Sage harvest under time pressure

At the Bombastus plants in Freital near Dresden, the harvest of sage flowers is in full swing. It should be completed in the course of the day. Time pressure is mainly due to the weather forecast, Daniel Lehmann, field manager at Bombastus, said on request. This is because the flowers must not get wet.

The heart of Bombastus production

Bombastus-Werke harvested sage for the first time 110 years ago.
At that time, the focus was initially on the leaves for tea production. The company now also processes the roots and flowers of the plants, which are cultivated on a perennial basis. The cultivation of the sage plant and its processing are at the heart of the natural remedy manufacturer.

A machine with special airflow technology is used for harvesting. The flowers are blown to the cutting unit and, after being cut, are transported with air through a thick, transparent pipe about five meters long into the collection container behind the tractor. The flowers are then chopped and placed in stoneware vats. Here they release their active ingredients over several months. The extract is used to make various products.

Bombastus cultivates an area of around 40 hectares in the field. Sage and catch crops are cultivated alternately to regenerate the soil. This year, ten hectares are under sage. Sage has been newly sown on around 1.5 hectares. Half a hectare is earmarked for the flower harvest and eight hectares for tea production. The remaining area will be used for intercropping.