This is the species that I can grow at my altitude and I recommend it. My family has used it for years and it is the most effective thing I know for sore muscles and tendons pain and damage. I am experimenting with it now for diabetic neuropathy in my foot.
I have included the method that we for making Arnica Ointment.
230grArnica Chamissonis (Meadow Arnica)
How to Grow Arnica Chamissonis
Direct sow in the fall or before last frost in a sterile bed with a soil mix containing sand, forest loam and peat moss or coconut husk but is free of lime. Soak for four hours, then cold moist stratify for 8 weeks before starting. Start indoors 4 to 6 weeks before last frost. Press the seeds into the surface of the soil or barely cover and tamp. Keep the flat warm, in the light, and evenly moist until germination, which occurs in 1 to 3 weeks. If it does not germinate at 65 to 75˚F in 3 to 4 weeks, return to cool stratification for 2 weeks.
The seedlings will be quite small and slow growing at first. Once they are large enough to handle, individuate into pots and tend them for up to a year before transplanting out to the garden. Once a good patch is established, it is fairly easy to produce more plants by means of division. Dig a rhizome, pot it up, and aerial parts will soon appear. Because it reproduces by way of underground creepers, it quickly populates a raised bed with a dense, monotypic stand.
Arnica and will result in a good yield of medicinal flowers in the fall of the first year, in the summer of the second year and for years thereafter. Harvest the flowers in early flowering stage and dry on screens until crispy.
Planting
Planting Depth surface requires light
Soil Temp. Germ. 65-75˚F stratify
Days to Germ. 20-60
Plant Spacing 6-12”
Row Spacing 12-24”
Soil pH 4.6 to 6.5.
Maturity 90 days
Full Sun, Moist Well Drained
Hardiness zones 3 to 9.
45,000 seeds per ounce.
Seed life 3 to 5 years.
apomictic seed (does not require pollination).
Here is one place for seed:
https://www.strictlymedicinalseeds.com/cart.asp?mode=step1Uses
The flower of arnica is used to make medicine. The active chemicals in arnica reduce swelling, decrease pain, and often used to prepare homeopathic remedies. The herb is an effective discutient, increasing circulation, helping swelling goes down and bruises dissipate.
• Arnica is applied to the skin for pain and swelling of bruises, aches, sprains, muscle and cartilage pain, as well as, painful, swollen veins near the surface of the skin and blunt traumatic injury.
• It is also applied to the skin for insect bites, chapped lips, sunburn, and other forms of skin irritation or inflammation.
• Trauma- uses to relieve pain postoperatively and sore gums after removal of wisdom teeth.
• Muscle soreness- effective in relieving pain due to delayed onset muscle soreness as due unaccustomed exercise.
• Tinctures, ointments and infused oils applied on unbroken skin as an anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving agent.
• Mouth rinse- (tincture diluted in water) taken in the mouth for sore mouth and sore throat gargle.
• Homeopathic Arnica 30x tablets are highly diluted homeopathic preparations that are considered safe and are widely used for the treatment of injuries. Full doses of arnica may be toxic when taken by mouth and may be damaging to the heart, resulting in high blood pressure.
o It help relieving both everyday pain or acute injury and speeds your recovery from injuries and trauma.
o It can be even before strenuous activity to minimize pain later.
o Arnica 30x relieves pain from joint & muscle soreness, bruising, swelling, stiffness, back ache, fatigue and inflammation.
o Diabetic retinopathy- homeopathic arnica has been used for improving retinal microcirculation, thereby slowing the progression of damage to the retina of the eye in diabetic.
Caution:
• Arnica may cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to the ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, or daisies and contact with the plant can cause skin irritation.
• Arnica contains the toxin helenalin, which can be poisonous if large amounts of the plant are eaten. If enough of the material is ingested, the toxin helenalin produces severe gastroenteritis, and internal bleeding of the digestive tract.
o Homeopathic dilute preparations are not toxic as negligible amounts of Arnica remain. Only homeopathic preparations of arnica are recommended for internal use.
o Arnica is possibly unsafe when applied to broken skin.
Preparations
• Water infusion- 1 teaspoon dried herb in 1/2 cup water,
• Tincture (approximately 1 part herb to 10 parts alcohol),
• Oil infusion- 1 part dried herb in 5 parts vegetable oil
• Mouth rinse- 1 part tincture in 10 parts water
• Ointment (1 part arnica oil to 5 parts base).
Arnica Ointment Topical application for sore muscles, bruises, sprains, strains, inflammation and pain. Never use internally, on broken skin or mucus membranes.
70 g or 2 1/2 oz arnica flowers, dried & crush
500g or 2 3/8 C coconut oil or other vegetable oil
60 g or 2oz beeswax granules (if needed)
1. Using a double boiler or cock pot on the lowest setting possible (110 to 140oF, stir the arnica in to the hot coconut oil and ensure they are submerged.
2. Cover and let infuse on low heat stirring every so often to keep the arnica submerged and check that it does not get too hot and darken much.
3. After 12 hrs or overnight, turn off the burner or crock pot, let cool for an hour but do not let the ointment start to solidify.
4. Place cheesecloth over a bowl or colander, carefully pour the arnica and oil into the cheesecloth and let the mixture drain into the bowl below. Then, wearing a glove, ball up the cheesecloth and squeeze the ointment through the fabric to get as much as possible.
5. Once the arnica is strained out, place the filtered ointment into a container or, if you are adding beeswax, back into a cleaned double boiler or crock pot with heat on low.
6. Add your beeswax and whisk until completely dissolved then remove from heat and let cool for about 30 to 60 minutes and pour into container.
Note: Straight coconut oil gets very soft at 80oF so added the beeswax is an option. Most vegetable oils (except coconut and palm oil) can go rancid in a few years of storage unless vitamin E oil is added.
1 Replies
484 Views