Knit bath brooms from birch. Harvesting birch brooms for a bath - a simple science

There are no trifles in bath science! It seems that everything is simple, but there are little secrets in everything. In such an important matter, when and how to prepare birch brooms for a bath, there are undoubtedly some secrets.

Broom - the king in the bathing empire! There is no doubt, he must not only be very good, but also strong. Therefore, you need to choose the right time not only for harvesting, but also for the tree itself.

Connoisseurs prepare brooms after Peter's Day, July 10. By this time, the birch is already fading, there are no “earrings” on it.

In the old days, on the contrary, brooms were harvested at the time of flowering. As soon as the leaves gained strength, got stronger - they cut off the branches. The end of May, the beginning of June was considered the most suitable time.

Our country is so big and the climate is so different, so there is no universal time for each region. You have to adjust to the climate. It is unequivocal that a broom with birch "earrings" is not suitable for use. Try to take a steam bath with such a fresh broom and you yourself will understand why such a king is not suitable in a bathing empire.

How to properly prepare brooms

You need to cut branches for a broom in warm, dry weather. We choose branches that grow closer to the ground. They are the youngest! Rain and morning dew are not allies in this matter. Wet foliage will darken and curl when dried. It will fly around, lose useful properties.

Now let's talk about the most beautiful - birch.

I think the ideal option is a very young tree. It has never bloomed yet, the leaves are tender, silky.

In any case, the tree itself should be beautiful, even, not clumsy, without growths. Trees get sick just like people. I do not believe in the good power of a sick tree.

Trees growing along the roads will not work either. They absorb all the dirt, smoke, soot of cars into themselves. So look for suitable tree better in the forest or in the grove.

Ideal - near the river, stream.

Even when you find a suitable tree, “feel” it. Tear off the leaf, lick the outer part. If it is rough, then the broom will turn out to be rough and hard. And if the leaf turned out to be tender - velvety, smooth, then the king - a broom will turn out wonderful!

The branches of our broom will massage our body. Of course, we want a gentle touch. Rough, sweeping branches are not at all suitable for a good bath. We need thin and long branches, about 40 - 60 centimeters long. They are very flexible and will not harm us.

I'll share my uncle's secret. He harvested 54 birch brooms for a year - exactly for the number of weeks in a year. For the second time in the bath, he never used birch brooms, and called them disparagingly: “maggots”.

How to tie a birch broom

To tie a good broom – it is necessary to lay strong, elastic branches in the basis. They will become a kind of "skeleton" for the broom.

Then around this base you need to lay thin branches, bending inward. The outer, shiny surface of the leaves should look at us with all eyes.

Do not ignore such a nuance as the handle of our broom. You can do it before weaving our green friend. All branches are cleaned from the bottom by 15 centimeters from foliage and unnecessary growths.

And it is desirable to tie a broom with a rope. I am against wire knitting, it can damage our hands, and in extreme heat you can get burned. Therefore, I highly recommend using bath mitts when bathing with a broom.

Table of contents:

The main accessory for the Russian steam room has always been held in high esteem. In the days of Kievan Rus, bath brooms were valued so highly that they were accepted as tax payments. These were the only potent "drugs" available at that time that helped a person fight serious ailments. They are still relevant today. Agree, a bath with a broom is more pleasant than many modern medical procedures!

The success of treatment depends on a properly selected and manufactured medicine. We will teach you all the intricacies of the “brown” art, namely ׃

What are bath brooms

We list the most valuable and popular types of these "massagers", we will talk about their beneficial effects on the human body.

When to prepare brooms for a bath

Let's define for each species its own "golden" hour of blanks. We will indicate the exact time period when to cut the “bouquets” for the bath so that they have the maximum healing effect.

How to knit bath brooms

So that massage does not turn into torture, we will acquaint the reader with correct technique knitting these bath accessories.

How to steam a broom for a bath

We will point out the nuances of proper preparation for the work of the “massager” and the features of its storage.

You will learn how to choose the right "assistant" for the bath and even be able to make it yourself.

