When is it better to collect oak brooms for a bath. When should you prepare bath brooms? How to save and dry a broom? When to knit bath brooms

When to Harvest oak brooms for a bath? How to choose the right branches, how to put them in a convenient broom, how to check for strength. By what signs bath attendants find the most the best place for preparations? I will answer all these questions in my article.

I will start my story, as usual, from the very beginning. So…

Broom in the bath is the main ruler!

In order for it to rule for the benefit of us and our health, when harvesting an oak broom, you must adhere to the collection rules. Since ancient times, special attention has been paid to the quality and composition of the broom.

But, I'll start a story about the unwritten laws of the bathing world. These are general laws for harvesting any brooms and oak brooms will not be an exception.

Raw materials for the future broom are harvested at a certain point in the growing season of the plant. perfect time- when the plant has accumulated maximum amount useful medicinal substances
For a broom, take only those parts that are most useful
collection time and weather. The weather should be dry, warm, there should be no dew on the leaves
Only those plants and herbs that you know are used for harvesting.
Those branches that are damaged by insects, fungal growths, damaged and covered with mold are not suitable for collection.
It is unacceptable to collect and use a broom cut along the roads. by the most good place collection and harvesting is considered pure forest, a remote park. That is, this place should be removed from the active life of a person.

The oak broom is special, it is very difficult to compare it with any other broom. The reason for this dissimilarity lies in the oak itself. This tree has long been valued for its healing properties. The Slavs revered the oak, for them it was a sacred tree with great power. And indeed it is!

A broom made from oak branches has anti-inflammatory properties. It has a special effect on the skin, increases its elasticity. For this reason, it is more useful in the steam room for people who have oily skin.

Oak leaves are real treasures of utility. They are very a large number of proteins, proteins, acids, sugar and starch, there is nothing to say about tannins. They live in oak leaves. 🙂

Many connoisseurs of a bath steam room love an oak broom for nice smell. Oak aroma calms nerves, helps to cope with headaches, shortness of breath, irritability, improves mood and normalizes sleep.

The most fertile time for harvesting an oak broom is from mid-July to mid-August. The leaf at this time is gaining enough strength and useful substances. At this time, they come immediately for two church holidays: Holy Trinity and Assumption Holy Mother of God. It’s not for nothing that this time was chosen for preparations, it’s not for nothing ...

The best place for harvesting an oak broom is a darkened, dampish forest. The most excellent, valuable oak brooms are those that are assembled from the "winter" tree. That is, the oak does not shed its foliage for the winter.

Such brooms are very durable, the foliage does not fall off them ...

There is another sign experienced bath attendants- Burdocks must grow near the tree.

Some attendants believe that the lack of an oak ruler of the heat-steam troops lies in his "dumbness". If the broom is too dry, then it becomes hard and prickly. If such a broom is steamed stronger, it becomes damp, the foliage gains excess moisture - the broom becomes too heavy ...

The oak ruler of the bath is not very suitable for rubbing and soapy massage, the oak foliage is too hard.

But, nevertheless, the oak broom is very popular in the bathing kingdom. Good broom should have fresh, long, carved and green leaves. The leaves should never be yellow. Twigs for the future broom choose thin, flexible ...

Stronger and thicker branches are laid at the base of the broom, and thinner branches are laid along the edges of the broom, bending inward. The usual size of a broom is from 40 cm to 60 cm, but even these standards are not ideal. It all depends on the height of the steamer and the size of the steam room, the height of the shelf ...

When the branches are laid, you need to think about the handle of the broom. The shape and thickness should be such that the bather, picking up a broom, feels it well. There must be a feeling of comfort, so the broom should not be massive. The hand should not get tired.

You can secure the handle with a hemp rope. Do not tighten the broom too tightly, because of this the branches in the center may darken and lose color. Such a broom will not have a pleasant smell, the foliage will simply “burn out”.

When your bath assistant is built and ready to go to the front line in the bath empire, try it ...

For the experiment, you need to take a broom and pat it on your hand. In addition to the rustling of green leaves, there should be no other sounds! And, of course, in no case should there be acorns on the branches.

It is the height of summer in the yard, the oak-father has gained strength. If you want to stock up for the winter, hurry up to harvest oak brooms. The time has come!

And at the end of the article, I suggest watching a video of a great bath lover on how to properly select and tie oak branches for a future broom.

