When to collect birch for brooms. Time and rules for preparing brooms for a bath

There is nothing complicated in preparing brooms for a bath, but, as in every business, there are some nuances: you need to know when it is better to knit brooms for a bath, which branches to choose, how long they should be, how to preserve brooms for the whole year without losing quality .

Our ancestors prepared raw materials for bath brooms in the first half of June - on Trinity Day after Green Christmastide. If you are far from church calendars and rituals, collect branches in early June, when the foliage has already grown and become stronger, but has not yet become faded and withered.

For church holidays or calendar dates, you can only focus on regions: our country is large. In some places it’s almost summer on Trinity Sunday, and in others the leaves have barely sprung. So it’s better to focus on the condition of the foliage.

When are birch brooms harvested?

Not much time is allotted for harvesting birch brooms: a week at most. You need to have time to prepare birch branches when the leaf has already turned green, and not light green, but before the earrings bloom. If time is missed, the foliage becomes very hard and falls off greatly in the bathhouse. So the harvesting period for birch brooms is very short.

But time is not the only criterion. When choosing branches for a birch broom, you need to be guided by appearance leaf. It should have a deep green color, the plate should be smooth. There should be no aphids or other pests or diseases. But, most importantly, there should be no earrings on the branches. And for greater effect, you need to cut birch branches with a broom during the specified period, but after a rain. Only the birch must already be dry, otherwise the leaf will darken and curl.

More advice from the older generation: cut a broom when the leaf on the birch tree is no larger than an old five-kopeck coin, and it should feel slightly sticky to the touch.

But with sticky leaves you get a “soapy broom”. It has an excellent effect on the skin: it becomes silky and soft. But at the same time, leave the steam room with your skin covered in mucus. Not everyone likes this feeling. So here you have to choose: either more comfortable sensations with more “mature” foliage or elastic skin.

Prepared in May birch brooms they smell differently than summer ones: they add a smell very similar to the smell of propolis. At this time, there are light stripes on the skin of the twigs, which release this aroma. Such stripes are not found on all branches; they need to be selected separately. When you run your hand along such a branch, you feel the tubercles - these are the same resinous, odorous secretions. If anyone hasn't tried it, try it. Very pleasant sensations, although the sheet is sticky at this time.

Some bathhouse lovers especially appreciate birch brooms that grew near water - a river or lake (but not in a swamp). Such plants have long, elastic and flexible branches. Twigs, growing roots or stumps of birch trees are good. They are flexible, elastic and tender.

On trees, the lower climbing shoots are considered the best. They are cut for a broom. It is better not to cut single young ones without side branches, even despite the large, beautiful and dense leaf: it turns out to be a whip. And this is not at all what is required from a bath broom.

If you don’t need to cut more than two or three pieces of a young tree, you can harm the plant. Know your limits - take care of nature!

Old people who love baths say that even in a birch grove you can’t take branches for a broom from every tree. But only from those whose birch bark on the trunk seems to shine a little. Moreover, the spots on the birch bark are not gray, but rather brownish in color. There are not very many such trees, but they exist. Try to find at least a few and stack the branches separately. Then evaluate the difference and next time you won’t regret it.

When preparing brooms, birch foliage should be dense and smooth. Someone advises to try birch leaf tongue. If it is rough, the branch is not suitable, if it is smooth and velvety, it is an excellent raw material.

You can navigate by the stem of a young birch leaf. If it has already turned reddish, you can cut it, but if it is green, it’s too early.

The video shows how to choose birch branches and correctly knit brooms from them.

We prepare oak brooms

The harvesting period for oak brooms is longer: starting from the end of June, and some are harvested in August and early September. Depends on the year and region. But even in the same region, it differs greatly from year to year. In some areas you have to hurry: later the foliage is affected by diseases and becomes lethargic or spotted. But sometimes, after disease damage in August-September, the foliage on the oak tree grows back. Then you can also get excellent brooms.

When harvesting an oak broom in the summer, pay attention to the condition of the leaf: it should be an even, dense green color, without spots. The main rule: there should not be an acorn yet. As when harvesting birch, branched shoots with large leaves are taken.

But there are lovers who harvest oak brooms in September. In this case, the leaf turns yellow or yellow. They say it also “works” very well.

