Cultivated quantities and diversity
The quantities cultivated on Terra Medica are determined by our requirements as regards to producing mother tinctures. These are the first homeopathic pharmaceutical form, which is usually obtained by means of maceration (extracting parts of the plant using an ethanol solution) and pressing. Plans are drawn up in November and January based on the figures from the previous year and an updated estimation. Numerous small to medium-sized, as well as large crops are cultivated in Terra Medica.
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Generally, fresh plant material is taken for further processing. The medicinal plant beds have to bridge the gap between garden cultivation and agricultural production. Since 1976, roughly 600 different species of plant have been cultivated in Terra Medica. They range from annual herbs to perennial shrubs, as far as bushes and trees.
From most species we only need a yield of about 5-30 kg. The minimum yield is 2 kg, but species such as Calendula or Thuja may be harvested by the tonne.
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The 600 plant species cover 50% of the species we require for production and 70% of the required volume. The remaining plants are obtained from other growers, authorised external collection, as well as from certified commercial suppliers. The available plant species not only have to fill our present needs, but must also be continually propagated so as to increase the crop, replace older stocks or to sustain a particular species in a plot for later use. Hence, some of the plots are used exclusively for obtaining seeds or for demonstration purposes during guided tours.