Oak brooms are in high demand because of their healing qualities and the relative ease of harvesting stems. The type of oak plays an important role. Winter oaks (one of the highest quality brooms are obtained from them) grow in the highlands. The trees got their name because they do not shed their leaves during the cold season.

Also, attendants are increasingly choosing brooms made of pedunculate oak (a large tree with a large trunk and a voluminous crown), average age which may exceed 300 years. Bath accessories from common oak Quercus robur or Canadian red Quercus rubra. Caucasian oak is also not bad in terms of oak brooms. Its leaves are impressive in size, they are considered one of the most dense.

Note! Making brooms from Canadian red oak branches is a pleasure! It has large leaves, flexible long branches, which greatly simplifies knitting.

TOP 10 tips to help you get it right prepare oak brooms

Pluck off the branches that grow at the bottom of the tree. It is there that you will find stems that have not yet gained thickness, but their leaf is large and dense.

Good branches for oak whisk leaves have a rich green color.

Give preference to oak that grows in the shade, because it is ideal conditions for active growth.

A good oak is one that grows in the forest thicket, in ecologically safe areas, away from highways and industrial areas.

Average length branches for brooms is no more than half a meter. Stems should be straight, moderately flexible and dense. These are mainly found in young oaks or in older ones, but in the lower part of the trunk.

When choosing a tree, avoid "lone oaks". They tend to have stiff stems and small leaves. To cut really good stems, look for trees in oak groves.

Ideal oak height good raw material for bath brooms- up to 4 meters.

To cut the stems, you will need a regular garden pruner. Side branches are subject to cut, and not from one, but from different trees. So you naturally thinning oaks - you are doing a good deed, and at the same time you get good material for oak brooms. At right attitude to the tree, it will give you good stems for many years to come.

We tear branches for an oak broom in good weather, in the morning. If there is dew on the sheets, shake off the moisture and dry in a place with active air circulation.

If after knitting you have excess, do not rush to get rid of them. From oak branches, you can make a good flooring for a shelf where massage will be performed, and healing decoctions.

Do not pluck too young stems with light, translucent leaves. Most likely, they have not yet gained enough nutrients, which means that the massage will be ineffective.

In ours, you can choose the right place to personally see the right oak broom, and evaluate the quality of massage with an impeccable bath accessory.

When are oak brooms for a bath harvested?

Connoisseurs begin collecting branches in the summer - around the beginning of June and up to mid-August. At this time, the leaf is already juicy, it has grown quite well and got stronger, it has accumulated natural nutrients.

The optimal time for harvesting oak brooms is after they have been collected. Do not postpone this process, as during storage the stems can become damp and rot, and this is undesirable for a bath. Immediately after collection, fold them in a dark, dry place with good oxygen circulation (you can not be afraid of a draft) so that the leaves are slightly “withered”. Do not place them too close - air should pass freely between the branches. Make sure that the leaves retain their integrity - torn ones can be cut off. After preliminary preparation of the stems, they are hung on a rope in a non-hot place for final drying.

How to knit and dry oak brooms?

If the stems are cut, slightly rested, you can proceed to knitting a broom for a bath. From the bottom, remove the leaves and processes, which is necessary to form a dense handle. The average length of the handle is about 12 cm, width is about 5 cm.

Each branch is well shaken (if the excess foliage falls off, it's okay) and a voluminous “bouquet” is formed.

It will not be superfluous to trim the broom on top. The leaves should be at the same height, creating a good density.

Branches with thickened stems are inserted inside, and thinner ones frame the core.

The broom should be voluminous, but not overweight. But a very hard accessory is inconvenient for a bathhouse attendant, and even with a subsequent massage with such a fan, the skin can be damaged.

The lower part of the stems, intended for the handle, is well compressed and tied up at the bottom and directly under the foliage. The ends of the handle can be trimmed with secateurs.

Note! It is not worth pulling the handle during the harvesting process. You will finally "tie" it when the workpiece dries.

To form the handle, special plastic clamps are also often used. With their help, the stems are fixed, after drying, the clamps are slightly tightened, and already before direct use, the broom is tightly pulled together.

The handles are leveled with a garden pruner. The resulting oak “knit” is placed under the press and left in this position for three days, so that the branches “look” in the same direction, the broom takes the form of a “fan”, and during the massage gently “hugging” the body of the bath guest.

The resulting bundle is hung on the veranda, attic, but most importantly - away from direct ultraviolet radiation. Blanks "love" Fresh air, shade and optimal humidity. But, it is worth neglecting these conditions, even the best broom will dry out and then crumble.

