Growing Herbs For Profit

Small things can turn out big. In any project, focus, perseverance and organization are the keys to success. Your hobby of planting herbs or creating an herbal garden can turn into a profitable endeavor. A number of herbal shops started small, transforming their own home as a temporary business location. The initial limitations on resources do not mean the venture will not be successful. Creativity, an open mind and determination are what you will need in order for things to fall into place. The chance of having fun while gaining more money is surely a rewarding experience.

The size of your business will determine the amount of profit you will gain. You can choose to have a small-scale or large-scale enterprise. There is an increasing demand of herbs today, so cultivating herbs can truly be a source of income. Profit can come from seeds, dried herbs and using your knowledge of herbs. These are areas you can consider when putting up your own herb business.

Selling seeds is the swiftest way for you to start your business without accumulating many expenses. Medicinal to culinary, there are a lot of herbs to choose from. If there is an herb rarely found in your area, then this is a good way to start and try to provide this product for prospective clients. For medicinal herbs, study the different kinds of herbs that will interest the people in your neighborhood. Spreading the word about your business can be a difficult task. You can ask a few friends to help your business be known to other people. Giving out fliers is another effective way of marketing your products. The best way to begin is by choosing one or two from the herb variations. Ensuring quality and affordability will be the way for you to get more customers.

Dried herb is another way for you to gain more money. There are some techniques and methods you need to familiarize yourself with. One of these is the ability to nurture and dry leaves. It is an advantage when you have an herb garden. Customers are inclined to purchase and use fresh products compared to those preserved ones in grocery stores. An innovative idea would be to sell them both fresh and dried. To start selling your herbs, dry them first then put them in airtight containers which are not transparent. Exposure to sunlight will affect the herb's quality.

Using your knowledge on herbs is also a profitable endeavor. You can start to create seminars or training locations and share your learning on the varieties of herbs and their significance in daily living. A cooking demo can teach them the different culinary functions of herbs. You will make them aware of the enhanced flavor a certain herb can provide and the right recipes to add them. In addition, an informative lecture on the medicinal properties of herbs can also be created. Health stores, community centers and churches are some of the venues you can choose from to start your herbal program.

Plenty of time is allotted when creating business with your herbs. The days spent of tolling in your garden to create quality materials, and the hours used for marketing your product and services are highly regarded. With the methods discussed, it is up to you to choose which option is suitable. In order for you to be successful, there is only one thing you have to put in mind-enjoy what you are doing. Lack of interest in any endeavor will ensure failure, so just have fun while acquiring more income.

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Author: Vicky Josephino is a writer and herb garden enthusiast living just outside of Long Beach, CA. Mostly, she spends her days either buried in my laptop or tinkering the organic garden she has set up a decade ago. She says that in that time she has learned about what works (and what doesn't) as far as herb gardening is concerned. And as it goes, you can find those years of herb knowledge and experience in her free email course. She offers you great tips and techniques for growing your herb garden the right way.

For more tips and advice on growing herbs for both pleasure and profit, check out her articles and free e-course at http://www.herbgardeningguides.com/.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1243890_27.html

It's Easy to Grow Herbs in Pots

An Interesting article on mint, one of the most used herbs worldwide. Not need to buy mint ever again if you take someof the tips given here.

Herbs can also be grown indoors in pots or containers. They can also be grown in window boxes or hanging baskets. Growing herbs in pots is not anymore difficult then growing herbs in an outdoor garden. Indoor herb gardens need the same growing requirements that garden herbs need.

All plants need three main things in order to grow successfully; sunlight, soil and water. Herbs are no exception. Sunlight is key to growing any type of plant including herbs whether they are grown indoors or in a garden.

You should place herbs grown in a kitchen or other room in a south or west facing window to get the best kind of sunlight. Different types of herbs have different light requirements but, for the most part, all need a sunny location.

Some home herb growers supplement the light source with "grow lamps" or fluorescent lamps. Herbs also need a well drained, not too rich soil to grow in. Add two parts of sterilized potting soil with one part coarse sand or perlite for herbs that are grown in containers.

