Kratom (Mitragyna speciose) is an evergreen tree from the coffee family native to Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, and other neighboring areas. Since the early 1800s, these countries’ indigenous populations have harvested Kratom leaves to access its alkaloid properties and enjoy its motivational effects and boost productivity.
Today, Kratom is a highly sought-after natural botanical that people worldwide take to promote overall balance in their health and wellness. Users take Kratom to inspire their optimism, boost alertness and cognitive function, support decreased irritability, and maintain a relaxed state of mind.
Thanks to Kratom’s growing popularity in Western culture, more people and suppliers are taking notice, and the botanical’s benefits are being realized. According to the Botanical Education Alliance, the Kratom industry is exploding, with an estimated $1.13 billion worth.
Here is a complete overview of how Kratom PRODUCED From plant to Powder.
Topics will cover:
- Where Do the Kratom Trees Grow?
- How Kratom Is Harvested
- How Kratom is Processed
- Several Types of Kratom Strains
- Testing Process
- Getting the Kratom Ready to Sell
- Buying Kratom
Where Do the Kratom Trees Grow?
Kratom trees grow in humid and tropical locations like the forests across Southeast Asia. The tree is impressive, and it can reach heights of 80’ or more significant in many cases. While the tree is remarkable, the leaves of the tree, beautiful, green, and glossy, are responsible for creating Kratom. The leaves grow and regrow throughout the year, as this is an evergreen tree. When the leaves are mature, they will fall off, or they can be harvested early.
The trees grow natively in many countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. However, many farmers in Southeast Asia have taken to farming these trees. They grow the trees in open areas with quality soil and enough sunlight for the trees to thrive. While it might be possible to grow the trees in locations outside of their native area, it tends to be complicated. The plant does well in hot and humid climates, but it will not grow in the regions that are cold or dry. Because of the difficulty of growing kratom trees outside of their native lands, most of the production of Kratom is done in those countries.
How Kratom Is Harvested
Once a Kratom tree reaches maturity or grows to roughly 20’ in height, it’s ready to be harvested.
The optimal time to pick Kratom leaves is right before they naturally drop on their own, as their freshness is key to processing Kratom. For example, certain Kratom strains, such as red vein Kratom, consist mostly of mature leaves, while green and white strains are produced with younger leaves.
Kratom farmers pick the leaves by hand in large quantities, remove stems and veins, and prepare the leaves for processing.
How Kratom is Processed
Drying Process
Once Kratom leaves are harvested, the next step in processing Kratom is the drying process. Traditional drying methods include using large racks to dry Kratom leaves in the sun. However, in today’s growing industry, farmers and producers use various processing methods to produce specialty strains.
The leaves are dried or cured in either the sun or UV light for various lengths of time. There are three major strains of Kratom: Red, white, and green. While most Kratom typically begins as a red strain, the color and variety of Kratom depend on how long the leaves are dried and fermented.
While there is little information available on the Kratom fermentation process, some Kratom is thought to be fermented to alter leaf colors and enhance the herb’s alkaloid profile. Of course, where the Kratom is grown and harvested also plays a role in these plants’ differing alkaloid content.
Red vein Kratom promotes a sense of calm, while white vein Kratom is excellent for those who are sluggish in the mornings. Green vein Kratom fosters a sense of balance and well-being.
Several Types of Kratom Strains:
- White Vein Kratom – Most Popular
- Red Vein Kratom – Best Kratom Strain
- Green Vein Kratom – All-in-one Super Strain
- Maeng Da Kratom – Pure and Potent
- Bentuangie Kratom – Relaxing Strain
- Yellow Vein Kratom – Enhances your mood.
Testing Process
Once the Kratom has been processed, reputable Kratom providers use third-party testing to ensure the Powder is free of any fillers or other harmful contaminants. When purchasing Kratom, consumers should look for a handful of things to make sure they are buying quality Kratom.
Getting the Kratom Ready to Sell
After the Kratom has been ground up into Powder, the vendors will then get it ready to sell to consumers. They might take the Kratom, place it into capsules, provide kratom powder, or offer kratom extract, which is concentrated powders. The standard kratom powders tend to be the most popular. However, plenty of options are available for consumers to try. Those interested in Kratom will often try out several styles and strains to find what they prefer.
After the Kratom has been produced, it will be packaged and sealed to ensure that purity and freshness are maintained. The vendors must be careful during this process to eliminate the possibility of contamination and to ensure that the Kratom is delivered fresh to their customers.
The FDA does not currently require that the vendors meet any requirements or standards of production, which has the potential for problems. Vendors who do not take care of the Kratom they are packaging and selling could find that it is contaminated and could harm consumers. Many of the best kratom vendors have taken it upon themselves to improve their quality assurance to ensure they are only providing the best possible Kratom to their buyers. They have enacted their own standards that tend to go above and beyond what the FDA would typically require.
Buying Kratom
Once the vendors have finished packaging the Kratom and offer it for sale, it is up to the buyers to find what they need. Many options are available today, but buyers need to find a quality company that takes the safety, purity, and freshness of the Kratom seriously. Customers should always choose vendors that bring safety, potency, and purity seriously. They should find a product that does not have fillers or additives and provide them with an actual, pure kratom experience.