For gourmet bathhouses, oak brooms, made from tree branches near which burdock grew, are highly prized. Their shoots are considered the most durable and flexible. Trees should grow in shady corners of the forest and be young: on old ones it is difficult to find non-knotted branches of sufficient length. The foliage should be large and abundant.

The preparation of oak brooms has its own specifics:

• firstly, the cut branches are stored in a shady place for an hour and a half, and only then can they be transported;
• secondly, after the oak broom is tied, you need to put pressure on it to give it the shape of a fan - this shape is the most common, but some people prefer oak brooms of the traditional spherical shape.

When to cut linden brooms

If you want a linden broom with color, you have a week and a half to prepare it. And then at the expense different breeds, blooming at different times. In general, the best period is considered to be when most of the flowers have already opened. The aroma in the bathhouse is amazing.

There is a linden broom and a later preparation. He also has a period of two weeks - from August 15 to September 1. This is what experts say, who claim that previously collected linden branches contain, of course, more useful substances, but the leaf on them is too soft and, when steamed, curls and wrinkles so that it is absolutely impossible to steam with it.

Preparation of coniferous brooms: spruce, juniper

The "widest collection range" coniferous species. There are no restrictions here. In Siberia, coniferous brooms are made both in the most severe frosts and in the summer...

Choose a warm, fine, dry day for harvesting. The branches begin to be cut after the dew has dried. They choose the young and flexible. There are no other recommendations.

How to make nettle brooms

Despite the “terrible” sting, you just need to try the nettle broom. Then you will really enjoy steaming with it. Harvesting them for the winter is problematic, except perhaps inserting a few branches into birch and oak trees. No other way. But you can steam fresh all summer long.

Young shoots without color, about 40-50 cm long, are cut off. They are made short and fluffy. It’s better to work with gloves: it stings. It turns out to be quite soft: only for one person.

There are quite a few ways to steam a nettle broom. Basically, they dip into hot (not boiling water) water for 3-5 seconds, then into cold water. All.

The second option is to dip in cold water, then, having steamed, trample on it in the steam room with your feet, hold it over the steam, giving it a ladle of water.

Regardless of how you prepare the broom, they need to “work” on the already steamed body. That is, you first need to steam with birch.

There is one thing about using a nettle broom: it strongly stains the wood. Therefore, it is better not to put it on the shelves. Bring a rug and place it on it.

All other brooms (read the article about what they are and how they affect the body) are collected in the same time frame as birch brooms until August 2.

If you want to knit a broom from herbs, you need to know the timing of its flowering - at this time they have the highest concentration of useful substances.

How to choose branches for a bath broom

Branches are cut from young trees that grow in sunny, non-wetlands, away from roads and enterprises with harmful emissions.

The length of the branches is selected depending on the selected broom size. Usually it is from 40 to 70-80 cm. Whichever is convenient for you. The thickness of the handle is selected in the same way. The diameter rarely exceeds 5 cm - it is difficult to swing too large and heavy, although it is a matter of taste and habit.

The branches should be smooth, free of diseases and dried parts. The foliage is thick and juicy, not too tough. It is advisable to choose branches with two or three branches - the broom will not only be more magnificent and beautiful, it will also be denser and will “capture” steam well. When you walk over your body with such a broom, you do not whip it, but massage it.

How to knit brooms for a bath correctly

Having selected suitable branches, you can immediately collect them into brooms. Some bath lovers advise pre-soaking them for several days in an unlit, well-ventilated place. They say the branches need to be “withered.” It's easier to work with them then.

The shoots are thicker on the inside and thinner on the outside. If there is a bend on the branches (and most often this happens), then the bend should point inward. Also make sure that the matte surface of the sheet is directed inward, and the shiny surface is directed outward. It should turn out that their shiny side is directed in one direction. When folding, give it the shape of a fan or a “bouquet” - they do it in different ways. The fan broom is more common: it seems to hug the body. The feeling is pleasant.

For the handle, remove the foliage from the bottom. Its length is selected individually, but the most optimal, established experimentally, is two palm widths. It is also necessary to expose the butts of the branches so that the brooms are better preserved during use. If everything is done correctly, then one broom can be enough for two trips to the steam room.

When folding the branches, they are turned over and shaken several times so that they are distributed more evenly. For knitting, it is better to use natural materials: thick twine, hemp rope, medical bandage or other similar materials. It is better not to use metal wire: it heats up in the bathhouse and such a broom is very uncomfortable to hold in your hands.