Choose your “health recipe”׃ which broom is better for a bath

At the core of the majority modern medicines there are extracts from herbs and plants, but when they are processed, some of the “usefulness” is inevitably lost. Russian bath brooms are used for more profitable transportation of vitamins and other useful substances into the human body׃ they are carefully “preserved” and sent to the right place during the massage. It remains to choose a suitable herbal "cocktail" for the prevention or treatment of a particular disease.

Check out the most famous "recipes" of helpers, which are often used for therapeutic massage in a Russian bath

BIRCH

Birch is a primordially Russian tree, which is a real "storehouse" of health, because it is saturated with:

Vitamin C
essential oil
Provitamin A
tannins
Flavonoids

which gives the plant "medicine" anticonvulsant, expectorant, choleretic and diuretic effects.

A birch broom for a bath is unusually flexible, porous leaves perfectly absorb sweat, thanks to their roughness they fit well to a wet body and do not slip off. After the procedure, breathing is greatly facilitated, as there is a total "cleansing" of the fine bronchial "mesh". Birch brooms for baths also relieve pain in muscles and joints, well relieve skin inflammation (bites, pustules).

Oak is in no way inferior to birch in a set of useful substances, but its “ammunition load” is more aimed at combating depression, hypertension and shortcomings. oily skin. Oak bath brooms are saturated with coloring and tanning agents, which gives the skin a pleasant matte color after the massage. Large leaves perfectly absorb sweat and strongly catch up with heat, helping to thoroughly steam the body for deep cleansing and relieving skin inflammation. Steamed oak brooms for a bath emit a persistent aroma that reduces arterial pressure. After the procedure, a person quickly restores mental strength, as the secreted enzymes also have a calming effect on the nervous system.

LIME

Linden is associated among the people with calm and balance. Lime brooms are a natural “pills” for headaches, since they are used to prevent and treat vegetovascular dystonia, which is the main “culprit” in the occurrence of excruciating migraines and insomnia. In addition to its calming effect, linden “massagers” gently cleanse the kidneys and heal wounds well.

Linden "bouquets" are successfully used in the fight against colds, since the aroma exuded by them has a beneficial effect on the condition of the upper respiratory tract person.

EUCALYPTUS

Eucalyptus tincture is included in the attendant's obligatory set and is intended for the preparation of watering for the walls in the steam room. The choice is not accidental, since eucalyptus has a powerful antiseptic effect, is used for inhalation and heating of the bronchi.

Eucalyptus broom maximizes healing effect for the upper respiratory tract, and also saturates the skin with essential oil, which helps fight bruises, sprains and inflammation of muscle tissue.

nettle

Thrill-seekers are invited to try nettle bath brooms. The action of the massager can be softened by soaking it for 2-3 minutes in hot water, or you can leave a noticeable “biting” effect by briefly lowering the broom into boiling water.
Due to the presence of formic acid, nettle perfectly fights rheumatism, sciatica and gout, has a pronounced analgesic effect. Nettle massage gives a powerful tonic effect, cleanses the skin of acne and boils, relieves inflammation and gives it elasticity.

CONIFEROUS

Juniper and fir are the "orderlies" of the forest, so steamed coniferous brooms purify and disinfect the air in the bath, filling the room with a characteristic fresh smell. Such a massage gives strength, strengthens the immune system, treats sciatica, rheumatism and back pain, and is also an excellent prevention of respiratory diseases.

ROWAN

It is accepted that best time for a bath - evening, as the procedure has a very relaxing effect on the human body. Do you want to take a steam bath in the morning and not lose your tone? Then you need a rowan broom for a bath. It excites the nervous system, gives vigor and strength, so even after the parks you can actively and fully join the work.

BAMBOO

For Russian steam room this species"Massager" is exotic, but nevertheless confidently conquers his "client". The bamboo broom for a bath is made from young shoots of a bamboo or leaves of a smoking bamboo SASA. If in the first case it is a “bouquet” of thin sticks, then in the second it is more reminiscent of a classic bath “tool”, as it consists of long narrow leaves.

The main bamboo "usefulness" is the presence of a huge supply of silicic acid, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin and hair. It is a natural sedative widely used in the treatment of depression.

