Harvesting Mullein. Then I cut open the stalk and scoop pit the insides and use it on cooking. When smoked or added to teas, they can produce a mild, legal high. I may be too late for this year. Mullein Leaves. Collect the large basal leaves that are close to the ground at most any time of year, and collect flowers in the summer, mid-morning after dew has dried. It was used historically in fermentation of stouts and liqueurs and I assume you could still do that today. Then a more thorough washing inside the house and it is time to put them to use. Both the leaves and flowers contain mucilage, which is soothing to irritated membranes, and saponins, which make coughs more productive. If you remove this stalk before it forms seeds, the same rosette of leaves will put up several shorter flower stalks, making for … Harvest the buds and flowers when in bloom (Usually between July and September) and use them fresh or dried. It is delish. . How do you use it like vanilla? The tincture will preserve itself because of the oil. On the right, you can see the leaves I discarded. I try to be as self-reliant as possible and I have a good start to my “suburban homestead”. And when I lived on 81 acres, I made butter and cheese and stuff. The best time to do this is later in the day, when any dew has evaporated. We have an abundance of mullein here (MT) This past week, a hard freeze and snow was predicted so it was time to dig some mullein root. You put some in some olive oil with a little crushed garlic. The flowers can be used fresh with olive oil to create a healing tincture, and the dried leaves make a healing tea. As an Infusion or Tea: The dried flowers and leaves of the Mullein plant are often used in teas for coughs, colds, flus, sore throats, asthma, and upper respiratory infections. and thanks for the reminder that it is the flowers and not the leaves. Please tell me as I can’t find this answer anywhere. However, this harvest time prevents the blossoms that normally appear the second year. As a Sedative or Legal High: Mullein leaves have a mild sedative and narcotic properties. They can also be harvested in fall if it is their first year growing. Elijah thinks they would make good bedding. Use the leaves of the mint plant fresh, or lay flat in a cool, dry place to dry out the leaves for future use. So instead of reaching for the cough syrup, go outside and harvest your own mullein, or purchase some mullein tea online. It does have a faint vanilla aroma. I pick the flowers, put them on a cookie sheet covered with paper towels and let them dry – then I store them. The first year, the plant produces a leafy base; the second year, a single upright stalk emerges from the center of the base and produces a thick head of soft yellow blooms. The leaves, flowers and roots of the plant are used for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases, diarrhea, asthma, coughs and other lung-related ailments — making it one of the top herbs for healing. You need color photos! Many growers believe the root should be harvested when the plant's energy is highest, that would be the first year in the fall. Both its flowers and leaves are very useful! Its easy to recognize by its soft, fuzzy leaves, and tall flower spike. While you can still harvest the leaves from the stalk once it matures, it’s best to use tender, young leaves. I like to grow or wildcraft the herbs we use on a regular basis…goes back to that ability to be self sufficient as I care for my family’s medicinal needs. I also let them wilt/dry and use an oil maceration. How does one preserve and use the flowers? Strain the oil through a cloth-lined strainer and store it at room temperature. Pick the leaves in mid-morning, giving overnight dew a chance to evaporate. a) I know mullein draws up nutrients, if this happens in the first year, or is it good to let the plant for another season. I have an 11 1/2 year old daughter who woukd be a very enthusiastic helper, but she has not set foot on my property in nearly 5 years. Would you tincture roots and leaves together? I laid the roots out on the driveway and hosed off the dirt and clay. Although we have always harvested Mullein from our farm fields, for the last few years we have had some Mullein plants pop up in our side yard. I’m drying some for future use and tincturing a good amount for a variety of things. Once I do process the flowers in oil and it cools. Don’t forget to save seed to replant! I am in Metro Nashville –Tusculum area of Antioch. The seeds are very tiny (think pepper!) Avoid disturbing the soil. What Is Mullein Used For? You can also harvest the root of the mullein herb. I tried rinsing them, but the flowers themselves are so fragile and I’m afraid I’m washing some of their goodness away. 3-Ingredient Mullein Tea Recipe Ingredients: – 1.5 cups water – 2 teaspoons mullein leaves and/or flowers Please enter your e-mail address. The flowers are best harvested early in the morning and dried in the shade. I would love to have 5 acres or so out in the country someday, but maybe I will have to be content with visiting the farms of others. Mullein oil is extracted from the flower or leaves of the plant. Hope this helps . They should feel naturally smooth. After spending half of the day getting the hens ready for the coming winter, it was time to turn my thoughts towards harvesting herbs and to begin the harvest of various roots around the farm. My current plan is to locate a Mullein field, harvest and dry the leaves for tea this winter. The most sustainable way to forage for and harvest mullein is to find the fuzzy leaves in the spring time and harvest them before the flower stalk starts to shoot up when the weather gets very warm. In the fall, it is traditionally time to harvest roots from your