New Book: Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs

Here at Mountain Rose Herbs, we are extremely passionate about protecting our wildlands and seeing that our valuable botanical allies are preserved for future generations. For the past few years we’ve been participating in the Forest Grown Verified program in partnership with our friends at United Plant Savers. This program involves the sustainable cultivation of botanicals in private forest ecosystems under the careful stewardship of farmers who are dedicated to preserving these important plants. So far, we are proud to offer Forest Grown Ginseng Root and Leaf grown in its Appalachian homeland.

We hope to be cheerleaders for all the herb gardeners out there who are also very supportive of this mission. After many years of being out of print, we are pleased to welcome back the fantastic resource Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs to our library. 

In this new read, renowned Southern Oregon seed grower Richo Cech provides step-by-step instructions for the cultivation of rare botanicals. Featuring information about the plant’s traditional range, ecology, starting seeds, general care, harvesting, processing, and storage, this book is a one-stop resource for growing threatened botanicals. Covering some of our favorite herbs, including black cohosh, American ginseng, goldenseal, osha, peyote, slippery elm, wild yam, and more, Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs is sure to assist you in helping to grow these treasured plants in your local area.

Richo’s 5 tips for growing medicinal plants

1. These beneficial plants are generally much more difficult to germinate, and often take longer to geminate than vegetable seeds. Patience is a virtue!
2. In general, these herb seeds must be planted seasonally, not always in the spring. Many plants need specific soil temperatures in order to germinate.
3. Seeds with impermeable coats need to be scarified for best results.
4. Consider constructing a shadehouse. 50% of all temperate plants will have trouble germinating in a greenhouse.
5. It is important to choose plants that will thrive in your specific bioregion. Learn what agricultural zone your property is a part of.
   
   

   “Just as a horse whisperer understands the particular needs and psychology of horses, a plant whisperer is one who can receive the subtle communications from plants revealing their special needs for successful cultivation.” ~Richo Cech

   
   Looking for more books by this author? Read Richo Cech's Making Plant Medicine.