How much does a bath broom cost? This is an affordable and inexpensive accessory, so on average, popular types of native woods (birch, oak, linden, etc.) will cost you $3-5. As for more exotic species (needles, bamboo), the price of a “masseur” ranges from $10-20.

The secrets of the masters of steam business׃ making bath brooms

For those who want to directly participate in the manufacture of the "masseur", we will tell you how to make a broom for a bath on your own. Having collected a healing "bouquet" with your own hands, you will be 100% sure of its effective action.

Even our ancestors developed a technique for making bath attributes, and modern scientists only double-checked, confirmed and clarified some details. How could people without the proper equipment manage not to make mistakes in their calculations? They were helped by a deep understanding of nature - something that, unfortunately, modern man, enclosed in a concrete "jungle", has lost.

Fortunately, we have preserved detailed developments from our ancestors. Making brooms for a bath consists of several stages׃

Choosing the "Right" Tree

Proper preparation of brooms for a bath involves a high-quality selection of the desired plant. It is important to know the type and suitable appearance of the “candidate”, in which area it is better to look for it, so that the future “massager” has the best healing characteristics.

Preparation of bath accessories on time

For each type of tree, the collection of twigs for the bath is carried out at a certain time of the year, when the plant is especially saturated with all the "usefulness". A special drying technique carefully preserves the vitamin reserve and prepares the “massager” for future “work”.

Knitting brooms for a bath

So that in the end the bath attendant received not a bouquet, not a broom, but an easy-to-use “massager”, you need to know exactly how to knit brooms for a bath. correct form the working part of the "fan" will help to get the expected effect from the procedure.

Knowing the nuances of the procurement process, in the future you can do the independent preparation of combined “bouquets” consisting of a couple of plant species that will help in the fight against several ailments at the same time.

When to cook brooms for a bath ׃ we collect the “right” harvest

So, you live in an area suitable for harvesting. Trees of the desired variety are located away from industrial facilities or busy highways, sparkle with "health" and "show off" lush foliage. Only then brooms for a bath, the harvesting of which will be carried out at such favorable conditions, effectively participate in the improvement of your body. Otherwise, foliage littered with production waste will certainly transfer its “negative” to the steamer.

We will indicate the terms for harvesting branches for a bath for each type of tree׃

Birch

Harvesting of birch brooms for a bath is traditionally performed on the feast of the Trinity (end of June - beginning of July), but if the weather is cloudy on this day, then the harvest is postponed until the first sunny day.

Preference is given to weeping birch, which grows near water bodies. To determine the right tree, touch the foliage with your hand; rough and prickly - it means that the tree has not yet gained useful “power”, soft and velvety greens are an ideal candidate for collection. Choose thin branches adorned with lush leaves with lots of buds.

Preparation of oak brooms for a bath is carried out from June to September. There is folk omen, according to which a suitable tree is selected - burdock should grow densely at the roots. Ideally, they are looking for a “winter” oak (the foliage does not completely fall off in winter), in which the leaves are particularly durable.

Preparation of linden brooms for a bath is carried out in early spring, when the tree blooms. Remember that linden especially draws in all the dirt. environment, so collection cannot be done in the urban area.

Eucalyptus

The preparation of massagers for a eucalyptus bath is organized in late summer - early autumn. A rod-shaped variety of wood is suitable for collection, according to appearance reminiscent of a weeping willow.

Nettle

A plant is harvested for a bath broom during the flowering period, when a persistent tart smell emanates from nettle thickets. Try to cut out the plants that are in the middle of the nettle "clearing".

Bamboo

This foreign guest is brought to our territory from Asian countries, where harvesting takes place in winter.

Juniper and fir

These are the only "fresh" brooms that are harvested all year round the day before use.

Rowan

Rowan brooms are harvested at the beginning of summer, choosing branches from the middle of the tree crown.

During harvesting, tree branches should be cut in the morning, after the dew has disappeared, when they are completely dry after a nourishing “shower”.

How to dry bath brooms? I dry freshly cut branches only in the shade, since the sun mercilessly burns out everything useful and necessary for the bath procedure from the foliage. They are tied to a rope, then put under load for one day and deposited.