You will also need about an inch of gravel at the bottom of each pot to ensure that the plant has good drainage. Herb grown in pots indoors can also be supplemented with one teaspoon of lime per 5-inch pot to ensure that the soil is sweet enough for the herbs.

Herbs grown in pots also need water. Misting the plants and moistening the pebbles will help to keep the herbs within humid conditions. Since they are being grown in containers they do need to have more water then herbs that are grown in a garden but, you should avoid getting the roots of the herbs drenched or soggy.

An advantage to growing herbs in a container is that you have the freedom to move them about as you please. Annual herbs can spend all of their time indoors but, perennial herbs do better if they were to be placed outside during the summer.

Although all herbs should be brought inside before the first frost in order to avoid the loss of foliage. This rule is over looked when it comes to mint, chives, and tarragon. These types of herbs will go into a rest period then form firmer and fresher growth after it is introduced to a light frost.

All herbs can be grown in containers but some herbs do better then others. Mint is an herb that needs to be contained or it will take over the garden. Over all it is fairly easy to maintain an indoor herb garden. It keeps the herbs handy and within reach anytime you need them for cooking.

With these tips listed above, you will be able to care for your herbs and ensure a healthy plant. You should also include periodic light feeding and yearly repotting for optimum health of the herbs. You will also have to remember to replant annuals each year and move perennials outdoors when needed.

Plus, use your herbs as much as you want as well as harvest them occasionally. It is no secret that pruning plants encourages new growth. This rule also applies to herbs. So use them in your recipes, store them and give them away to friends.

Author: Mary Eule Scarborough
Mary E. Eule, BA, MS is a professional writer and researcher who been an avid container herb gardener for over 25 years. She is also the author of the comprehensive, step-by-step guide, "The Down to Earth Guide to Easy Container Herb Gardening," Visit her website: http://ContainerHerbGardening.com to purchase her e-book, download her free herb e-course or to get additional tips and articles on growing herbs in pots .

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1016669_27.html

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Coriander - Grown But Not Eaten In Bulgaria

Coriander is a fantastic herb for its strong flavour and is produced as a major export food in Bulgaria. It is very rare indeed for Bulgarians who produce so much of it to use it in their National dishes – I really don’t know why?

This aside coriander or cilantro is an annual herb. It is native to south western Asia and west to North Africa. It looks a bit like parsley with its It is a soft, hairless leave growing up to 50 cm in height. The flowers form small umbels coloured white or light pink, asymmetrical, with the petals pointing away from the centre of the umbel longer (5-6 mm) than those pointing towards it (only 1-3 mm long). The seeds, another fantastic food ingredient is round and ranging from 3-5 mm in diameter.

Used sparingly in salads coriander leave ad a ‘zing’ to the taste. Many Asian dishes use coriander alongside many other herbs and spices. The herb is never overpowered in taste, even with the addition of chillies. The coriander seeds give an even stronger flavour and are often lightly dry roasted before being ground or crushed to bring out an even more intense flavour.

Coriander is easy to grow even in the UK if in a sunny sheltered position and of course in pots inside the house on a sunny window ledge would being good results. You can use the seeds from the supermarket or local Asian grocer to plant. You will find that if you do go to your local Asian grocer the leaves and the seeds will be much cheaper and fresher that supermarket produce.

I have introduced coriander to my Bulgarian family and friends in salads and other meat stew dishes, but although they like it, they will not use it and revert back to traditional ingredients where coriander is excluded. The only use they have in Bulgaria is to add coriander to the distilling of rakia – this is done most effectively and the resulting rakia takes on the flavour very successfully.

Elsewhere coriander seeds are used in other alcoholic beverages such as brewing certain styles of beer, particularly some Belgium.

Coriander has many uses in all types of food, but you must remember that always buy and store the seeds whole as ground coriander loses its flavour very quickly.

Basil - An Answer To Flies In The Home

The use of herbs as a natural answer to many problems never ceases to amaze me. Already this summer flied have been a major problem, they sneak into the home and cause havoc and I just can't face the thought of using poison based fly spray to eliminate the problem.

Recently I had a Greek friend staying with me and he suggested I grow basil in containers and keep them in the house. This will keep the filed at bay he assured me as this is what he does in Greece where flies are even more of a problem.

