When birch brooms are cut. How and when to prepare bath brooms

Is there a bath without a broom! Preparation of brooms for a bath is an extremely important process, because they are integral attributes of bath procedures. The leaves of properly harvested brooms contain a large amount of biologically active substances, which in the bath give their healing power to a person. Therefore, it is important for every bath lover to know not only the time of harvesting brooms, but also the tree species themselves, their properties and benefits. One of the most popular trees for harvesting brooms is birch.

Timing

Brooms from birch begin to be harvested after June 10, in the second half of summer. Just at this time the birch blossoms. They finish harvesting birch brooms around August 3-4. Of course, you need to make allowances for a specific region and climate, since even in one country the timing of birch flowering differs sharply. A broom with birch earrings is of little use, although earlier such brooms were also used.

Selection and cropping rules

Branches should be cut only in dry weather. The air must be warm. If it is raining or heavy dew outside, you should not cut the branches. Wet leaves in the further drying process will darken, curl and fly around, so that such a broom will become unusable. When choosing branches, you need to give preference to those that grow low, near the ground, as they are young and fresh.

The choice of wood also plays a huge role. Most the best option- young birch trees that have never bloomed before, the decoration of which are soft and delicate leaves. The tree should be even and slender, and the bark beautiful and without growths. If the tree is sick, it is better to bypass it, since a broom from it will obviously not add health.

Birch trees that grow along the track or road are also not suitable for harvesting a broom, as they absorb all harmful substances from Vehicle. The same goes for trees that grow near different factories and plants. Parks and green spaces near hospitals and cemeteries are also prohibited places. This applies to harvesting not only birch brooms, but also oak, viburnum, juniper specimens.

The best place to search is a forest, grove or river. Even if at first glance the tree seems quite suitable, it's still nothing to say. You have to get close to it and feel it. You can tear off the leaf and lick its outer side. The rough surface of the leaf indicates that the broom will turn out to be hard and rough. But the velvety leaf is just what you need. A broom will come out of it excellent.

The branches will massage the body, so the touch should be gentle and soft. Therefore, rough branches will not work. The branches should be thin, elastic and flexible, the length should not exceed 60 cm.

Real sauna lovers never reuse brooms. It is better to prepare them for future use in order to use a new fresh broom each time, giving strength and health.

Assembling a broom

Assembling a broom is also not an easy task. First you need to choose the strongest branches, distinguished by elasticity, and lay them separately. This will be the base or skeleton of the broom. Then, thinner and smaller branches begin to be laid near the skeleton, while the bends should look inward. The leaves should be facing the collector with their outer sides (they shine).

Particular attention is paid to the broom handle. First of all, you need to tie a broom with a rope (in no case with iron wire, as you can burn yourself and injure your skin). Branches of 14-15 cm are cleaned from the bottom of leaves and any growths so that they become smooth. The edges must be carefully trimmed with a pruner.

Drying and storage rules

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It is important not only to prepare a broom, but also to properly dry and store it. Otherwise, it will lose its healing power. If it is not possible to prepare a lot of birch brooms in order to use a new one each time, you need to wrap those brooms that are available before drying soft cloth. Then a broom dried in this way will be enough for 3 times.

There is nothing complicated in preparing bath brooms, but, like in every business, there are some nuances: you need to know when it is better to knit bath brooms, which branches to choose, how long they should be, how to keep 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 Christmas time. If you are far from church calendars and rituals, collect branches in early June, when the foliage has already grown and strengthened, but has not yet become faded and withered.

For church holidays or calendar dates, you can only navigate by region: our country is large. Somewhere on Trinity it is already almost summer, but somewhere the leaves have barely hatched. So it’s better to focus on the state of the foliage.

When birch brooms are harvested

Not so much time is allotted for harvesting birch brooms: a maximum of a week. It is necessary 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 stiff and falls heavily in the bath. So the term for harvesting 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 the appearance of the leaf. It should have a dense green color, the plate should be even. There should be no aphids, no other pests or diseases. But, most importantly, there should be no earrings on the branches. And for a greater effect, you need to cut birch branches on a broom in the specified interval, but after the rain. Only the birch must already be dry, otherwise the leaf will darken and curl up.

