After the horsetail harvest
Last week I cleared most of the bougainvillea which contained a lot of dry branches. The horsetail was bundled into stacks and I left it under the sun for 2-3 days to dry. I then blended it in the cuisinart and now I have a batch of the herb for tea. Next year I'll be more selective on the reed like leaves I use for making consumable tea. Early spring is the recommended harvest time because the leaves not only lose their healing properties after that, but it becomes bad for kidneys if picked in the wrong time.
I'm going to use this year's yield for a hair rinse because I understand this herb is a major ingredient in shampoos. I think it's the silica it contains that is good for the roots.