How to Pick Profitable Perennial Herbs

Herbs have many uses. They add piquancy to innumerable dishes, play a key role in folk medicine and have immense aesthetic value for their fragrance and beauty. If you have a green thumb and can grow and pick profitable perennial herbs, you can grow a great home-based business.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Research business and agricultural laws and create a business plan. Start with your state board of health and trade agency. Be sure you know the health regulations, especially if you plan to sell cooking herbs. Likewise, if you plan to ship herbs out of state or out of the country, you must have all your paperwork and licensing in place.

2. Know the profitable perennial herbs. These include lavender, lemon balm, mints, rosemary, sage, comfrey, chives, chamomile, catnip and many others. Start with the tried and true to maximize early profits. The most popular perennial herbs are French thyme and tarragon, summer savory, sage, rosemary and various mints. After you establish your crop and your business, expand with other profitable perennial herbs.

3. Choose perennial herbs that cater to out-of-season and exotic cravings. Late fall, winter and very early spring can be a profitable time for fresh herbs like basil, which is popular in Italian dishes and other cuisines year-round. Also remember that herbs that are commonly imported can be a hit when made available locally.

4. Find or farm your perennial herbs. Start your own herb farm or greenhouse or work out a deal with a farmer who sells herbs wholesale. Grow perennial herbs in full sun to maximize their essential oils that produce taste and fragrance. Water and fertilize carefully, since too-fast growth results in lush foliage and flowers that have a lower essential oil content.

5. Harvest perennial herbs as appropriate for each plant. Get a good reference book on perennial herbs for directions on how best to harvest, dry and store each kind of herb. Wait to harvest any herbs that you plan to sell in seed form until they are ripe. Tap the seed pods gently. They are ready to harvest if the seeds begin to fall at your touch.

6. Pick leafy herbs to sell fresh or dried when the first flower buds start to form. The essential oils in the leaves are most fragrant and flavorful at this time. If possible, harvest the herbs on a clear morning just after the dew dissipates. Harvesting herbs in the afternoon sun can render them less flavorful, aromatic and attractive. Cut perennial herbs a third of the way down the central stem. Leave stems long in order to bundle the herbs and hang them in a dark place to dry.

7. Dry the herbs for one to two weeks. Hang herbs upside down in bundles to dry to maximize retention of the essential oils. If you lay the herbs flat to dry, shift them often to prevent mildew. When the leaves are crumbly and dry to the touch, they are ready to remove and store. Remove the leaves once the herbs have dried. Discard all flowers. Sift to remove stems if necessary so that only the dried leaves remain.

8. Put the leaves into glass jars and seal them tightly. Store the jarred herbs somewhere dark and out of direct sunlight. Package the herbs attractively for sale.

9. Market your herbs. Profitable venues include stores and restaurants. You may also be able to market herbs online.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider putting your customers to work. "Pick-your-own" produce is a time-honored tradition that generates a fair amount of revenue. For example, set aside a field of lavender where customer can make their own selections can be a profitable venture.
• Consider investing in organic perennial herbs. High demand for organic products can make your herbs exponentially more profitable than herbs farmed via conventional methods. While organic farming is definitely an investment of time, money and effort, there can be a huge return when you go to market.