Harvestr.Org

Rodrick Herpich has been growing Herb Gardens for twenty years now. He’s the author of “The Perfect Guide to Start a Herb Garden.” He has also created a website where you can find everything you need to start your own garden

One of the most enjoyable things about growing any type of garden, whether it is a vegetable, flower, or herb garden, is harvesting your garden. In most cases, herb gardens may be harvested on a daily basis. It becomes very easy and convenient to step outside and pluck a few herbs for cooking or to reach over to that container over your kitchen sink for herbs grown indoors for all your meals. Keep in mind that in many cases, using fresh herbs will provide the best flavor and quality. When picked just before they are added to your recipe.

When harvesting herbs, it is wise to pick for the best flavor and fragrance depending on your needs. To gain the best flavor and fragrance from an herb leaf, harvest them before they bloom. You don’t need to wait for in entire herb plant to mature before you pluck their leaves.

Many people do not realize that it is a concentration of oils in the herbs to give them their flavor and aroma. Such flavors are locked in when the plant is cool, which is why the morning is the best time of day to gather herb leaves or flowers used in a variety of ways.

When you have used organic fertilizing methods in your herb garden, you don’t have to worry about rinsing off the fruits, vegetables, or herbs before consuming because of chemicals or residues, but, of course, many people do rinse off such items merely to remove soil or dust.

If, however, you are picking herbs to use in a salad or a recipe later that day, it might be best to wait to wash them off until just before you’re ready to use them. However, parsley is one exception to that rule and will do best is soaked in cool water immediately after picking in order to help it stay fresh longer.

Herb flowers and leaves can be picked a day or two ahead of time and kept in an open plastic bag in the refrigerator. Allowing air to circulate around them will keep them fresh longer. Storing leaves and flowers in moist conditions will induce broad and mold.

In many cases, you will be able to collect seeds as you harvest your plants. To catch seeds such as dill and caraway, hold a paper bag beneath the seedpod when they begin to turn brown, and then bend or shake the stock so that the leaves will fall into the paper bag for collection.

Some experienced gardeners don’t take a chance on losing seeds. They place a small paper bag over the seed head and using a twist tie or rubber band to hold it into place. If you can hear seeds rattle inside when you shake the stem, you can then snip that stem several inches below the bag to harvest the entire seed head.

Many gardeners use herb roots for both their medicinal value as well as for cooking. However, you may be surprised to know that it may be best to wait a year or two before digging up any herb roots for their potency. When harvesting roots, wait until fall after the herb heads have either dropped or changed color. Then pull the root, scrub free of soil, and then cut into two-inch pieces for drying.

As a general rule of thumb, herbs have the highest level of flavor in their leaves just before they bloom. Harvesting is best done at this time. Harvesting of herbs for fresh use can be done throughout the growing season. Thyme, sage, and rosemary, which are perennials, remember, need their active growing shoots snipped in four to six-inch lengths. Leaves can be collected from annuals as needed.

When harvesting herbs to preserve for future use, wait until the plant is at its aromatic peak and pick early in the morning when aromatics are at their highest level of the day. Discard insect-infested or diseased portions, and if dust or dirt is present, wash the plant thoroughly and gently shake off as much of the excess water as possible before processing. If possible, wash the plant a day before harvesting.

Be especially careful when harvesting seeds, because timing is important. This timing allows seeds to ripen completely, but they must be caught before they disperse. One way to solve this problem is to watch on a daily basis and harvest as soon as the seeds begin to dry.

As mentioned earlier, many experienced gardeners snip off the heads over a large paper bag, allowing the seeds to fall into the bag. You may keep them in the bag to complete the drying process. However, be careful not to compact the seed heads. Ensure adequate air circulation in and around the seed heads, which is needed to cut down on the possibility of mold growth.

If you anticipate your seeds to be ready when you are on vacation or away from home, you can do as the experts to and enclose each seed head in a small paper bag or mesh bag while still on the plant. After the heads dry, any seeds that fall out will be captured in the bag. Once you notice that seeds are being released, snip off the heads, bag and all, and dry them indoors.

The most common method of herb preservation is by hang drying. Another good way to preserve many herbs is by freezing them. This method is quick and easy, and the flavor is usually better than in herbs that have been dried.