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

But with sticky leaves you get a "soap broom". It affects the skin just fine: it becomes silky and soft. But at the same time, leave the steam room with skin covered with mucus. Not everyone likes this feeling. So choose here: either a more comfortable feeling with more “mature” foliage or elastic skin.

Birch brooms harvested in May smell differently than summer brooms: 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 give off this aroma. Not all branches have such stripes; they must be selected separately. Running your hand along such a branch, you feel the tubercles - these are the very resinous odorous secretions. If anyone hasn't tried it, try it. Very pleasant sensations, although the sheet is sticky at this time.

Some sauna lovers especially appreciate birch brooms that grew near water - rivers or lakes (but not in a swamp). In such plants, the branches are long, elastic and flexible. Good twigs growing roots or stumps of birches. They are flexible, resilient 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 a large, beautiful and dense leaf: a whip is obtained. And this is not at all what is required from a bath broom.

If the tree is young, you do not need to cut more than two or three pieces - you can harm the plant. Know the measure - take care of nature!

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

Birch foliage when harvesting brooms should be dense and smooth. Someone advises to try birch leaf language. If it is rough, the branch is not good, if it is smooth and velvety, it is an excellent raw material.

You can navigate along the leg of a young birch leaf. If it has already become reddish, you can cut it, and if it is green, it’s too early.

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

We prepare oak brooms

The term for harvesting oak brooms is longer: starting from the end of June, and some harvest in August and early September. Depends on year and region. But even in the same region, year to year is very different. In some areas you have to hurry: later the foliage is affected by diseases, becomes lethargic or spotty. But sometimes, after being hit by diseases in August-September, the foliage on the oak grows again. That's when you can also get excellent brooms.

When harvesting an oak broom in 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 with birch harvesting, branched shoots with a large leaf are taken.

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

Gourmet baths in the price oak brooms, from tree branches, near which burdock grew. 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. Foliage should be large and abundant.

The harvesting of oak brooms has its own specifics:

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

When to cut linden brooms

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

There is a linden broom and a later harvest. He also has a deadline of two weeks - from August 15 to September 1. This is what experts say, who claim that, of course, there are more useful substances in the previously collected linden branches, but the leaf on them is too soft and, when steamed, twists and wrinkles so that it is absolutely impossible for them to bathe.

Preparation of coniferous brooms: spruce, juniper

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

Choose a warm, fine, dry day for harvesting. Cut off the branches begin after the dew dries. Choose young and flexible. There are no other recommendations.

How to prepare nettle brooms

Despite the "terrible" pungency, you only need to try the nettle broom. Then you will really like them to bathe. Harvesting them for the winter is problematic, except to insert a few branches into birch and oak trees. No other way. But fresh can be steamed all summer.

Cut off young shoots without color, about 40-50 cm long. It is made short and fluffy. It is better to work with gloves: it burns. It turns out it is quite soft: only for one person.

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

The second option is to dip in cold water, then steam out, stomp on it in the steam room with your feet, hold it over the steam, succumbing to a ladle of water.

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

There is one point in using a nettle broom: it strongly stains the wood. Therefore, it is better not to put it on the shelves. Bring a mat, put it on it.

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

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

How to choose branches for a bath broom

They cut branches from young trees that grow in sunny, wetlands, away from roads and enterprises with harmful emissions.

The length of the branches is selected depending on the selected size of the broom. Usually it is from 40 to 70-80cm. Who is comfortable. Similarly, the thickness of the handle is selected. The diameter rarely exceeds 5 cm - it is difficult to wave too large and heavy, although it is a matter of taste and habit.

Branches should be smooth, free of disease and withered parts. The foliage is thick and juicy, not too hard. 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, it will be good to “capture” the steam. Walking with such a broom over the body, you do not whip it, but massage it.

