Birch for all

We have been trying out ways to collect Birch (Betula alba) sap. We used a carved oak peg in birch-tapping kits available for £10 including postage from Touch-Wood.

You can see the whole process in a YouTube clip link from the Touch-Wood website. As the sap is rising in the Birch tree, a hole is drilled slanting upwards with a 16 mm bit, then the oak peg with a hole is knocked in and allows the sap to drip into a bottle. A hole is drilled in the bottle enabling it to rest on the peg (or it could be tied onto the tree). There are lots of uses for the sap from boiling down to syrup (which takes a while) to making wine.

Our efforts to collect Birch sap have been a bit undermined this year because we have not been able to travel back and forth to Holt Wood as often as we would like - the sap collects quickly and can attract flies if not harvested promptly. We have discovered that wine or sherry bottle corks can be readily reused as stoppers once the bottle and peg are removed. 

For an alternative way to collect Birch sap see the example on the Natural Bushcraft website. And for some really super products from Birch trees see the website of Priestlands Birch in Somerset where you can obtain a birch sap tonic or birch tar soap.

There are other ways to use Birch. If you can collect enough Birch bark in a tin it is possible to distil birch tar oil in a fire, collecting it through a small hole into another tin, it is dark and antiseptic. Our focus at the moment is on collecting Birch buds so that they can be infused in oil for making lip balm and ointment. Trying this out in recent years, we have found that the oils last a good length of time, probably testament to the strongly antiseptic and antifungal properties of the Birch in terms of its essential oil.

Harvesting Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus)

Harvesting Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus)

Harvested branches of Viburnum opulus

Remaining stump will shoot vigorously

Tough bark

Smooth and easy to remove bark

Cleaned up Viburnum opulus ready for bark removal

The sap has been rising in our Cramp Bark shrubs, so leaves are appearing and it is a good time to harvest bark. We selected shrubs which have been growing since 2006 and are well-established alongside a grassy ride. Our permaculture design provides lots of 'edges' for shrubs and trees like this.  The shrubs were cut by hand down to within about 20 cm of the ground, leaving substantial stumps. The branches were then sorted out for quality of bark (see pictures). Fatter and older stems have bark which is less easy to remove, have many knots and bends, and are often dirty from rain splashed-mud. Bearing in mind that it is likely that the active constituents are greater in younger stems, we sought out the longer smooth and straight stems from a pencil size width upwards, mostly up to 2 or 3 years old. The youngest stems are easy to strip of leaves by running a hand up and down, the older ones need to be trimmed of side shoots with secateurs. Once cleaned up in this way, we found that the rising sap makes the bark easier to lift from the stems- making a lengthways incision, the bark will lift away cleanly in sections which can be cut short, or broken off at leaf axils. More on the processing of the bark in future posts

Coppicing of a number of shrubs together means that we have opened up the area to light and warmth. Taking the opportunity to clear out reeds and brambles at the same time, this will give other smaller plants a chance to get going. The area where we harvested  is low-lying, near a riverside meadow and often waterlogged for short periods in the winter. The Cramp Bark seems to relish this relatively moist and fertile environment, which is somewhat shaded by taller willows and alders around. Based on previous experience, this coppicing will produce vigorous growth from the base and long straight shoots which can be harvested in 2 to 3 years time. Meanwhile, we have noticed Skullcap (Scutellaria laterifolia) growing nearby, but struggling against taller grasses and lack of light, and hope that this will be encouraged by the extra space and light, to provide a viable harvest later in the year. Alongside these Cramp Bark shrubs are some willows which have been previously cut back and they can form the basis of further coppicing next year.

Exploring and Harvesting Bark

Holt Wood Working Day on Exploring and Harvesting Bark

Holt Wood is a project where we are finding ways to cultivate and harvest medicinal and other trees and shrubs. The site has been developed with permaculture design principles, and was planted up in 2005 following clearfelling of a sitka spruce plantation. Co-founded by Kay Piercy and Anne Stobart, the project is now increasingly well-established with a range of native and introduced trees and shrubs, some providing herbal medicines for use by Anne, a consultant medical herbalist. We hold regular working wood days, when visitors can join us to see progress and contribute to ongoing management. Our next planned day on Sat 31st March 2012 will focus on bark and medicine. We aim to be harvesting cramp bark, willow bark and witch hazel and completing initial processing for its journey to becoming herbal medicine. There will also be opportunities to photograph bark, draw bark, investigate bark creatures, make things with bark and more. You are welcome to join us – bring sturdy boots and outdoor weather clothes. Email info@holtwoodherbs.org.uk to let us know you are coming and receive directions.