How to Make Money With a Small Herb Garden
Growing your own herbs saves money on grocery bills while enhancing your food. If gardening
is a pastime of yours, and you want to start supplementing your income, then an herb garden
is a great place to start. Planting a profitable garden is easier if you already know the fundamentals
of gardening, you own gardening equipment and you enjoy regular weeding and tending. You can
use the basic principles of watering, sunlight and trimming to grow your favorite herbs on
a larger scale. If you have some spare time and money, you can get started this spring. Learn
how to make money with a small herb garden.
Starting a Profitable Herb Garden
Research the most popular herbs in your area
Go to supermarkets and farmer's markets to see what is already being offered with success.
You can choose to expand slightly to offer something more exotic, but the bulk of your plants
should be common herbs that people buy for everyday cooking.
Popular herb plants include garlic, basil, oregano, ginger, fennel, parsley, chamomile,
lemon balm, lavender, wheat grass, flax seed, ginseng, thyme, sage, rosemary, catnip, anise,
mint and bay leaves.
Plant herbs from seed
Start up costs can be relatively inexpensive, especially if you already own tools for
gardening and pots. Buy packets of seeds and high quality potting soil.
Consider how many packages of seeds you will need for all your herb garden ventures.
For example, if you only plan on selling fresh herbs, they continue to grow, so you may only
need 1 packet of seeds. If you plan on selling starts or seedlings as well, you should plant
1 to 2 extra packages.
Plant in a greenhouse or indoors, if you live in colder climates
Clear a portion of a warm garage or a room in your house that gets plenty of sunlight.
Starting to plant your herbs 1 to 2 months early will mean you have fresh herbs ready for
selling before people are able to grow them in a garden.
Transfer your seedlings into a garden plot in order to grow a larger number of herb plants.
If you have particularly bad problems with insects or unpredictable weather, you may choose
to keep them in containers for the duration of the season. Pay close attention to frost and
use organic, non-toxic pesticides, if necessary.
Tend your herb garden daily
Weed your garden plot daily to ensure other plants are not competing for soil nutrients
and water. Water regularly, even daily in hot weather. Fertilize your plants with organic
fertilizer. This is a necessity and selling point no matter where you sell your herbs.
Fertilize at regular intervals according to package instructions.
Trim your plants regularly
Trimming encourages new growth, and it is your main way of making money. Trim them and wash
them right before you plan to sell.
Package your herbs
You can cut and weigh the fresh herbs and tie them together, or you can place them in a small
plastic bag. A tie is more environmentally friendly, but a plastic bag will allow you to label
them with the name of your herb garden, address and phone number.
Harvest the seeds from your plants at the end of the season
Sell the seeds in the fall or save them to use next spring.
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