Harvesting Herb Bunches

We grew basil, cilantro, dill, and two kinds of parsley at the farm this year. They always sold really well at market and they are a great item to have next to the cash box. If someone is buying tomatoes you can suggest a delicious basil tomato salad or some cilantro to make a fresh salsa. People were always interested in buying a bunch of fresh herbs to compliment what they were already purchasing. We also sold the herbs with a quantity discount - $3 each bunch or 3 for $8.

Harvesting was a little different for each herb:

Basil 

For creating basil bunches we would pull off select leaf stems by hand, making sure to not remove more than 1/3 of the plant at a time. The plants would continue to grow throughout the season. There were usually about 20 stems per bunch. Tie them with a rubber band and then trim the ends to be even with your knife. We would take our tote and stand it sideways on its end - then you can lay the bunches, stacking them inside the tote. Once you fill up the tote, you can stand it upright again and the bunches will all be standing up straight. Add a little water to the bottom of the tote. Try not to have the leaves stand in water as they will turn brown/black. We would also bring a shallow tray to market to put inside of our wicker basket. We would add 1/2 inch of water to the tray and stand the basil up in that - keeps it fresher longer.

Cilantro and Dill

For both of these herbs we would harvest the plant by cutting the root just below the soil surface (like in the picture above.) This way you are harvesting the whole plant instead of just individual stems. Take off any remaining cotyledons, low leaves and any dead stems. We would do maybe 15 stems per bunch. Rubber band them and trim the ends to be even with a knife. We would wash the bunches with the sprayer and then store in a tote without water.

Parsley (Curly & Flat)

For a while we were harvesting just stems and letting the plant continue to grow but half way through the season we switched to just chopping off the whole  plant, leaving about an 1 1/2 inches of plant to grow back fully. Pick out anything that is too small or brown. Also pull of any leaves that are really low, so that the rubber band doesn't cover any leaves - they will rot quicker. Band them and trim the ends. We would dip each bunch in water to remove the dirt. At market - flat sells better than curly, it has a better taste too. With my crop plan this year, I'm planning on growing just flat, no curly. But, just know your market.