Aloes and other succulents use up the resources of their potting soil every year or so. They produce a great deal of dead matter at the base which may be removed at transplant to keep the plant from picking up diseases. They become root-bound and grow much faster after the roots are properly trimmed and replanted in fresh medium. Use…
As an organic grower I think about where good plants come from, and the first elements that come to mind are sun, water, nutrients and good soil structure. We know that when we nourish the substrate of life, then life will manifest! The quintessence of this is found in a single statement, “Keep it covered.” If we cover the soil from the…
The fifth annual Traditional Roots Herbal Conference draws on clinical tradition and modern scientific research to offer the best of both worlds. Enrich your knowledge of materia medica, both for general conditions and as applied to clinical cases. They’ll have sessions covering bioregional herbalism, organoleptics, medicine making, clinical case reviews and field applications. NUNM, the National University of Natural Medicine of Portland, Oregon,…
Where: Linn County Expo Center 3700 Knox Butte Rd. E Albany, Ore. 97322 When: Aug 4 -5, 2018 With more than 150 workshops, there is no shortage of informative demonstrations and lectures to educate and entertain you over the weekend. Richo Cech will be one of the featured keynote speakers at the fair on Saturday, Aug 4, 2018. The…
This is a synopsis of a talk given at AMMA’s Chicago ashram on Sep 30, 2017 to a crowd of 50 participants. The talk contains ruminations, advice, theory and and methodology for growing, harvesting, cleaning and storing seeds of medicinal plants. What is a seed? One can describe its parts: the seedcoat or testa that surrounds the fatty endosperm–the energy…
Saturday Sep 30, 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM Richo Cech will be in Chicago for the 3rd “Making Plant Medicine” workshop, this one focused on saving seed of medicinal plants. Participants will learn about growing medicinal herbs for seed, harvesting, screening, winnowing seeds, wet seed processing, optimal seed storage, and packaging and labeling seeds. Emphasis is on learning through…
White Sage (Salvia apiana) seed harvest has begun, the giant plants lifting their aromatic fronds to the summer sun. I hurry to get a hit before the birds do the job for me! The plant is native to central and southern California, with a gene center probably in Eastern San Diego County. This is the smudge plant extraordinaire!…
Money doesn’t grow on trees but remedies do grow on plants, or in them, as it were. Over the years I’ve grown quite a few different medicinal plants from all over the globe. The diversity has been very interesting to study and has been a great diversion. However in a pinch when I need a medicinal plant to treat…
The flowers of True Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) are generally very richly arrayed and colored dark purple. The leaves are lance-shaped and not so broad as those of Russian Comfrey. True Comfrey is really the nicest of the Comfrey clan in my opinion. From the luscious leaves to the thick, mucilage-laden roots I find nothing to compare. For years…
Chia seed, that powerful little bundle originating from the American Southwest and Mesoamerica, is truly unrivalled in terms of its nutritional value and health benefits. Chia is the most concentrated source of alpha-linoleic acid (Omega-3 fatty acids) in the plant kindom, making it an ideal food for those suffering from inflammation of any sort, including maladies of the nerves, eyes or…