There are several knitting techniques:

Used for knitting and clamps. Some are plastic, some are metal. They quickly tighten the handle and hold it tightly. Moreover, after drying, it will be possible to tighten it. To prevent all these puffs from rubbing your hand, then wrap the handle with thick cotton tape: sold in hardware stores, sometimes in hardware stores or haberdashery stores. You can wrap the handle with thick cotton rope (after using the broom, you can remove it and tie the next one).

There are still many ways to knit brooms. Some people use nautical knots, which make it possible to tighten the rope after drying, others place two parts of the branches crosswise with the butts, then tie them not very tightly, then forcefully connect the two parts and tie them finally at the butt and higher. Almost every master has his own secrets. But they are very reluctant to share them. Try simple methods first, then adjust as you like. There will be your personal method of knitting a bath broom.

Proper drying

No matter how you knit the brooms, they still need to be dried. They are immediately piled up, one on top of the other. They stay like that for a day or two. They become flat under their own weight. Then they can be tied in pairs and hung on a rope or pole in a dark, well-ventilated room.

If it is possible to hang brooms in the attic, they can be tied in pairs (without cutting off the remaining twine for tying) and hung to dry on poles. The best brooms are made under a double roof: the heat will not “burn” the leaf, but will dry it out. But ventilation must be good. If you don’t have the luxury of your own attic, you can hang the broom on a nail in a well-ventilated place. In any case, you need to find a room where it is not exposed to direct sunlight. Only under such conditions the leaf remains green and does not fall off.

With any drying method, the brooms should not be placed close to one another - there should be free space between them. At first, in order for the branches and foliage to dry evenly, they need to be turned over once or twice a day. When they are completely dry, they can be stored.

How to store bath brooms

Dried brooms can be stacked on a bookcase or shelf (the room again should be dry and well ventilated). But from time to time, the brooms need to be rearranged so that those located at the bottom are in the middle or at the top. Moreover, the brooms should not be exposed to light: the leaf will turn yellow.

If you have your own hayloft, you can stack the brooms on dry hay, placing them loosely next to each other. Cover the top with dry hay. This is how our ancestors kept them.

For apartment dwellers, there is also a storage method: make small holes in a cardboard box, put brooms into it without crushing it, alternating the handle and the crown. In this case, you also need to periodically shift them, lifting the bottom ones up.

You can also store brooms in the refrigerator: they are packed in a plastic bag or wrapped in cling film, placed on the bottom shelf, in a dark, dry corner.

The use of a birch broom in a bathhouse is a wonderful remedy for pain in joints and muscles, which helps to quickly and painlessly recover from a variety of physical activity. Not a single healing Russian bath is complete without a birch broom. This tradition came to us from distant ancestors, who were famous for their strength of body and strength of spirit. Let's try to figure out when it is necessary to cut birch brooms and prepare them.

The healing properties of birch brooms

One of the important medicinal properties of birch broom is its beneficial effect on the bronchi. The plant contains substances that help their expansion, as a result of which ventilation of the lungs improves and sputum begins to drain much more easily. That is why many doctors recommend heavy smokers, asthmatics and people prone to allergic reactions, use such birch products.

Birch leaves contain vitamins A, C, a large number of tannins, essential oils and other useful components. So that they are fully preserved and to the maximum showed their useful qualities, you need to know the rules for harvesting birch leaves for a bath and the timing of collecting branches.

When should bath brooms be made?

For a long time, these bath products were prepared one or two weeks after the Holy Trinity, which is celebrated in June. But due to the different climate in the regions of our country, you should not rely on this folk custom, because in many areas the birch tree does not have time to bloom before Trinity, so such brooms for a bath will be of little use.

So when is the best time to collect birch branches? The most suitable time for harvesting is the period when the leaves are as strong as possible and there are no earrings yet. You should choose a day with dry weather, and you should go out for these purposes in the morning. Traditionally, weeping birch, which has long, flexible and strong branches, is used for bath brooms. When choosing them, you need to pay attention that the leaves are tender and velvety, and with inside were not rough.

In addition, collecting branches in June is considered correct due to the fact that at this time the leaves reach a fairly large size and contain required level essential oil glands. Young large shoots are highly elastic, so whipping with such a broom is well tolerated by bathhouse visitors.

How to properly harvest birch branches?