If you have available freezer space, freezing is probably the most desirable choice for herbs used in cooking. Some herbs lose flavor when exposed to air, but they will retain it if stored in oil or liquor. Some herbs don’t retain as much flavor when preserved by any means and can only be used fresh. You can, however, extend their season by growing them indoors as pot plants during the winter months.

As a result of providing marketing consulting, training and
coaching to a variety of individuals and industries over the
years, I have come to recognize that people generally
approach the business building process in one of two ways.
Everyone tends to be what I identify as either Cultivators
or Harvesters. The problem is the business building process
requires both cultivation and harvesting. Read on to
determine which you are and how to assure that you are both
cultivating and harvesting new business.

Harvesters are the great sales people of the world. These
are the people that don’t mind, may even enjoy, spending two
or three hours a day cold calling. They willingly spend a
day starting at the first floor of an office building and
visiting every office on every floor to try and get an
appointment. Harvesters will close business. However, they
also tend to leave a lot of green fruit on the tree because
their approach is geared towards those individuals who have
a need now and are willing and able to purchase – the so
called low hanging fruit. Harvesters tend to move from
orchard to orchard seeking out and picking whatever fruit is
ripe at the time. They are constantly seeking out a new
orchard that might have ripe fruit.

Cultivators tend to rely on the other elements of the
promotional mix such as advertising, direct mail, networking
and public relations activities to develop business.
Cultivators prepare the soil, plant the seeds, nurture the
seedlings, and provide care to the fruit as it ripens. They
grow their own orchards so they have an ongoing supply of
ripe fruit. However, Cultivators sometimes are so busy
tending to the orchard that they forget to pick the fruit,
leaving it either for the Harvesters as they make their
daily rounds or to rot on the tree.

Clearly, in an ideal world the Cultivators and the
Harvesters would work together to assure a constant supply
of ripe fruit and to be sure that the ripe fruit is picked
daily before a competitor picks it or it spoils. That is why
in large corporations you will find both a marketing
function and a sales function. However, most small
businesses don’t have the luxury of two separate functions.
Many small business owners have to both cultivate and
harvest new business as well as oversee or even implement
the myriad of other functions required to keep a business
going.

The purchase decision involves a process of moving from
unawareness to awareness, awareness to preference or liking
and finally to conviction and purchase. Promotional
activities such as advertising and direct mail are most
effective in the awareness building stage. Public relations
activities and networking tend to be most powerful in the
preference and liking stage. Direct selling tends to be the
activity that actually closes sales.

Blair Singer in his book Sales Dogs says “The more marketing
you do, the less selling effort you have to deal with.
Prospects put up their hands and come looking for you
instead of your having to sniff them out. It’s the art of
having sales opportunities come to you” In effect what he is
saying is the more effort you put into cultivating your
orchard, the less time you have to spend out looking for
fruit in other people’s orchards. The challenge for
Cultivators is to make sure they call on the prospect once
they’ve raised their hand.

If you’re a Harvester how can you develop cultivation
skills?
· Implement activities to develop awareness that
allow you to reach many potential customers in less time
than it would take you to reach each one individually.

. For example send out a predetermined number of letters
each week to prospective customers you have not met and
that may not yet be aware of your product or service.

· Develop systematic ways to stay in contact with
prospects that are not currently ready to purchase such
as a regular newsletter.

· Develop credibility through active involvement or
a leadership role in a trade association or organization
that your potential customers are involved in.

If you are a Cultivator how can you assure you are
harvesting the rewards of your work?

· Initiate one-on-one follow-up when someone
expresses interest. Don’t expect even very interested
people to follow-up with you.

· Don’t approach the initial meeting as a “sales”
meeting. Rather than trying to sell, use the initial meeting
as an opportunity to really learn about the prospects, their
problems and their needs.

· Learn to love objections. If someone has an objection
to your product or service at least they have an interest.
An objection is easier to deal with than a lack of interest
any day.

· Rethink your attitude toward closing a sale. Think
of it as gaining commitment for an action.

If you are a Cultivator, the harvest will never be your
favorite time of the growing season. If you are a Harvester
you will never relish the work it takes to grow and ripen
the fruit. However, successfully building new business
requires both.