How To Prepare Brooms For A Bath

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Birch brooms are perhaps the most popular among Russian bathers. Our birch grows everywhere, it is not very difficult to find and procure it. In addition, we all know about the healing properties of birch leaves.

They help to heal respiratory diseases such as bronchitis. In addition, the substances contained in the leaves have a calming effect on the body, have a beneficial effect on the skin, and alleviate the symptoms of sciatica.

To prepare brooms, you need to choose a time when the leaves are fully formed. You cannot cut off branches with very young leaves and leaves that complete the growing season - after drying, they will not stick to the branches, and in the bath you will very quickly have in your hands not a birch broom, but a golik (a broom with bare branches).

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One experienced bather once revealed to me the secret of a reliable and fragrant broom - it must be prepared from the end of June until Petrov's day (approximately until mid-July). Brooms stored earlier and much later will crumble.

It is also important to take into account environmental requirements: the place of harvesting should be away from dusty roads and industrial enterprises. It is necessary to protect trees, therefore, if you harvest branches from young birches, never cut off the crown and upper branches, store the lower branches without harming the plant. Better yet, find a mature weeping birch tree with branches dropping close to the ground. The best brooms are from birch trees, which have a smooth upper leaf surface.

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My wife and I prepared brooms in a low-lying place located not far from our site, lushly overgrown with birches and aspen. In the first ten days of July, after breakfast and before the onset of the heat, we went to this spontaneously arisen forest, alas, now already demolished for unknown needs.

There, they cut the lower branches of young birches, carried them, tied in an armful, to their house. And already there - away from mosquitoes and horseflies, sitting comfortably on benches, brooms were formed and tied. The branches were picked up one to another, creating a lush, evenly filled with foliage, a broom 50-60 cm long.

The thickness of the handle of the broom was made so that it was comfortable to hold in hands - and not too thin, but not too thick. Then I reliably tied the handle rods very tightly in two places with twine. This had to be done because, after drying, the wood would “shrink” a little and the strapping would loosen. Therefore, I tied it very carefully.

We tied the prepared brooms in pairs, and I carried them to the attic of our garden house, where the wire was stretched. I hung them up there not very tightly so that they dry better. A small window was made in the attic, which provided ventilation, but it was always gloomy there, which is necessary so that the brooms do not fade, losing their color. The roof heated up well, the brooms dried well and retained their bright green color. In the bath they steamed and emitted a wonderful birch aroma. It was a pleasure to take a steam bath.

Some bathers prefer oak brooms. Oak leaves from a properly prepared broom also have medicinal properties. They are recommended for people with excessive sweating, oily skin, and help to lower blood pressure.

However, it seems that you should not get carried away with one type of brooms, it is better to alternate them. And even better - to prepare combined brooms, combining birch, several branches of oak, linden, eucalyptus in one branch, if you managed to get it. Then the effect on the body will be combined.

You just need to remember that brooms are prepared from oak branches later. The fact is that this plant usually begins to dissolve its foliage later than all other neighbors. Therefore, they gain full strength later.

Usually oak brooms are stored in the second half of July - the first half of August. When harvesting, you need to be very careful about the plant itself - not to cause great damage to it, because oaks grow very slowly, and you can not find them so often.

Sometimes you can see sellers of juniper brooms near the baths. I don’t know where the police are looking - these are relict plants, there are fewer and fewer of them in our forests. Perhaps now more often you can see junipers in gardens. By purchasing these brooms, you are encouraging forest poachers.

Stock up brooms, take care of your health, just try to cause minimal harm to nature. Remember that life does not end with us, your children and grandchildren are growing up, leave them the joy of a steam room.

E. Valentinov

Photo by Olga Rubtsova