Branches should be cut with a sharp knife. To make it more convenient, you need to climb a tree and bend it down, after which you tie it to a neighboring tree and collect the required number of branches. Since weeping birch is very flexible and durable, you should not be afraid to perform such manipulations.

It is not recommended to immediately tie the cut branches very tightly. They must be hung on a strong rope under a canopy in such a way that the sun's rays did not reach, but there was a draft. After a week, the branches dry out and can be placed tightly on racks in a dry room, which should be well ventilated.

You can dry them on the roof of the barn. This should be done in the following sequence:

• meadow hay is spread on the roof;
• Birch branches are laid out on it with small gaps;
• a layer of hay is placed on top of the branches;
• The branches are turned over daily or once every 2–3 days.

This is done within one month. Typically, dried pieces are tied in pairs to a rope and in this position stored in the attic or in a pile of hay. In an apartment, a balcony or mezzanine is suitable for these purposes, and the brooms are pre-wrapped in paper bags.

Choosing the time to collect branches

The broom’s indicators, such as:

• quality;
• life time;
• aroma;
• softness.

For example, if the branches were collected too early, then subsequent steaming makes the broom short-lived, flimsy and slippery. A properly prepared product will “hold the sheet” for a very long time. It is best to choose dry weather for collection., since foliage moistened by rainwater or dew will curl, darken, fly around and collapse during drying. If it rained the day before, you need to wait a few days and only then start harvesting. Branches should be collected in an environmentally friendly place, away from roads and other pollutants.

Knitting a birch broom for a bath with your own hands

Before you start knitting a broom, you need to lay out the dried birch branches on burlap and leave them for several days. In this case, they are better suited for harvesting. Define optimal size products, but here everything is individual, since some bathhouse attendants prefer massive brooms, while others prefer small ones. The place that will serve as a handle should be cleared of leaves and twigs, and in general, approximately a third of the total length of the broom should be cleaned.

After this, the cleaned branches are collected together, giving the product a flattened shape. The frame is created from the thickest branches, which are placed inside the future broom. Thin pieces are laid out around the frame with a bend inward. The leaves should be directed in one direction, and the branches should be fanned out. Thanks to this, the broom seems to “hug” the body of the steamer. One such thick product is usually enough for 2–3 visits to the bathhouse, after which it becomes unusable and crumbles.

They begin to make a handle. Pre-cleaned branches are collected and wrapped with twine so that they are held together very tightly. A strip of fabric is wrapped around the end of the handle, since without it you can rub your hands to blisters.

When collecting a birch broom, you can add some fragrant herbs to its composition. For example, good fit:

• chamomile;
• thyme;
• mint.

The product should not be made too heavy, it should be light and comfortable.

How to store birch brooms?

After the products have been prepared, it is necessary to ensure their proper storage. The room for these purposes should be cool and well ventilated. Otherwise, the foliage will turn yellow and discolored, losing freshness and aroma.

It is best to store brooms in hay. In this case, the foliage will be even more saturated with useful elements and its aroma will improve significantly. In an apartment, you can use paper or plastic bags, as well as vacuum packaging, for storage.

Typical mistakes when preparing brooms for a bath

It’s not surprising if, after repeated use, the bath broom begins to crumble. But a situation may occur when the foliage instantly flies off after the first use. This eloquently indicates a violation of the rules for preparing birch products. So what mistakes can occur in the process of preparing a broom for a bath?

• Wrong time for collecting birch branches. The broom will definitely fly around if the birch branches are collected too early or too late. The best period is June-July, when the foliage is quite dense and strong. At the end of July, the birch tree begins to prepare for autumn, which negatively affects the quality characteristics of the foliage.
• Improper drying of brooms. There are often cases when bath attendants, in their desire to prepare as many brooms as possible in a short period of time, begin to dry the preparations directly in the sun. Of course, because of this, the products dry out very quickly, but the leaves will fall off after the first contact with hot water. It should be remembered that the broom must dry on its own without the help of sunlight.
• Collecting branches after the rain. Doing this is strictly prohibited.

As practice shows, the procurement of products should be done with a small margin. But you shouldn’t be too zealous either, because it’s more pleasant to use a fresh and fragrant broom every time.

Thus, you should definitely adhere to the timing of harvesting birch branches for the broom so that it does not fall apart at the first use. It is also necessary to prepare them correctly and then you can fully enjoy the process of whipping in the bathhouse with such a healing broom.