How to knit brooms for a bath

Having picked up suitable branches, they can be immediately collected 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 is easier to work with them then.

Thicker shoots are located inside, thinner outside. If there is a bend on the branches (and most often it happens), then the bend should look 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 so that their shiny side is directed in one direction. When folding, give the shape of a fan or "bouquet" - they do it in different ways. The broom-fan is more common: it seems to hug the body. Feelings are pleasant.

For the handle, the foliage is removed from the bottom. Its length is chosen individually, but the most optimal, established empirically, is two palm widths. It is also necessary to expose the butt of 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 more evenly distributed. For knitting, it is better to use natural materials: dense twine, hemp rope, medical bandage or other similar materials. It is better not to use metal wire: it heats up in the bath and it is very inconvenient to hold such a broom in your hands.

There are several knitting techniques:

Used for knitting and clamps. Some are plastic, some are metal. They quickly tighten the handle, hold tight. And after shrinkage, it will be possible to tighten. So that all these puffs do not rub the hand, then they wrap the handle with a thick cotton tape: it is sold in hardware stores, sometimes in hardware or haberdashery. You can wrap the handle with a thick cotton rope (after using a broom, you can remove it and tie the next one).

There are many more ways to knit brooms. Someone uses marine knots, which make it possible to tighten the rope after shrinkage, someone puts two parts of the branches crosswise with butts, then ties them not very tightly, then connects the two parts with effort and ties them completely at the butt, and above. Almost every master has his own secrets. But they are very reluctant to share. 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 brooms, they still need to be dried. They are immediately stacked in a heap, one on top of the other. So they lie for a day or two. They flatten out 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 obtained under a double roof: the heat will not “burn” the sheet, but will dry it out. But ventilation must be good. If there is no such “luxury” as your own attic, you can hang a broom on a carnation in a well-ventilated place. In any case, you need to find a room where direct sunlight does not fall on it. Only in such conditions the leaf remains green and does not fall off.

With any drying method, 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 away.

How to store bath brooms

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

If you have your own hayloft, you can stack brooms on dry hay, placing them loosely together. Top with dry hay. This is how our ancestors kept them.

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

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

The first step is to know when to knit birch brooms. This is very important point, because the tree saps that nourish the leaves accumulate in in large numbers only at a certain time. In Rus', this was done after the Trinity. But since Russia is a large country with different climatic zones, the leaves ripen differently everywhere. It is necessary to use several methods for determining the readiness of birch. Taste the leaf, if it is bitter - feel free to knit brooms. Pull on the edge of the birch leaf, if it came off at the tip (and not with the stem), then it's time to prepare the brooms.

Carefully choose the location of birch groves. In no case do not harvest brooms from a tree by the side of the road. It is desirable that the grove is located away from the roadway, located on the edge of the forest. Choose branches with medium and small leaves. Such a broom will turn out to be thicker and more flexible, and the leaves will not immediately fall off, they will last a long time.

Preparation of bath brooms

Birch brooms are especially popular among sauna lovers. They are valued for their softness, flexibility, suppleness and freshness. essential oils. Brooms are made from thin, flexible and straight branches. It is desirable that the leaves are not damaged. Select side branches and carefully cut them (50-60 centimeters long). Tie the cut branches into a bundle with twine, put the thicker ones inside, the thin ones on the sides. The thickness of the handle in diameter should be about 5 centimeters.

And now about drying birch brooms. Hang the brooms on a pole or rope, tying them in pairs. Never dry them in the sun. Hang brooms in the attic or under a canopy in the shade. Can be dried on a shaded balcony (not glazed, otherwise the leaves will curl up and quickly crumble when used). Store dried brooms lying down, stacked on top of each other. Thanks to this, they will acquire a fan shape that is convenient to use and will not dry out.