So a few basil transplants from the garden and into some yoghurt containers and I have some indoor basil that sit proudly on my kitchen and dining room window sill. Not only that but the smell of basil is a great to have around the house as well. By the way, Don’t for one moment think that I would go to a garden centre and buy herbs when you can do this for nothing!

All the basil in place and the test was on. There were a couple of times when flies entered the rooms, but they darted out as fast as they came in. It worked a treat. Why didn’t I know about this before with all the suffering I had to go through?

It seems there is a herb answer to most things and now you know.

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Dill Or No Dill?

Dill or no dill? This was a the question that came to me when moving to Bulgaria. It was no dill in the UK and dill when I got here. Dill is used extensively in Bulgarian dishes. There is no stopping me now once I discovered it and grow it both in the town and village location.

It will be now surprise that Dill comes originally from Eastern Europe (Bulgaria included.) There are also varieties in Mediterranean and in West Asia. Dill was even found in the tomb of the Ancient Egyptian Amenhotep II, late Neolithic lakeshore settlements in Switzerland and in Roman ruins in the UK.

The name dill probably came from Norse or Anglo-Saxon word 'dylle' that translates 'to soothe.' The ancient Greeks saw dill as a sign of prosperity and it was used in 8th banquets to cure hiccups. In the middle-ages saw dill as a erotic love potion and to keep evil witches away. American Puritans and Quakers gave dill seeds to their children to chew during long church meetings as it acted as a hunger-suppressant.

Dill has fernlike leaves, which are aromatic. These are used and are used to flavour a variety of foods including soups and pickles where the flowers of the dill are often used. Dill is best when used fresh due to it loosing its flavour very quickly. Modern freeze-dried dill leaves preserve their flavour well and will last up tot six months.

The dill seed is used as a spice, with a flavour somewhat similar to caraway, but also resembling that of fresh or dried dill weed. Dill oil can be extracted from the leaves, stems and seeds of the plant. The seeds were traditionally used to soothe the stomach after meals.

Growing dill Successfully requires warm to hot summers with high sunshine levels; perfect in Bulgaria. Partial shade will reduce crop quality substantially. Dill likes rich, well-drained soil.

The seeds are gathered by cutting off the flower heads, as the seed is begins to ripen. The seed heads are placed upside down in a paper bag and left. The seeds then separate from the stems easily for storage in an airtight container. It is very easy to manage.

Dill is great is grow in containers. You can use normal potting compost and keep the plants well watered. You can easily grow dill indoors, just sow the seeds October in small pots then transplant them to larger pots when the plants are about over 15 cm in height. A sunny windowsill is an ideal place for them to grow on although you might need a stake to support them eventually The crop will be ready for harvest about tow months after sowing.

This Dill Sauce recipe was tried and tested from the BBC and was found to be superb especially served with fish dishes.

Dill Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

15g/½oz sugar
200ml/7fl oz red wine vinegar
80g/3oz Dijon mustard
400ml/14½fl oz olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large tbsp fresh dill, chopped

Method:

1. Whisk the sugar, vinegar and mustard together in a bowl.
2. Slowly whisk in the oil until smooth and thickened.
3. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add the dill.

Recipe from www.bbc.co.uk/

Home Grown Herbs - Why not?

Home grown herbs are something that every single household can do. It is with complete amazement that folk can trundle down to the supermarket and buy expensive herbs in plastic casing for an incredible amount of money, which is inferior in every way to the herb you can easily grown at home. Why do people do this? Even if it was as good as homegrown herbs, why pay? What’s more, your homegrown herb is on your doorstep and as fresh as you can ever get. Need I go on?

Growing herbs is the easiest thing in the world and cost absolutely nothing but time to grow.

Grow herbs in the garden, greenhouse or on an allotment. Even if you haven’t got a garden or access to an allotment, use a friend’s garden and share the produce, why not? If they were friends surely they wouldn’t object. Start some off indoors on a windowsill. It can be in the kitchen dining room, bedroom or even the bathroom. Even if you haven’t got a garden use a friends’ garden and share the produce, why not? If they were friends surely they wouldn’t object.

