Harvesting Artemisia afra

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Harvesting conditions

Do not use flowering branches for the production of herbal tea.

Harvesting

1
In the dry season,

if there is a lot of dust and soil on the plants, rinse plants in the morning of the day before harvest by watering abundantly with clean water!

2
Cut off

the year’s growth with clean, dry secateurs.
Artemisia afra can withstand cutting if the tools are properly sharpened and do not damage the woody stems [2].

3
Add

2 large handfuls of compost around the base of the plant to promote the recovery of development after each cutting.

Do not cut lower than 50 cm or the Artemisia afra will die!

Be sure to leave some green (non-woody part) to allow the plant to grow back.

Keep low hanging branches for layering! (See file Layering)

Dirty lower branches can also be used as a second-choice product to be dried and processed separately for veterinary use (see Animal health).

Bibliography:

1. World Health Organisation. WHO guidelines on good agricultural and collection practices (GACP) for medicinal plants. 2003.Available at : https://www.who.int/medicines/publications/traditional/gacp2004/en/

2. Anonymous. African wormwood production: Essential oil crops Production guidelines for African wormwood. Plant Production, Agriculture, forestry & fisheries department, RSA.  2009. https://www.daff.gov.za/Daffweb3/Portals/0/Brochures%20and%20Production%20guidelines/Production%20guidelines%20African%20wormwood.pdf