A steam room broom made of oak branches is in second place after birch in popularity among bathhouse lovers. This “second line” is due, perhaps, only to the smaller prevalence wood (birch is still easier to find in Central and Northern Russia), and oak in its qualities is almost in no way inferior to its “competitor”, and in some positions it even surpasses it.

The timing of harvesting oak brooms for a bath and the procedure for knitting 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 type of wood, since these factors are closely interrelated.

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

That is why very often in Rus' they planted oak trees near the house and turned to them for help, asking for health for many years. Today, living in multi-storey 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 miniature form, in a flowerpot. An oak grown using this technique will always be present in the house, sharing its energetic 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 - gallic and ellagic acids, pectins, pentosans, flavone compounds, starch, sugar, phlobaphene, proteins, tannins and others substances.

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

Oak bark

Decoctions of oak bark are used to strengthen the walls of blood vessels, reduce excessive sweating, heal burns, purulent wounds, treat gums and get rid of other inflammatory processes in the mouth, with serious frostbite of the skin and bleeding hemorrhoids.

Oak bark is a famous natural remedy

Decoctions are also considered an excellent antidote for poisoning with heavy metal salts and mushrooms. They are used as a vitamin remedy for rickets and scurvy, and as a styptic for internal bleeding.

It should be noted that this is sufficient strong remedy, therefore, before giving it to children to drink, you should definitely 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. 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 heal ulcers. In addition, they are used in the treatment of children suffering from nocturnal enuresis.

Oak fruits - acorns

Only those acorns that fall from the tree are considered mature. They are collected and dried away from sunlight - in attics or sheds with good ventilation, and final drying is carried out in ovens.

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

• 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 steam room made of oak branches

All this was told for good reason - all the components of this magnificent tree, except for the listed methods of use, are widely used in “bath practice”. Decoctions are made from the bark, leaves and acorns, which are poured onto the heater, and brooms, useful in all respects, are knitted from branches with young leaves.

• Oak broom has fairly wide and strong leaves, so it rather resembles a fan. Thanks to this quality, they are excellent at pumping the heat coming from the heater to the body.

Using a broom is quite comfortable - it seems to be used to scoop up hot steam and direct it towards yourself. This quality can be called the first of its advantages over other breeds used for making bath brooms.

• It is good to massage with the help of an oak broom, since the tannins contained in its leaves and branches have an excellent 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 this same quality, the skin becomes less oily and receives reliable protection from inflammation.

• Using an oak broom in a steam room helps to significantly reduce blood pressure, which is very important for people suffering from hypertension.
• To tidy up 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.
• This 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 with it, rubbing certain areas, and also laying 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 in a steam room three to five times.

Prices for oak brooms for baths

oak bath broom

Preparing brooms from oak branches

In the southern regions of the country, oak brooms are harvested 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 in size and have a delicate structure, and the branches have not yet gained thickness or lost flexibility.

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

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

Branches for such purposes are taken from the bottom of a large tree, which grows in the thickest part of the oak forest, where it penetrates least of all sunlight. A good guide to choosing a tree for cutting a broom will be the burdocks growing underneath it, which have large, succulent leaves. It is quite difficult to find single branches on old oak trees, so most often a branch with a thick leaf covering with good annual growth is selected. If the young growth on an old branch has the required length of 500 ÷ 550 mm, then it is cut off and subsequently formed into brooms.

Branches are also taken from young oak trees that are only three to four meters high - such trees have the optimal branch thickness and foliage size for a broom.

Branch of “winter oak”

Good brooms are made from “winter oak” - this is the name given to one of the varieties of tree that does not shed its leaves in the winter. The leaves change their hue from green to golden, but do not fly away, but remain firmly on 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 hills or on small hills.

It should be noted that better 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 preserve cut branches for bath brooms and collected medicinal herbs for a long time:

• All natural raw materials– both branches and herbs must be harvested in the morning, but only after the dew has disappeared, in dry and clear weather.
• You should not take limp branches that have already been broken off, since when steamed 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 preparing brooms, wood should be treated with the utmost care. You should not cut it down completely or deprive it of large side branches, as this can only harm the plant. If only young shoots are cut off in different places of the oak tree, then this helps it, since thinning out branches is very useful. If you treat the tree correctly, it will supply raw materials for baths and medicinal decoctions for many years.
• You should not pick off young oak trees, for which the loss of several branches can be disastrous. You need to let the tree take root well and get stronger before using it for your benefit.