Change the brooms from time to time. This must be done so that the lower branches are not covered with mold. Check the handles - are they loose, is the broom falling apart? If necessary, pull both ends of the rope, tie in a knot, the winding will be tight again. There is no limit to the ingenuity of the Russian people. Some people keep brooms in a haystack. They are simply placed in the hay with the handle facing out. And when they go to the bathhouse, they simply pull a broom out of the haystack by the protruding handle.

The Russian bathhouse, first built in Rus', is being built to this day. Even in those days, it was considered a place where the spirit is purified. Many residents of suburban villages seek to build this extension on their site. And what kind of bath can you imagine without a broom? Few people know, but the preparation of bath brooms is a whole art in which many little things must be observed.

Features of the workpiece: every detail matters

To begin with, it is worth saying that this attribute is simply indispensable in As you know, the air temperature in the bath is very high, and with the help of a broom you can control it. In addition, under the influence of steam, the skin begins to breathe, the pores open, and therefore it's time to perform a massage just with the help of this bath attribute. for a bath, they proceed from the fact that it is this tree that is able to have a tonic, disinfectant, diaphoretic and diuretic effect. However, you can use the branches of any trees - it all depends on the preferences of each person. Linden, oak, coniferous, bird cherry and even eucalyptus broom - any of them can be safely used both in the bath and in the sauna.

Many, when for a bath, turn this process into a whole ritual. After all, the quality of the massage will depend on the right approach. Ideally, it is worth starting harvesting in late spring - early summer, most often the villagers are guided by It is believed that it was at this time that birch is the best suited for making brooms. So that the product does not quickly lose all the foliage, it is worth cutting branches in dry weather, after lunch, because at this time the branches will be dry.

When only healthy trees are chosen, which are located away from various enterprises. It is clear that infected branches are unlikely to bring any benefit. For the manufacture of blanks, young shoots should be selected, carefully cutting them with a knife or pruner. The length of the branches should be no more than 50 cm. Be sure to sort the branches, getting rid of the lower leaves and twigs. The branches collected in a bundle should not be squeezed strongly with a rope - this will make it easier to store them.

When preparing birch brooms for a bath, much attention is paid to the degree of their drying. In no case can not dry them in the open sun. The most practical option is to store them hanging in a dark, cool place like a shed. Brooms should not be close to each other, as this will interfere with their quality ventilation. This approach will allow preserving this important bath attribute not only aesthetically appearance but also all its medicinal properties.

Before that, it is worth studying the features of their various types. For example, an oak bunch has an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect, and a lime bunch is useful for the prevention of respiratory diseases and colds. Juniper broom (by the way, quite rare) has a disinfectant and bactericidal effect, and bird cherry is incredibly fragrant. As you can see, there are plenty to choose from. The main thing is to skillfully use the gifts of nature so that the finished broom can benefit the body.

Steamed with a fresh broom is very useful, but dried birch brooms are also useful. Birch bath brooms improve mood, reduce pain in joints and muscles, facilitate breathing, accelerate the healing of wounds and abrasions.

It is necessary to knit birch brooms correctly

But it is not always possible to bathe with a fresh broom, so they are harvested mainly for the winter period.

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In the old days, the preparation of birch brooms for a bath began at the end of May and ended at the beginning of June. At the same time, only those branches on which there were not very large and not very small leaves were taken. In our country, the time for harvesting birch brooms begins after Peter's Day, that is, after July 10, since by this time the birch has faded and sheds the catkins. Steaming with brooms with earrings is not very pleasant, as the earrings hit the body hard and even leave bruises.

It is better to collect birch brooms when there are no earrings on them.

There are many different climatic regions in our country and therefore the collection of birch brooms for a bath in each region is carried out at different times, the main thing is that the leaf is stronger. You can determine whether the leaf has grown stronger or not by pulling on it, and if the leaf does not completely come off the branch, but only part of it comes off, then the leaf is already stronger and it is time to collect birch brooms. The harvesting of birch brooms in Siberia or in some other region is the same. During the period of harvesting birch brooms, you need to choose only healthy, even and beautiful trees to please the eye. Trees that are located in a polluted or smoky area, as well as those growing along roads, are not suitable for making birch brooms, as they absorb this dirt and soot.

