The Bootstrap Guide to Medicinal Herbs in the Garden, Field & Marketplace (Paperback)

~ (Author), Tim Blakley (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In this guide to growing and selling medicinal herbs, part 1 presents detailed information on growing medicinal herb blossoms, echinacea, ginseng, Chinese medicinal herbs, and mushrooms. The authors discuss "wildcrafting" (collecting herbs from the wild and from public land), the practice of medical herbalism, processing herbs into products, and regulations governing the herbs. Part 2 discusses the importance of growing herbs and what machinery and tools are needed to get started. Instructions are given on propagation, planting and cultivation, harvesting, processing, drying, and selling. There is an alphabetical list of 75 medicinal herbs, including bloodroot, catnip, dandelion, garlic, horehound, lavender, licorice, nettle, plantain, and Saint-John's-wort (which seems to be the accepted cure-all these days). The latest in the publisher's Bootstrap guides. George Cohen

Product Description

Featuring a thorough discussion on the propagation, planting, cultivation, harvest, processing, and drying of 75 specific herbs now used in the medicinal herb market, this complete book also includes information on average market prices and herbal safety and product standardization. 35 line drawings.

Product Details

• Paperback: 323 pages
• Publisher: San Juan Naturals (July 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0962163570
• ISBN-13: 978-0962163579
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,039,079 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you need to know...and more, January 9, 2000

By	teri foster gray (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This is an amazing book. When my husband and I began to consider the cultivation of medicinal herbs as a retirement project, The Bootstrap Guide was recommended to us by Heather McNeill of Frontier Herbs, a major medicinal herb marketer.

The Bootstrap Guide to Medicinal Herbs exceeded my expectations. In addition to an overview of the medicinal herb industry, there are profiles of growers and herbal product manufacturers, growing requirements, and detailed instructions for propagation, cultivation, harvesting, and marketing, including questionaires filled out by herb marketing companies such as Frontier and Celestial Seasonings. These questionaires alone are worth the price of the book, giving such information as minimum purchase quantities, preference for fresh or dried, organic or non-organic, and market projections.

In addition, there is a thorough discussion of the ethics of wildcrafting and the need to develop domesticated sources for the many herbs whose popularity has made them endangered species. All this in a friendly, concise, well-written 318 pages.

If herb-growing or market gardening forms a part of your life, or your plans, read this book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you want to grow herbs commercially, read this, January 2, 2003

By	J Davis (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

I counsel people on growing medicinal herbs commercially and this is the number one book I recommend to people considering starting a herb business. Lee Sturdivant provides inspirational stories from successful herb businesses around the nation. Tim Blakley provides an extensive listing of a wide variety of popular medicinal herbs and the most up-to-date information on how to grow them. Harvesting, packaging, and marketing information is also provided. Excellent book! I hope the authors will keep this one updated for us.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very little information about what the different herbs are used for., July 12, 2005

By	C. J. wartes (missouri) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It has all the information you need for starting your herb business, just dont expect to learn what people use the herbs for.