Video: tips for choosing oak branches for a bath broom

Knitting brooms

After cutting the branches, leaves and twigs 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. They should not be left piled in a heap, as such storage can cause the leaves to quickly fall off.

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 aligned along the top 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 broom, otherwise the fan will be too hard and can damage the skin. The thickness of the broom handle should not be more than 50 mm, otherwise it will be uncomfortable to hold. The length is usually 100 ÷ 120 mm, and the height of the fan is 450 ÷ 500 mm.
• Next, the lower part of the branches, remaining without leaves, is compressed and tied with twine in two places - immediately under the leaves and below, forming a broom handle. You need to remember that you can’t tighten the handle too much yet; it will finally be tied when the broom dries out a little.
• Some modern bathhouse lovers have adapted plastic brooms for tying self-locking clamps - “ties”. They tie the branches lightly at first, then, after drying, they tighten them a little, and before using the broom, they tighten them tightly.

• The handles of tied brooms are trimmed with pruning shears. And then the finished bundles are placed 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. The brooms are left in this form for one to two days.

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

Video: a visual 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 you can steam it.

• The simplest and quick way To prepare a dry broom is to immerse the fan in cold water for three to five minutes, and then immediately transfer it to a container with hot water and leave for the same time.
• Another method involves rinsing the broom in cold water and placing it completely in a warm bowl. After immersing the broom, close the container with a lid and leave for 10 ÷ 15 minutes. The main thing here is not to overexpose it in water, otherwise it will become limp and quickly crumble.
• If for some reason the broom is very dry, place it in warm water for 5 ÷ 7 minutes, and then pull it out, shake it off and hold it over hot stones, turning it periodically. Both the fan and the handle will steam well, and the broom should become soft.
• Some bath attendants soak dry brooms in cold water in the morning and leave them in it until late in the evening. Then they are taken out and wrapped in thick cloth overnight. A broom soaked in this way is not only soft, but also gives a very rich forest aroma. In addition, it is enough for several vaping sessions.
• Sometimes steaming occurs in a contrasting way, when the broom fan is moved from cold to hot water, left in each container for 1 ÷ 2 minutes, and before entering the steam room it is doused with boiling water.
• Other bath lovers prefer to prepare a broom the day before going to the steam room. After keeping the brooms in hot water for 15 ÷ 20 minutes, they are wrapped in plastic and left overnight. After entering the steam room, such a broom remains to be heated over the heater - and it is completely ready for bath procedures.

Do not throw water from steamed brooms onto the street. During the stay of the oak leaves in it, it becomes saturated useful substances, and a kind of decoction is obtained. It is used to rinse the body, wash the hair, or poured onto the heater to create healing steam. After using this water, hair acquires a pleasant shine and receives a significant dose of vitamins. 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 can you significantly improve your physical health and receive energetic strength from this amazing tree.

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

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

How to take a steam bath in a Russian sauna? The most important thing here, in the words of a classic, is “a valuable broom.” About, how to prepare brooms for a bath when it is right to do this will be discussed.

• Brooms, like any medicinal herbs, should be harvested in dry, clear weather in the morning, after the dew has disappeared.
• Try to treat plants with care, cutting off only unnecessary branches. This way you thin out the plant and give the remaining branches the opportunity to grow freely.
• For brooms, you should choose young plants with flexible, well-bending branches.
• Freshly cut branches need to be dried in a shaded place for an hour, spread out in 1 layer. It is recommended to transport them without packing them tightly so that the leaves do not fall off due to overheating.
• After the broom is already tied, it should be placed under pressure so that they acquire a flat shape. After this, the broom is hung in a cool, well-ventilated area for 2-3 days.

When to harvest brooms, which trees are suitable

Birch broom for a bath

Traditionally, birch brooms for the bathhouse are harvested in early to mid-July. First you need to choose a birch tree. It should be a tall tree with flowing branches (weeping birch). However, many advise choosing very young trees for brooms that have never bloomed. Their branches are flexible and their leaves are delicate.

Having chosen a tree, try a leaf “on your tongue”. If the outer surface of the leaf is rough, this birch tree is not suitable. The leaf should be tender and velvety. Branches should be chosen thin, long, straight.