Why choose oak brooms for a bath?

Oak broom - the perfect "massage". A simple oak "knitting" excellently pumps air during a bath massage. This is achieved thanks to large and dense leaves.

Natural cosmetology accessible to everyone. The tannins found in the leaves and stems have a beneficial effect on the skin. After such a massage, the wounds on the body are healed, the skin becomes elastic and silky, rashes and traces of them disappear.

It's profitable! One sauna accessory made of oak is enough for four or even five sessions of active massage in the steam room.

Detoxification. Substances contained in oak leaves and stems have a powerful antitoxic effect. Massage is good after a course of medication, in recreational purposes, to strengthen immunity, accelerate metabolic processes in the body.

powerful energy. It is not for nothing that after a bath massage with an oak broom, dark thoughts go away, the mind becomes clear, the mood rises, the person concentrates on the positive.

The powerful energy of oak helps fight depression, loss of strength, and stress.

Proper preparation of an oak bath broom is a guarantee that you will definitely feel healing effect from its use and get the maximum benefit from the massage.

When and how to prepare a broom? This question is asked by every beginner who wants to introduce a bath into his tradition and therefore does not forget about the main attribute of the Russian bath - a broom. Each of us is waiting for the weekend to forget about the problems at work, study and usefully spend time with family and friends, the bathhouse is exactly the place. You can, of course, buy it in the store, but it is better, if of course there is an opportunity, to make it yourself. Next, we will consider exactly how to prepare a broom and what is its general use.

How to properly prepare brooms

It is necessary to prepare a broom in the bath in advance, most often, maximum benefit it brings a broom, branches, which are collected in the summer, except for conifers, which are collected at any time of the year. Cut off from a tree that grows away from roads, landfills and the like, in the most ecological place, the leaves should be of the same color, bright color (green, dark green), cut the branches from the middle of the tree, and we will be humane, so we do not torment one unfortunate tree (preferably a little and from different ones). The next stage of harvesting is drying, the attic is perfect for this, the main thing is that the place is darkened and ventilated. We hang the products at a distance of 2-3 meters above the ground, do not strongly compact them to each other, since the broom is formed during drying, but if the brooms lie, then periodically turn them over for uniform drying. But their varieties go off scale and each has its own approach, we have already reviewed information on our website on how to prepare a bath broom of each type, now we will highlight the most popular ones to use.

When to harvest a birch broom

According to beliefs best time blanks - Trinity Day or 49 days after Easter, mid-July. At this time of year, the leaves are filled with rich chemical composition, and eventually bring great benefit for the body. It is necessary to choose straight branches, the leaves should be uniform in color and hold firmly on the branch. The leaves are more tender in the middle of the tree, so you need to cut it from there.

Preparation of bath brooms, proper drying and storage

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

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

Igor Sergeevich DUBOV, Pskov

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

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

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

What are bath brooms made of?

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

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

Raw material collection time

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

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

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

Juniper brooms are good because they can be harvested at almost any time. But if there is no way to get to this plant in winter period, you can collect its branches for future use during the summer. Alder is harvested from May to July, and mountain ash - in June and July, at the same time you can work on lilac and bird cherry.

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

Rules for the preparation of bath brooms

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

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

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

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

"Firma" knits brooms

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

Drying and storage of brooms

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

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

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

What could be better than a Russian bath? The Slavs visit the bathhouse to cleanse the body, relieve morale and relax, and a bath broom is an integral attribute of the procedure. Of course, in public bath you can buy a broom, but connoisseurs prefer to prepare birch, linden, oak or nettle brooms on their own. About when and in what terms the preparation of bath brooms is made, we will tell in this article.

When are birch brooms for a bath harvested?

Preparation of brooms is made depending on the breed of the plant from which it is planned to make a bath accessory. Traditionally, harvesting begins on Trinity Day, the date of which is floating:

In 2015, it falls on May 31st.
In 2016, Trinity Day is celebrated on June 19.
In 2017, the holiday falls on June 4th.

Birch broom

The first 2 weeks after Trinity, as the saying goes folk wisdom, most favorable for the procurement of raw materials. The leaves on the trees and plants have collected juice and are concentrated in them. high concentration useful substances.

Depending on the breed of the plant, the broom has a number of distinctive characteristics.

Linden bath broom and nettle broom: useful properties and terms of harvesting

Linden broom can be diluted with branches of alder, mountain ash or willow. Such a broom is harvested from the first days of July to the beginning of August, choosing trees that grow far from the industrial strip. Linden broom strengthens the skin, improves perspiration, and helps relieve headaches.

