I'm currently on Lesson 4 of Herbal Compleat & am wondering about the essential differences in purpose & strength between these 3 methods.

Are there plants that perform better when prepared by one method than another?

Are there any plants that might lose their potency during the heating involved in preparing a decoction?

I am used to infusions - nettle being one of my favourites & I wonder whether an infusion or a tincture would be more potent...and if so, why that would be...

SO many questions!

Tinctures are something I would really like to explore...

In a nutshell, infusions (pouring boiling water over plant material) is best when you use leaves or flowers. If you use bark, roots or other more woody parts of a plant, a decoction (simmering the plants over low heat) is better at getting the active constituents out. Both don't keep too well and need to be used fairly quickly.
Tinctures are made by steeping any plant parts (but mostly leavy or flowery parts) in alcohol for several days or even weeks. They tend to be more concentrated and due to the alcohol keep much longer.

Bright Blessings,
Sequoia Mist

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Always keep your face toward the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind you.

Thank you for your reply, Sequoia Mist - it's much appreciated. I have lots of experimental exploring to do!

Blessings,
willow~moon