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Oct 28, 2015 1:14 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Deb
Planet Earth (Zone 8b)
Region: Pacific Northwest Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
I grow many herbs that the primary part to be used is the root. I have not yet harvested any, and am looking for tips and tricks of how one goes about harvesting the roots but still keeping the plant. I assume one digs it up, chunks off however much seems reasonable, and then replants the remaining root? When is best time of year to do so? Then it seems it would take quite a long while for the root to dry enough to powder it. And how do you know its dry enough? And how do you powder it? Lots of questions, really hoping someone will chime in who has done some root harvesting and give me a step-by-step. I have marshmallow, valerian, and horseradish all healthy and mature enough to try (I think...)
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
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Oct 28, 2015 1:41 PM CST
Name: Vicki
North Carolina
I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar I sent a postcard to Randy! Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Forum moderator Region: United States of America
Purslane Garden Art Region: North Carolina Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Master Level Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Deb, I would be interested as well. I'm googling your info but not getting what I want. Stay tuned..I'll keep trying.
NATIONAL GARDENING ASSOCIATION ~ Garden Art ~ Purslane & Portulaca ~
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Oct 28, 2015 2:11 PM CST
Name: Margaret
Delta KY
I'm A Charley's Girl For Sure
Forum moderator I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Beekeeper
Seed Starter Permaculture Region: Kentucky Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
Best time to harvest roots is in the fall. That is when they store nutrients for winter.
If the Plant is perennial you can harvest by dividing them leaving 3-4 young roots.
If you just need a little bit you can carefully dig a section up and harvest what you need.
You can dry them whole or slice them first.
To powder them i use my blender doing a little at a time.
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Oct 28, 2015 2:42 PM CST
Name: Vicki
North Carolina
I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar I sent a postcard to Randy! Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Forum moderator Region: United States of America
Purslane Garden Art Region: North Carolina Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Master Level Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Thank you Margaret Thumbs up
NATIONAL GARDENING ASSOCIATION ~ Garden Art ~ Purslane & Portulaca ~
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Oct 28, 2015 3:21 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Trish
Grapevine, TX (Zone 8a)
I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar Charter ATP Member Region: Texas Roses Herbs Vegetable Grower
Composter Canning and food preservation Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Organic Gardener Forum moderator Hummingbirder
That's how I did MarshMallow- just dug them up and let them dry in the attic area in the fall. I'll be doing Echinachea this year.
Those little Ninjas are awesome to grind!
NGA COO, Wife, Mom, and do-er of many fun things.
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Oct 28, 2015 4:06 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Deb
Planet Earth (Zone 8b)
Region: Pacific Northwest Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
Ninja being the blender? Or do the roots somehow look like ninjas?
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
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Oct 28, 2015 6:26 PM CST
New York (Zone 6b)
I grew ginger for a while. I started with a plant from the community college that I attended for a while, while working for the landscaper/ professors' assistant there.
Yes, you dig it out of the ground, scrub it and cut it up. It has a spreading habit, so I kept mine in a pot. Kinda like the corms of an iris plant.
Follow Margaret's directions.
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Oct 28, 2015 7:01 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Trish
Grapevine, TX (Zone 8a)
I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar Charter ATP Member Region: Texas Roses Herbs Vegetable Grower
Composter Canning and food preservation Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Organic Gardener Forum moderator Hummingbirder
Sorry! Ninja the blender. This little one here is my new best friend for herbs and small things like flax:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HL3TBDQ/
NGA COO, Wife, Mom, and do-er of many fun things.
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Oct 28, 2015 7:06 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Deb
Planet Earth (Zone 8b)
Region: Pacific Northwest Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
Looks quite similar to my mini-food processor, which is what I often use for mincing herbs and such. It only has the chop blade, but that seems to do the trick for most of my needs.
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
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Oct 28, 2015 7:09 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Trish
Grapevine, TX (Zone 8a)
I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar Charter ATP Member Region: Texas Roses Herbs Vegetable Grower
Composter Canning and food preservation Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Organic Gardener Forum moderator Hummingbirder
Yes, I bet your food processor could do it as well. I didn't have one. I was using a coffee grinder for a long time for herbs, but it didn't quite cut it for roots, so when a child misplaced the lid Glare , I took the opportunity to get this. It's awesome.
NGA COO, Wife, Mom, and do-er of many fun things.
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Oct 28, 2015 7:22 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Deb
Planet Earth (Zone 8b)
Region: Pacific Northwest Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
I had a full size food processor, but loaned it to my son for making salsa...and haven't seen it since! He actually uses it more than I did, and it was a gift to me, so now a gift to him. Keeps the karma rolling.
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
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Oct 29, 2015 5:48 PM CST
New York (Zone 6b)
You could use an immersion blender as well. Or what they call smart sticks.
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Oct 29, 2015 6:30 PM CST
Name: Margaret
Delta KY
I'm A Charley's Girl For Sure
Forum moderator I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Beekeeper
Seed Starter Permaculture Region: Kentucky Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
Not on dried burdock root. Ask me how I know
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Oct 29, 2015 7:07 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Trish
Grapevine, TX (Zone 8a)
I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar Charter ATP Member Region: Texas Roses Herbs Vegetable Grower
Composter Canning and food preservation Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Organic Gardener Forum moderator Hummingbirder
Yeah, there's no way an immersion blender would have worked on marshmallow either. Those roots are incredibly hard once they are dried! I actually threw out quite a few that were so thick nothing was going to cut it. I learned to cut in half the fat roots!
NGA COO, Wife, Mom, and do-er of many fun things.
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Oct 29, 2015 7:09 PM CST
New York (Zone 6b)
Ha! Get out the sawzall!!
I would say funny, but I get the picture.
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Oct 29, 2015 7:15 PM CST
New York (Zone 6b)
http://www.cuisinivity.com/mak...
Check out this link.
Hope this helps.
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Oct 29, 2015 7:31 PM CST
Name: Margaret
Delta KY
I'm A Charley's Girl For Sure
Forum moderator I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Beekeeper
Seed Starter Permaculture Region: Kentucky Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
That works for making tea but when you need to powder burdock you need something powerful that can do the job.
I make jerky treats for my dogs with powdered burdock as one of the ingredients.
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Oct 29, 2015 8:54 PM CST
New York (Zone 6b)
Okay, so the u tube video I just watched showed the procedure for drying and making tea or drying and putting a small amount of the dried shavings into a grinder and grinding for powder.
Hopefully they make grinders that are strong enough for the shavings as well.
Avatar for Coppice
Nov 28, 2015 3:54 PM CST
Name: Tom Cagle
SE-OH (Zone 6a)
Old, fat, and gardening in OH
If you lived with Ohioan clay, amending a bed with a liberal amount of sand might be a good thing with collecting roots.
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