medicinal plants. After you’ve harvested your flowers, follow the steps in this blog post to create an herbal infused oil. More on that in a future post! I include the stalks when I make an oil maceration of Mullein. If the leaves are only collected later in the afternoon, they contain more glycosides, and the number of essential oils is reduced. If the infestation of the plant is very dense, use herbicides. Harvest anytime during the growing season, which lasts from spring to late summer, but pick only the smallest new leaves. Harvested mint leaves may also be frozen whole in an airtight container. Mullein leaves grow very large, so the new leaves near the top of the bushy foliage may be a long as 6 inches and about 3 inches wide. Description. Grow some herbs and learn to use them in different ways, learn to wildcraft with a good plant ID book. I’m sure if you look locally, you could find an organic farmer who would LOVE to have someone help with the milking in exchange for raw milk. If smoking for pleasure (or for ceremony), do try to keep your smoke blend just a wee bit moist; bone dry herbs are a harsher smoke. A friend of mine picks the leaves and freezes them for use over the winter. Create a simple infusion by filling a glass jar with dried mullein leaves. Also, if it is for your cat's ear, I believe it is the little yellow mullein flowers (as opposed to the leaves) that are good for ears. In the first year, it grows into a large rosette of oblong, thick, and fuzzy green-gray leaves. In the fall, it is traditionally time to harvest roots from your medicinal plants. Today is the last day of 2020. It just depends on what you are trying to create and what you are going to use them for as to which way to go. You want to pick only the freshest, unblemished leaves. Mullein tea, either as a medicinal or beverage drink is … Mullein flowers dry very quickly and the little bugs craw out of those flowers too! Mullein is a biennial plant, meaning that it lives two years. Mullein is biennial, flowering in its second year. Harvest mullein leaves when they are fresh and vibrant looking, ideally when the leaves are still in a basal rosette. Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is a medicinal plant of fields and waste places. If symptoms persist, seek medical attention. I would love to share a vow and have raw milk. Your email address will not be published. I need to find someone with a dairy cow my daughter can milk. The added water will help the smoking blend taste and feel better when smoked. You will receive a new password via e-mail. Basic Information Botanical Name. Thanks! Have, Happy birthday to you The friend that keeps m, Are you ready to start the new year by launching i, Medicinal Uses for Yarrow—The Homestead Herb, Medicinal Uses for Yarrow—The Ultimate Homestead Herb, Homemade Cough Syrup | Eucalyptus and Thyme, Homemade Herbal Marshmallow Hot Chocolate, Essential Oils and Herbs for Ear Infections, Flu Fighting Elderberry and Astragalus Syrup, How to Make Herbal Infused Oil for Salves and Herb Products, Why You Shouldn’t Make Instant Pot Elderberry Syrup, Medicinal Uses of Goldenrod & Goldenrod Tincture, The Best Antiviral Herbs and Viral Ailment Support Herbs, https://thefewellhomestead.com/how-to-make-herbal-lotion-bars/, In a small bowl, try to shred your herbs together. You want to dig the roots once the plants have begun to die back. © Copyright The Mommy Herbalist | Website by. That oil goes into a frig “labeled and dated” and will last as long as the recommendation on whatever oil you used! On the right, you can see the leaves I discarded. To make mullein tea, steep seven fresh or dried mullein leaves and some flowers (without the seeds) in 5 cups of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Add as much of the mixture as you can to your. I just toss the seeds into a flower bed and next spring I’ll have plants! Mullein grows wild all over our farm – having them pop up in our side yard just makes it easier. Harvest leaves while the mullein is in bloom in late spring or early summer for the best flavor. How is mullein resin harvested? Mullein has the softest leaves – very similar to  Lamb’s Ear only on a much larger scale. Feel free to email me if you have questions on getting started with herbs and oils! You can use a. Spritz your herbal blend with just a bit of water. Mullein leaves are harvested throughout the spring and summer. I encourage you to grow your own medicinal herbs and learn to use them! I always keep some dried so that through the winter, if a need arises, I can use them which ever way I need. Identifying the Medicinal plant – Mullein. I want to know if the same use would be applied to the mullein spikes/stalk. All parts of the Mullein plant can be used, roots, leaves and flowers! This past week, a hard freeze and snow was predicted so it was time to dig some mullein root. Required fields are marked *, To YHVH be the Glory! Thanks. It was a great harvest! I sure could use the good stuff for my newest plot, which is really barren soil. I use the sprouts, and leaves. Hope this helps! I grow Brussels sprouts. and b) when to harvest the leaves. Allow them to dry for several days. If you attended an herbal medicine class this year, you’ll remember them from our outdoor plant identification walk. The best time to harvest the roots of mullein are between fall of its first year and spring of its second before the plant flowers. Although I harvested leaves throughout the summer, there were several plants that popped up late in the summer and had not yet begun to flower. Cover the leaves with oil (such as olive or sunflower oil) and place the jar in a cool place for three to six weeks. All spring I harvested the bright yellow flowers in the mornings – these will