Oak brooms

Harvesting takes place from June to August in damp, shaded oak forests. One of the characteristics of such a “correct” place is large burdocks under the trees. By collecting branches in such a thicket, you will get a durable broom, which will be enough for several (3-4) visits to the bathhouse.

Oak brooms are intended for hardy, healthy people!

Nettle broom

Harvesting time is mid-summer, immediately before flowering or during the flowering of nettles.

Steaming with a nettle broom is a special pleasure. Don't be afraid of "hotness". Steaming with such a broom, you feel a pleasant tingling sensation, and your body becomes ruddy and light. No blisters or burns - only undoubted benefits to the body. Among other things, by steaming with a nettle broom, you “risk” getting rid of radiculitis, rheumatism, and gout.

The only drawback of such brooms is that they are disposable. But it’s also easier to prepare them.

Cherry and currant

These brooms are not as durable as oak or brooms, but steaming with them is an incomparable pleasure thanks to their delicious aroma. In addition, they are very beneficial for the skin. The harvesting of branches for brooms occurs in early June.

Young unnecessary shoots and root shoots are cut off. The good thing is that you don’t need to go far for such brooms (unless, of course, you live in a private house or have a dacha) - you’ll probably find several currant bushes and cherries in the yard.

Brooms made of linden, rowan, alder, willow and other trees

In principle, brooms can be made from almost any tree. Don't get hung up on traditional ones.

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, they cannot be collected near a roadway or industrial enterprise. The distance from “civilization” should be at least 3 km.

How to knit brooms correctly

The side of the branch where the handle will be is cleared of leaves and twigs. Then the required number of branches is tightly wrapped with twine. The thickness of the handle should be approximately 5 cm in diameter. When knitting brooms, thicker branches should be placed in the middle, and thinner ones around them. This way the broom will be dense and will last for several times.

There are no special rules regarding the length of the handle, but leave the handle long enough to be comfortable to hold and not slip out of your hands. It is better to cut the branches longer - after the broom is tied, the handle can be trimmed, thus trimming the ends.

Steaming rules

There are several ways how to steam a bath broom. The fastest of them is this: lower the broom into a bowl of water for 2-3 minutes, then into warm water for the same time, and finally into a bowl of hot water (not boiling water). In this case, the basin must be covered so that it “steams”. You will know when to take out the broom by the delicious aroma that it will begin to exude.

Do not throw away the remaining water from steaming: it can be diluted with water and poured over hot stones or walls to fill the steam room with aroma.

Attention! Only dry brooms need to be steamed. Fresh or dried, but not completely dry, do not steam, because... they become limp, become heavy, heat up quickly and can burn the skin.

A bathhouse is an incomparable pleasure, and it is also effective for improving your health. The main thing is not to forget about and take care of your health.

Ksenia Poddubnaya

Ask any foreigner what associations they have when mentioning a Russian bathhouse? The top answer among the answers will be shared by a hot steam room and a fragrant broom.

During the times of Kievan Rus, this main bath attribute was valued so highly that it was accepted into the treasury as payment of taxes. At that time, brooms were perhaps the only medicine that banished ailments.

People have long noticed which disease this or that helps well with. tied broom. People involved in collecting branches were extremely respected, and they passed on their secrets about when to collect brooms for a bathhouse and how to do it correctly to their descendants.

Secrets of the masters

Despite the fact that they are sold in markets, light vapor connoisseurs prefer to make them themselves. After all, this is the only way, having assembled a “bouquet” branch by branch with their own hands, that they are absolutely confident in its benefits and healing power.

A bath broom is made in several stages:

• Choosing the right tree. The branches, buds and foliage of any tree have a special effect on the body, and you need to choose the type of tree based on what diseases you want to treat. In addition, there is no need to choose trees growing along highways or industrial enterprises.

Note!
When knitting brooms for a bath, the weather must be dry, because subsequently the collected broom will need to be dried, and the wet foliage will deteriorate and rot.

• Procurement time. The time when to cut branches for a bath is determined for each specific type of plant. This usually happens in the summer, when trees, shrubs and grass, as they say, are “in the juice” and are maximally saturated with useful substances. Some types of plants can be harvested all year round;

• Knitting brooms. In order for the collected bouquet to be truly healing, you need to arrange the cut materials correctly, otherwise you risk getting an ordinary broom. The instructions for knitting are simple, but require a certain skill: thicker branches are placed inside - the base of the broom, they are surrounded by softer and thinner twigs.
  If the branches are strongly curved, in order not to cause pain when used, the bends turn inward. The broom must be tightly tied so that it does not fall apart in the steam room;

• Drying workpieces. The finished brooms are hung upside down in a dry and warm place. Be sure to be well ventilated. And so that the foliage does not lose color and beneficial properties, the room should be darkened.