Previously, birch brooms were harvested for the Trinity

It is best to knit brooms for a bath in a birch grove or in a forest somewhere near a pond or river. Birch should be selected younger and it is desirable that it has never bloomed because such birch leaves are very soft and tender. It is necessary to cut a birch for a broom with secateurs only during the day and in dry weather, since wet leaves will quickly darken and fall off during drying. You need to cut brooms for a bath only from the bottom of the birch. The cut branches should be thin and well bending, about 60 cm long. Having cut a sufficient number of branches, they must be laid out in 1 layer in a dark place and let them rest for 1 hour. After that, they can be transported, but they should not be tightly packed, as they can fall off the foliage from overheating from the branches.

knitting

It is better to first tie birch brooms, and then transfer them. First of all the branches choose the strongest and most powerful. These branches will be the skeleton and base of the broom. By combining two or three strong branches, you need to lay thinner branches on top and bottom of them so that the bends look inward, and their outer part looks outward.

The optimal size of a birch broom

Having laid the branches, you need to step back 15 cm from the side of the handle and tie all the branches with a rope in that place. Then a broom handle is made, and for this it is necessary to remove the remaining foliage and growths from the handle. It is also necessary to chop off with an ax about 2 cm of the end of the handle. After that, the handle must be tightly tied with a rope, and as a result, the handle should turn out to be about 5 cm in diameter. It is not recommended to tie the handle with wire, since it is very heat, and the metal heats up quickly and you can get burned from it if you take a broom without mittens.

Drying

You also need to know how to properly dry birch brooms and save them until winter.

It is necessary to properly dry the brooms for the bath

Fresh Birch broom for a bath, you can dry it so that they can take a steam bath in the winter. Before you start drying bath brooms, you need to fresh broom put under oppression and wait until it acquires a flat shape. The broom is then hung by the handle in a cool and well-ventilated area, usually in the attic. It is necessary to dry bath brooms until the leaves become dull green. Drying of birch brooms should not take place under the sun's rays, as the leaves quickly burn out from the sun and as a result they curl up and lose all their aroma and color, and after steaming from such a broom, all the leaves will fall off and remain in the basin.

Storage

Birch brooms should be stored in a dark, cool and well-ventilated place, for example, in a barn, garage on a balcony or in an attic.

A place to store brooms for a bath

Usually, birch brooms are stored tied up, but brooms can be stacked. Storage of bath brooms in a private house is best done in hay. Because if you properly store birch brooms in hay, then from this they will become even more useful and fragrant.

Steaming

You can only steam a well-dried broom for a bath, and if you steam a fresh birch broom or one that is not completely dry, then when steaming it, it will simply become sour and become heavy. You can steam a birch broom with a birch broom in several ways. To steam a fresh broom, you do not need to dip it in warm water enough.

Soak birch broom only well dried

The easiest way with which you can quickly brew a birch broom is to pour cold water into a bowl and lower the broom into it for 2 or 3 minutes, and then slowly into cold water you need to add hot water until the water becomes hot but not boiling water. A basin with a broom in hot water needs to be covered with something, as if to make a steamer for brooms in which you also need to hold for 2 or 3 minutes. If you steam a broom correctly, it becomes very fragrant and soft. Having finished steaming the bath broom, you can use the water from the basin to water the heater, from such water you will get not only good steam, but also additional aromatherapy.

How to brew an overdried broom for a bath

It is necessary to properly steam a birch broom if it is too dry, for this it is soaked for a longer time, and then laid on a heater. Water from the broom hitting the heater will turn into steam, which will refresh the overdried broom.

Frozen broom

In some public bath complexes you can buy special freshly frozen brooms. These frozen bath brooms are frozen in a special freezer. frozen brooms keep almost everything useful material and properties.