Sage harvest continues after rain break

The sage harvest continues in the fields of Bombastus-Werke in Freital after a three-week break in the rain. This year, eight hectares of sage are being harvested for tea production, the company announced. Around 2,800 kilograms of fresh tea are expected per hectare. Depending on the degree of moisture, around 650 kilograms of dried tea remains after drying and winnowing.

Harvesting by hand

While a harvesting tractor is usually used, the highest quality grade is still harvested by hand. According to the company, 1,700 25-gram packs of "Sage shoot tip tea hand harvest" were sold via pharmacies and the online store in 2024, which is 1.6 percent of the 103,200 packs of sage tea sold in total.

This year, the weather didn't really cooperate. After three days of harvesting in the first half of July, it had to pause due to the rainy weather, it was said. "For the desired high content of essential oils, the sage plant needs dry and sunny weather just before harvesting," explains field manager Daniel Lehmann.

Complete processing from root to flower

The cultivation of the sage plant and its processing are at the heart of Bombastus-Werke AG. The company, whose history dates back to 1904, claims to be one of the largest growers of perennial sage in Europe and is also the only company in the world to process the entire plant from root to flower. Sage was first harvested here 110 years ago.

In addition to medicinal and food teas, the Bombastus-Werke range includes medicines, oral and skin care products, essential oils and fragrance essences. The company has 155 employees. Turnover in 2024 was around 12.9 million euros.