The whole point is, everyone should be growing herbs and using them in their own cooking. Maybe it’s because the trend is not to do any home cooking anymore. The need for herbs is on the decrease because of fast food, microwave culture and snacks. Is this the beginning of the end of real natural food, it is for many in high geared westernised culture that gives people everything on a plate. Convenience is the fashion and cooking is an inconvenience.

It isn’t only the wonderfully fresh and natural produce that you benefit from by home growing herbs it is the whole process of culturing nature’s process and being part of it. Your stress levels by doing this will fall and you will be the most popular person in your neighbourhood from sharing surplus stocks of herbs. The healthy pastime of gardening and consuming the produce will also be a major benefit to you and your family. And not least, your shopping bills will be that much cheaper.

In the space of just five minutes you could have prepared and planted herbs that will be produce in the bank. Herbs basically look after themselves; this is how most of them have lived wild for thousands of years. All you need to do it make sure they do not dry out, that’s it! How simple is that? You will be amazed how robust herbs are and the rewards you get for just that initial five minutes. In a short time you can laugh at other people you now see picking prepacked herbs in the supermarket.

This blog is just to get you thinking about the possibilities and potential that you have in you home for creating something free and healthy, not least and education for you and more importantly your children, who will remember culturing herbs and experiencing the tastes, textures and scents for the rest of their lives. How do you think I got my enthusiasm?

Sage not just a Memory

I always remember sage grown in the garden from my childhood. The scent was overpowering and a great fascination took hold with all my own gardens now having to have the herb in place. It is always going to be fresher and infinitely cheaper than buying it from a supermarket.

The Common sage is also known as Garden sage, Kitchen Sage and Dalmatian sage is a perennial evergreen shrub type herb. It has woody stems, greyish green leaves with purple flowers. It is native to the Mediterranean region but its popularity has led it to be cultivated throughout many other regions, especially the Balkans where they distil the herb for its essential oil.

Sage has a mysterious side to it and is used for spiritual and supernatural purposes. Performing exorcism and the burning of sage is believed to drive out evil and demons. Sage is also used extensively in the practices of Witchcraft and associated cults.

With a slight peppery flavour, sage it is used for flavouring meats with a large fatty content including marinades. It is also used in cheeses and drinks. Sage is popular added to onion for poultry or pork stuffing and also in sauces. The French use sage for cooking white meat dishes and in vegetable soups with the Germans producing many sausage dishes. The most famous use of sage in sausages is the English Lincolnshire sausage. In the Balkan countries and the Middle East sage is commonly used when roasting lamb or mutton.

Fresh sage can be used to make sage butter and if you collect the young leaves you can make a sage vinegar. If you tie together some sage, thyme, parsley, marjoram and a bay leaf you have a Bouquet Garni.

Sage Vinegar Recipe

Ingredients

Sage leaves, (1 cup) washed and chopped royghly (about 3 good handfuls)
600 ml white wine vinegar

Method

Put the prepared sage into a sterilised jar and pour in the vinegar.
Put the cap on and leave to stand on a sunny windowsill for one month shaking once a day.
Using muslin, strain the sage vinegar into a sterilized bottle, add a fresh sprig of sage and seal.
You can now use this and store in you larder.

Sage Butter Recipe

For Sage butter simple heat the butter gently until soft and mix in thoroughly finely cut sage. Roll it up and wrap in clingfilm. It can be used for a topping on hot vegetables or simple spread on toast.

Sage actual means “to heal" coming from the old Latin text. Throughout history sage been thought to cure every ailment. Modern science now supports its effects as an antibiotic, anti-fungal and tonic. Sage is now found to aid moderate Alzheimer's disease.

For internal medical use its benefits range from indigestion, liver complaints, anxiety, depression, female sterility and menopausal problems as well as treating joint pain. Insect bites, throat, mouth, gum and skin infections are now also proved to benefit from the properties of sage.

Finally, a quote from a famous man who also seemingly had a passion and believe not only for human rights but for sage.

Why should a man die whilst sage grows in his garden? - Martin Luther King

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