🌿 Wormwood

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is hardy, drought-tolerant, and allelopathic: 🌱 Climate: Hardy perennial, USDA zones 4-9 🌱 Temperature: Very hardy; tolerates heat and cold 🌱 Soil: Well-draining, poor to average, pH 6.5-7.5 🌱 Light: Full sun required 🌱 Water: Drought-tolerant; prefers dry conditions 🌱 Spacing: 24-36 inches apart 🌱 Container Growing: Good in containers 🌱 Propagation: Seeds, cuttings, or division 🌱 Seeds: Surface sow, germination 14-21 days 🌱 Growth Rate: Fast; forms large clumps 🌱 Height: 2-4 feet tall 🌱 Allelopathic: Inhibits growth of nearby plants 🌱 Isolation: Plant away from vegetables and other herbs 🌱 Silver Foliage: Beautiful ornamental appearance Wormwood is nearly indestructible but don't plant it near your vegetable garden!

Wormwood dries easily and retains bitter potency: ☀️ Harvest Timing: Before or during flowering ☀️ Best Time: Morning after dew dries ☀️ Cutting: Harvest top 1/3 of stems ☀️ Bundling: Tie small bundles, hang upside down ☀️ Location: Warm, dark, well-ventilated area ☀️ Duration: 1-2 weeks ☀️ Dehydrator: 95-110°F (35-43°C) for 3-5 hours ☀️ Test: Leaves should crumble; stems should snap ☀️ Color: Remains silvery-gray-green ☀️ Bitterness: Maintains extremely bitter taste ☀️ Magical Timing: Harvest on Saturday (Saturn day) for banishing power Dried wormwood retains its distinctive, intensely bitter aroma.

Wormwood stores excellently: 🏺 Container: Airtight glass jar 🏺 Location: Cool, dark, dry place 🏺 Shelf Life: 2-3 years 🏺 Whole vs. Crushed: Store whole; crumble when needed 🏺 Light Protection: Preserves silver color 🏺 Label: Mark with harvest date 🏺 Bitterness: Sign of freshness and potency 🏺 Magical Storage: Keep with other banishing/protective herbs Signs of Degradation: • Loss of intensely bitter taste • Yellowing or browning (should stay grayish) • Loss of aromatic compounds • Musty smell Well-stored wormwood maintains protective and psychic properties for years.