How to store bath brooms? Ready-made “bouquets” are hung in pairs on a rope in a dark and ventilated room. But often with this method, the shape of the fan deforms over time and takes on the classic look of a broom. How to store bath accessories to avoid this effect? Harvested branches are folded into sheaves and covered with hay. Tie the "bouquet" just before use.

Proper storage of bath brooms will allow you to save all the useful components that are so necessary for healing during a massage in the steam room.

The best methods for collecting and harvesting brooms from birch leaves remain those that were followed in the old days when harvesting birch brooms for a bath for the whole next year. Fortunately, these immortalized recipes have survived to this day, passed down from generation to generation.

How to prepare birch brooms for a bath?

What you need to know in order to properly prepare birch brooms for a bath:

First of all, this is the observance of the period of collecting birch branches with a lush green cover.
For getting good broom, it is necessary to take into account the color and condition of the leaves.
The second, most important aspect is the drying of the material for brooms.
The process should take place in a dry room, where there is mandatory ventilation, without direct sunlight. This is necessary to save healing properties birch leaf.

For good birch brooms, it is better to choose younger trees, or near-stem shoots. It is desirable that the trees grow on a sunny hillock or near a reservoir. Then the brooms will be elastic and last longer.

It is advisable to study the information about birch trees in your region before harvesting, as well as very carefully observe the growth process of these attractive plants. As soon as the leaves become truly green, and not light green, it means the long-awaited time has come when it's time to prepare birch brooms for a bath. Nature does not give much time for this work - only about seven days!

When to prepare brooms for a birch bath?

Birch is a rather capricious plant material that requires the harvester to comply with certain technological rules. The most important thing is the timing for collection. To get a solid broom, the picker has a week period between the ripening of the leaf and the appearance of catkins on the tree.

How do birch brooms for a bath affect health?

Purification of the skin from toxins and the whole body in the complex - ensures the use of birch brooms, they are one of the most used in the steam room. When heated, healing substances are released from the leaves, which improve perspiration and, as a result, the work of the lungs.

Birch leaves are especially useful for healing the respiratory organs (for asthma, bronchitis, and also for smoking). Pairs of birch leaves improve the functioning of small alveoli and bronchi, increase lung ventilation and sputum discharge.

This article will help to get a general understanding that harvesting a birch broom is not a complicated process, but still requires some knowledge. The benefits that can be obtained with a competent approach to knitting a birch broom will pay off the spent forces a hundredfold!

Bath broom - what is it? Is it just an attribute, a symbol, or a useful and irreplaceable thing? Definitely the second answer is correct. A broom is an integral part of a real Russian bath, without which it is impossible to imagine it. It can be said that the sacrament that takes place in the steam room with our body includes procedures with a broom.

So why is it needed? For our health! Brooms different breeds Since ancient times, our ancestors have been used to treat various diseases. And what matters is exactly what plant this bath accessory is made of. Each branch has its own strength, which must be taken into account when preparing brooms. At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention to other factors - the time of year, the ripening of plants, etc. Only a properly made broom will help achieve the goal and bring maximum benefit to a person.

Everyone knows that in the Russian bath they are needed. But for what? Oddly enough, not everyone can answer this question. Many people think that a broom is needed to fool around, whipping each other. But what is the secret? It's not just that they came up with this interesting ritual. If you just hit each other on the back, then the bath will turn into torture and is unlikely to bring any pleasure. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly know the true purpose of the broom in the steam room.

And use it for massage. Such a procedure will improve blood circulation not only on the surface of the skin, but also in the tissues. Throughout the body, lymph, blood and interstitial fluid are better distributed. And phytoncides and other useful substances that "live" in the leaves of a broom provide the skin with youth, beauty and health.

How to do massage with a broom? You can use different methods:

whipping;
stroking;
Compress;
Plowing, etc.

With the first, everything is clear, many more than once whipped their comrades in the bath. You need to stroke with gentle movements, running a broom along the entire body: from the neck to the heels, and then back. Compression is very easy to make.

The broom is lifted up, capturing more hot air. It is then lowered and pressed against the body, usually the back, for a short time. When plowing with a broom, you do not need to touch the skin at all. They simply fan a person, pushing hot air to the body.

