage will crumble.

A broom is knitted from branches of trees, shrubs and even herbs. Birch, oak, cypress, juniper, eucalyptus brooms are especially popular.

Often, in addition to tree branches, shoots of wormwood are added; after steaming, it exudes a bitter aroma, releases essential oils that enter the body through Airways and skin pores.

I will describe the process of knitting the main bath attribute using the example of the most common birch broom.

It's time to harvest brooms

You need to start collecting branches after the Pegro post (from June 24 to July 11). The harvesting season lasts no more than two weeks. By this time, the leaf on the trees is gaining full strength and subsequently holding up well. In August, the juices practically cease to flow into the leaves, they gradually begin to wither. It is better to use such a broom immediately, it is not suitable for drying.

For my brooms, I take raw materials from 7-9 year old trees, cutting off their lower branches, while forming the crown of the tree.

I cut branches no shorter than 50 cm and not all in a row, but such that at the end there are not only leaves, but also small twigs (photo 7). The more such additional branches, the fluffier and softer the broom will be. Bundle

On the branches, I cut off the lower branches and form a broom, stacking them on top of each other (photo 2). I make a butt with a diameter of at least 6-6.5 cm.

The formed broom must be properly tied. First, I determine the length of the butt - the most optimal is from 20 to 30 cm, but more is possible.

I intercept the lower part of the broom with two turns of twine and tie a knot, not strongly pinching the branches in such a way that, dividing the broom into two approximately equal knots, you can twist them with a force of eight with a couple of turns (photo 3). At this moment, the branches are so squeezed by the rope that they do not give slack during shrinkage.

Then I twist both halves together with a pigtail. At the foliage, I tie one half with twine to a knot at the very crown of the broom. With two or three turns of the same twine around the entire butt, I forcefully squeeze the second bundle together with the first. After crimping, I tie the main knot (photo 4) I cut off the bottom of the butt (photo 5) I slightly fluff the crown of the broom with my hands and shake it, giving it volume (photo 6)

Do-it-yourself broom for a bath - an interesting old-fashioned way

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