Our ancestors determined the exact day when it was necessary to cut brooms for a bath - on Trinity Sunday, the fiftieth day after Easter. It usually falls in the first ten days of June. If it was rainy on Trinity Sunday, then the collection of preparations for the broom was postponed for several days, until dry, sunny weather established.

Our contemporaries largely agree on when to collect brooms for a bathhouse, but science, ecology and other factors have made some adjustments to the timing of materials procurement. Let's look at the most popular options for bath “bouquets” and the best time to collect them.

Birch

Birch buds and leaves are rich in flavonoids, essential oils, tannins, vitamin C and provitamin A. They have diaphoretic, wound-healing and anti-inflammatory effects. facilitates breathing, relieves pain in joints and muscles, improves skin condition.

The time when bathhouse brooms are made from birch is traditionally on Trinity Sunday. Preference is given to weeping birch, growing near bodies of water. Thin, flexible branches with many buds and abundant foliage are selected.

Oak

Oak is ideal for oily skin. Dyes and tannins give the body a matte tint, remove inflammatory processes. Oak broom is good for fighting depression and hypertension.

Harvested from June to September. By folk superstition, an excellent broom is made from oak, under which burdock grows.

Linden

A linden broom will give you peace of mind and fill your soul with peace, help with headaches, and relieve insomnia. The aroma emitted by a steamed broom has a beneficial effect on the upper Airways, which is, in essence, the prevention of ARVI.

When you need to cut linden bath brooms, you have to leave the city, because this plant “sucks in” all the dust and smog from the surrounding atmosphere. Best time harvesting – early spring or flowering period.

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is a well-known antiseptic and is widely used for pulmonary diseases for inhalations. Massage with a eucalyptus broom saturates the skin with healing essential oil, which helps with bruises, injuries and muscle pain.

Brooms are cut at the end of August - beginning of September. Since in middle lane Eucalyptus does not grow in Russia; it has to be bought. The price of a ready-made broom is affordable for all bathhouse connoisseurs.

Rowan

A rowan broom will invigorate your body and spirit, tone your muscles, and help you get ready for active work.

How and when to make brooms for a rowan bath? At the very beginning of summer (again, traditionally on Trinity), and the branches are selected from the middle of the tree crown.

Nettle

This burning herb, which many consider a weed, despite its beneficial properties, is also used to knit brooms. This broom perfectly tones, relieves skin inflammation, and formic acid fights gout and radiculitis, helps with rheumatism, and relieves pain.

During flowering, nettle thickets emit a tart, characteristic aroma - this is the very moment when you can cut brooms for a bath. When going to harvest nettles, do not forget to take protective gloves or mittens with you.

Juniper and fir

The branches of juniper and fir are not tied into a separate broom; they are “hidden” among their deciduous counterparts, thus giving the massage a sharpness and piquancy.

There is no question about when you can cut brooms for a bathhouse from fir and juniper - they are harvested all year round, and these are the only branches that are not dried.

Mixed brooms

Prefabricated brooms, which use branches of several species of trees, shrubs or bunches medicinal herbs, are in no way inferior in healing power to similar breeds.

How to cut brooms correctly

When going “hunting” on a dry and warm day, do not forget to take with you a tool: a knife, pruning shears, rope and, just in case (suddenly you come across a great nettle “clearing” along the way), protection for your hands.

Cutting branches from trees is carried out in forests, forest plantations, and possibly in parks, but away from public roads. Juicy young side shoots are selected (the broom from them will be elastic and will gird the body well during massage). Not just one tree is pruned, but several.

The length of the rod should ideally be calculated based on the height of the future steamer and the height of the steam room ceiling, but there is also a universal size of 40-60 cm. A couple of days are spent drying the pieces in a dark, ventilated room and only then the branches are collected into a broom.

Summary

We told you about how and when to tear brooms for a bath, which tree helps with this or that disease.

We hope that you have learned a lot of useful and interesting information, and the video in this article is ready to demonstrate this information clearly!