Why is each type of broom useful specifically, we will describe below.

When to harvest brooms, timing

Among the people, bath brooms began to be prepared for the Christian holiday - Trinity Day. It comes on the 50th day after one of the most important holidays of Easter. According to folk beliefs, for 2 weeks after the Trinity, you can make bath brooms. But it is not so. The fact is that the harvesting period depends on the region of the country, as well as the weather conditions of a particular year.

The main criterion is the readiness of the leaves.

They should be in the juice itself, strong, fragrant. For a birch, this is, as a rule, 2-3 decades of the first summer month. You need to collect the branches before the earrings appear. The leaves should not necessarily be rough, but tender. When you pull the sheet, it should not fall off, but only a part will come off.

For oak, the most suitable time is July, sometimes the first days of August. The leaves should darken a little, get stronger. If acorns have already appeared, it is too late to prepare a broom.

Types and varieties of brooms

Contrary to the opinion of many people, bath brooms are made not only from birch. There are lime and oak, juniper and mountain ash, as well as eucalyptus, walnut. Herbal compositions are also used, for example, wormwood and tansy, lemon balm, nettle, sage, mint and bamboo.

The most famous and popular. It is soft, gentle, pleasant for the body. This broom is able to cleanse the skin, it removes toxins, toxins. Birch treatments are useful for kidney problems, bronchial asthma. Broom has diaphoretic, strengthening, disinfecting properties.

It is not prepared very often. But in vain, because such a broom has many useful properties. It is used in the bath skin diseases, increased sweating. This remedy has anti-inflammatory properties.

It affects the skin just fine - tightens it, tones it, makes it more elastic and supple. In addition, a bath with such a broom helps to lower blood pressure, calm down in case of violations. nervous system. oak brooms heavier, denser than birch. Plowing them gives more steam, which will appeal to lovers of a hot bath.

Such bath accessories are harvested during the flowering period of this unusually fragrant tree. Interestingly, for a long time, lime products have been actively used in the bath. From the wood of this plant, the buildings themselves were built, as well as deck chairs and shelves.

During the procedures and after them in Russia they drank mead, tea, lime kvass and honey. With the help of a linden broom, the back is massaged, and this has a great effect on the kidneys and urinary tract.

Steamed branches and linden flowers have a positive effect on the respiratory tract - they expand the bronchi, soothe, heal wounds.

This representative is perhaps the most rude and prickly, tough. But that doesn't make it any less useful. The main thing is to find a common language with such a broom. Then from him you can get only the best in the steam room. If you use it incorrectly, you can injure the skin, scratch it.

Such brooms are not prepared prematurely, but immediately before the procedure in the steam room. It should not dry out, compared to leaf brooms, because then its properties will not be able to recover. From juniper, you can make not only brooms, but also flooring on deck chairs in the bath.

Why is it useful?

A broom from such an evergreen rock is indispensable for gout, sciatica, as well as neuralgia and even rheumatism.
It is also useful for the skin due to its properties: antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and also bactericidal.
When the period of raging flu and GRVI comes, it is worth bathing in a bath with just such a broom.

By the way, he has another secret. Juniper broom is simply an indispensable tool for the prevention and even treatment of allergies of various origins.

It is not easy to make it yourself due to the lack of this tree in the forests. But still, despite the high price, recently such an accessory for a bath is very popular. And all because of its irreplaceable healing properties. In the steam room with eucalyptus, you can relieve pain from sciatica, bruises, neuralgia, stretch marks, muscle inflammation. Vapors from this plant, that is, inhalations, are simply a magical remedy for the respiratory tract. Eucalyptus is also good for the skin because it contains tannins. But a broom can be made exclusively from one variety of eucalyptus - twig-shaped.

herbal broom

It can be used for massage and just as a fragrance - hanging in the bath. Passing in pairs, herbs give away their beneficial properties, which we inhale and pass into our body. The most popular herbal brooms are nettle, mint, wormwood and tansy.

The plant helps to relieve fatigue, normalize blood pressure, activate blood circulation and metabolic processes in the body. Even chronic nervous tension will disappear with the regular use of such a broom. It needs to be harvested in May or early June. The leaves should not be very hard and burning. After all, the effect of a broom should be obtained not traumatic, but stimulating, stimulating the skin.

