A birch broom is an essential attribute of a real Russian bath. However, a bad broom can ruin the whole process. Therefore, it is important to know when and how to harvest birch brooms.
Broom harvesting time
The best time to harvest birch brooms is the beginning of summer. It is popularly believed that you can pick branches from a birch tree for a broom immediately after Trinity, which is also celebrated in June. But this calendar principle cannot be taken as a basis, since weather conditions change every year. Sometimes the heat is established from the very beginning of May, and sometimes until the end of June real summer does not come yet.
It is the weather that affects the formation of foliage near the birch. This factor must be guided first of all. Branches for a bath broom must be selected flexible and thin, and most importantly - elastic. Otherwise, the broom in the steam room will either break or whip painfully over the body and, instead of pleasure, cause discomfort. The leaves on them should be bright green, still quite light. The color indicates the age of the leaves, they should be fresh, not old.
The attendants are advised to determine the suitability of birch foliage for a broom not only by color, but also by taste. A good, correct leaf should not taste bitter. If so, don't be discouraged. You just have to wait a little longer.
The most important thing is that the foliage should be young, but already gaining summer energy. There is a lot of juice in such leaves, so a birch broom is well suited to massage them in the bath, patting a person on the back with not strong, but frequent movements. A broom knitted at this time will serve for a long time. If you pluck branches with already mature leaves, then very quickly they will crumble, and you will have to buy a new broom.
There are other types of brooms - oak, fir, eucalyptus. However, it is birch that is the most widespread tree in Russia. Therefore, birch brooms are so fond of in Russian baths.
A good broom is a good day
Birch brooms are used in the bath not only to adjust the temperature, to add heat directly to the body in order to steam the skin well. Bath in Russia has always been the main hospital. Here people got rid of ailments and ailments. And birch strengthens the body, disinfects, helps with colds, kidney and lung diseases. Therefore, it is also important to properly harvest birch brooms so that they do not lose their useful properties.
It's not just the time of the year that matters, but the time of day when you cut the branches. It is best to do this in the afternoon, in the late afternoon. Morning dew on the leaves causes them to darken. Better yet, choose a day that is not rainy, dry. Branches that have been picked correctly can be dried. It is impossible to do this only in the sun. Drying must take place naturally indoors.