Linden broom

Nettle bath broom is truly healing. It is used to treat joint pain, breaking salt deposits, skin diseases and muscle weakness. Nettles are harvested before or during flowering - this is approximately the middle of summer. Remember that a nettle broom can be used once, if you want to treat sciatica with it, then stock up on healing herbs during the season.

Advice! So that the nettle does not burn, a contrast bath is arranged for the broom, lowering it for 3 minutes in boiling water, then for 3 minutes in cold water, repeating these steps 2-3 times. To enhance the effect, the broom is steamed in boiling water and used immediately.

When oak brooms are harvested, and what they treat

An oak broom is a magic tool for oily skin, reducing the number of rashes and reducing the intensity of skin secretions. Regular use of an oak broom in a bath will give the skin dullness and freshness.

oak broom

Proper preparation allows you to use a broom from this breed 3 times. Harvesting of raw materials begins in mid-August, continuing until mid-September.

Advice! For a bath broom, trees are selected from oak, under which burdock grows. It is believed that the leaves will not crumble during use.

How and when to harvest birch brooms

For the harvesting of raw materials, birch trees growing on wet lowlands are selected. Preparations begin to be collected after the Trinity until August 2 (Ilyin's day). It is better to cut branches from a young birch that has not yet had time to bud. The branches should be young and flexible, and their length is about half a meter.

For 1 birch broom, about 20-30 branches leave, which are folded in the shape of a fan so that the leaves lie in one direction. At the base, the broom is tightly tied with a natural rope, remember that the branches will dry out and they must first be tightly fixed. It is best to tie the broom in two places.

Broom has restorative properties, relieves muscle pain after a long workout, heals wounds and soothes skin irritation. With the help of a birch broom, lung diseases are “knocked out”, which is especially useful for smokers.

lovers bath procedures brooms are tied as necessary, and the collected raw materials are folded in layers so that upper branches defended the middle. Such a sheaf is laid in a barn or on a warm balcony, covered with hay or natural cloth. Direct knitting is done like this:

Tie the broom tightly before drying

The branches are selected in length and stacked. Thicker branches are placed inside, thin ones frame the broom. Where there will be a handle, the branches are leveled, sharp branches are removed from them.
A cord is applied and the broom is pulled together.
Next, a knot is knitted, a handle is formed. The handle is made with twine, then the ends of the branches are additionally wrapped with a cloth that will protect the attendant's hands from calluses.

The size of the broom is a matter of taste, but it should not be less than 40 cm, and not more than 80 cm. Otherwise, it will be simply inconvenient to use the broom.

How to dry ready-made brooms?

Drying is done outside, but brooms are hung in the shade. Under direct sunlight, the leaves curl, wither, lose their color and aroma. After steaming the “overheated” broom, all the leaves from it will fall off, and empty vines will remain.

It is most preferable to hang brooms on the veranda or under the trees on a simple rope. Note that drafts also have Negative influence on broom branches. After drying, the brooms are removed, folded tightly to each other and sent for storage. As a result, the broom is flattened and during the bath procedures one gets the feeling that he "hugging the body."

How to steam brooms for a bath correctly?

Steaming determines the stiffness of the broom, and it is carried out in a good way. hot water but not in boiling water. To get stiffness, the broom is lowered into a basin of water for 15-20 minutes, and for lovers of soft brooms, it recommends steaming for 40-50 minutes. After this procedure, the broom is slightly dried by hanging it over the stove. Attendants also recommend keeping a broom for about 20 minutes in cold water and then abruptly immerse it in hot water.

Important! The water in which the broom was steamed receives a part useful properties, so it is used for fragrant steam in the bath, rinsing hair and bathing.

If you dry the broom, then before using it, you should cover it overnight with a damp towel or dip it in a container with cool water.

Storage rules

Places with low humidity and temperature are chosen for storage. Suitable barn, garage, insulated balcony, because under pressure high temperature broom loses freshness and leaves.

Steaming a broom

You can also store a broom according to Finnish technology, exposing it to shock freezing at a temperature above -40 C. Beforehand, brooms are packed in hermetic bags, for example, cling film.

Preparation of bath brooms must be started within the specified time, otherwise you will get a broom with too young or old leaves that will fall off the branch on the way to the bath. Properly prepared brooms will give a charge of vivacity and health until the next season!