This grass is usually added to brooms made of tree branches or laid on deck chairs, hung in a steam room. The aroma emanating from the twigs in the steam room relieves breathing difficulties and helps to cleanse the body. Essential oils that stand out from wormwood are very useful for human body. Such a broom is harvested in the period after flowering. The stems should be strong, but not too coarse. After harvesting, the grass cannot be wetted, but immediately sent for drying.

Brooms with mint are pressed against the skin of the face, neck, hands to soothe and rejuvenate. Peppermint components also help dilate blood vessels, making breathing easier, especially in the presence of asthma. The plant has a bactericidal effect.

This broom is an indispensable attribute for aromatherapy in a steam room. You can collect mint for a bath throughout the summer, choosing thick stems. It is also impossible to wet this plant before drying, as well as collect it during rain or heavy dew.

In the bath, such a broom will help fight headaches, rheumatic pains, and menstruation disorders. It also promotes wound healing, relieves chronic diseases liver, genitourinary system, with regular use. The herb can be added to compositions or hung in a steam room as an aromatherapy aid. It is necessary to collect tansy during flowering. Dry without washing with good ventilation under the ceiling.

Brooms are also made from other trees, shrubs, herbs:

Canadian maple is used for this, which anesthetizes, cleanses, heals wounds, and tones.
Coniferous brooms are good for aromatherapy, they are useful for the respiratory tract, spine, joints. Suitable for this Christmas tree, fir, cedar.
Alder broom provides prevention of colds and benefits the skin - cleanses it, smoothes it, makes it more elastic.
You can take branches fruit trees, bushes. For example, cherries, mountain ash, currants. They fill the steam room with a unique aroma after soaking, are beneficial for the skin, joints, urinary system, and lymph nodes.

How to prepare a quality bath broom

To assemble and tie the "correct" broom, you need to follow a few rules:

Grass and branches should be cut when the dew has gone. The weather must be clear. Simply put, raw materials must be taken dry.
The branches should be elastic, well-bending, young.
Immediately after cutting, the branches are laid out in 1 layer in the shade so that they wither. When transporting, do not pack them heavily, as the leaves can overheat, be damaged and crumble.
The connected broom is put under oppression. So it takes on a flat shape. Only then can it be hung. Dry the broom in a cool place with good ventilation, about 2-3 days.

It is important to remember that brooms should not be dried in the sun. This will save them from the aroma, nutrients. And after steaming, all the leaves will fall off from such a broom. Drying is not recommended in strong drafts. You can hang brooms or lay out. In the second case, they must be turned over every day for uniform drying.

If the broom is dried qualitatively, its leaves are green and have a matte surface. He drains pleasant aroma, which greatly increases after the steaming procedure.

Knitting brooms is very simple. This does not require special skills. In the lower part, all leaves and knots are removed, leaving room for the handle. It should be no more than 5 cm thick, it will be convenient. Having collected the required number of branches, they must be tightly tied with twine, wrapped at the base several times. Thicker branches lie in the middle of the broom, and thin ones along its edges. The length of the handle can be left as you like. It is better to harvest branches that are longer, so that later you can adjust the handle by simply cutting and trimming the edges.

Zaparka. How to brew a broom

Just before going to the steam room, the broom needs to be steamed with high quality. You can put it in water low temperatures for a few minutes. After that, for the same amount of time in warm water and, finally, in hot (but not boiling water). The container with a broom must be covered. Then this water is used in the steam room - walls or stones are watered with it.

It is important to remember that fresh and semi fresh brooms cannot be steamed. Only dry brooms go through this procedure. By the way, if it turns out that your broom is too dry, then you need to slightly increase the steaming time.

When to prepare brooms for a bath. How to knit birch brooms: video

Well, you already wanted to take a steam bath with fragrant and such useful brooms? It is very good. After all, it was not in vain that our ancestors considered the bathhouse to be an excellent means for relaxation, recovery, rejuvenation and recovery. And if you also bathe with brooms prepared with your own hands, then the benefits will definitely double! Enjoy Your Bath!