I am surrounded by tons of Oregon grape and I would like to tincture the roots! I am in northwest Montana and I believe it to be Berberis repens which is a smaller variety than the aquifolium. The roots are also much smaller/thinner, but very plentiful in my yard and the surrounding forest. I was wondering if using the thinner root is still medicinally potent since I would be using the entire root rather than trying to use just the inner root bark? If so, would I just brush off the dirt well and dry the root? Or do you wash it with water and then dry? Thanks!