be used to make my herbal ear oil. The flower stalk oozes a brown protective, self-healing resin for the plant. I lay my flowers out on cookie sheets for a day or two. You want the herbs to be moist, but not at all soaking. Michael Moore suggests harvesting the flowers individually off of the plant despite how time consuming it is. How do you debug the flowers? I harvested some flowers today only to find that they are covered in tiny, tiny bugs. Peterson’s makes them for medicinal plants. I harvested the leaves from those plants as well and ended up with a huge amount of mullein leaves! Begin by researching issues that your family deals with on a regular basis, find the herbal solutions, grow them and learn how to use them! Custody battle from Hell, which I hope will be ending soon. Mullein is POSSIBLY SAFE when applied directly to the ear, short-term. I saw a video of a guy picking the flowers and putting them straight into the oil fresh (bugs and all?) What an eventful ye, My grandmother had this old handwritten cook book, The top 9 photos on my IG in 2020. Mullein leaf tea is slightly bitter; a tea of the flowers is sweeter. The flower stalks were dead although there were till a few green leaves on some of the plants. Cut off the entire flower stalk when the mullein is in bloom. thanks. Plant medicine is easy, fun and adds to your security when hard times come. Is it possible to make an alcohol tincture with the mullein flowers? I'm planning to experiment, and amend a portion of it with mullein. Drink it with a bit of honey to fight inflammation and soothe a sore throat while killing off bacteria and viruses. I NEVER put anything fresh into oil. This will help the blend be more palatable. You want to dig the roots once the plants have begun to die back. Can you email me your answer? He refers to it as Mullein Yoga. Likewise, leaves collected earlier in the day are generally much richer in essential oils. Log in. To make your own ear oil, you’ll need to find a Mullein plant cluster (not on private property and not next to a roadside) from which you can harvest a jar’s worth of Mullein flowers. The fresh leaves and flowers are a tasty addition to salads. Any moisture in plant material can cause mold in your salve/oil. In a pinch, the leaves can be harvested from a plant with a flower stalk. You’ll leave the lid off so moisture from the flowers can escape and let it sit like this for 3 days. Note: There are several effective ways to make an herbal infusion. Hope this helps! In the second year, a stalk develops and the leaves grow in an alternate pattern up the stalk. Mullein leaf really doesn't have a lot of flavor, and is used largely because it burns so well, and can help a blend that mixes harder roots and barks with softer, faster burning leaves smoke more evenly. From inspiratio, The year is almost over, a thought of which I am s, As we get ready to go into a new year, I want to s, Are you trying to become a work at home mom? Mullein is weedy and thus widely available, the only major thing to consider is that harvesting is best in areas that are free of pollutants. Also, do you know what the shelf life is for the flower oil? The addition of the mullein flowers in the tea gives it a slightly sweet taste. Roots can be gathered before the stalk grows, sliced and dried. If you are not in a position to grow your herbs, I always recommend Mountain Rose Herbs – I’ve used them for almost 2 decades and have never been disappointed in the quality or effectiveness of their herbs! Large, fresh mullein leaves can be used to develop poultices to treat joint pain or gout. Bundle and hang the leaves upside down to dry. If you want to get rid of mullein plants, uproot the plants before they start flowering. Mullein leaves are best harvested in the summer of the second year as the plant is growing its stalk. Your email address will not be published. A crockpot or a saucepan on a low setting works great. The best times are in the fall of the first year’s growth or in the spring of the second year, before the flower stalk starts to grow. Morning Lydia! and are inside what looks like “larger round seeds”! They are drying as we speak and I will have enough Mullein leaves for the year and to share with others. The root of the mullein herb can also be harvested, but opinions vary on when the best time for root harvest may be. I still order from them on a regular basis to get herbs that either won’t grow here in Tennessee or, for those herbs I’m not yet growing or wildcrafting. Does it make a difference if they are fresh or dry? Lay the leaves on a cookie screen, making sure not to let them pile up on each other or overlap, and cover them with cheesecloth. Mullein has been used since ancient times, and its use and popularity only seem to be increasing as time goes on. The oil is used as a remedy for earaches, eczema, and some other skin conditions.. One … I hope you can find your acreage! Mullein for colds is a simple concept, and the plant is easy to harvest and preserve for the winter season. Still, you can grow ground cover plants, as they will prevent the germination of the plants. Their Mullein is superb and very inexpensive! You want to pick only the freshest, unblemished leaves. I prefer the leaves before the plants send up their flower stalks. It is best to harvest Mullein when the flowers are blooming. The flowers can also be saved and dried in the same way as the leaves. The leaves and flowers can be dried, and used like other herbal teas. Foraging mullein leaves and flowers Because the flowers are tiny and open over a period of time, it's necessary to either harvest from a large patch or to pick some open flowers daily. When making a mullein flower infusion with fresh flowers you’ll need to fill your jar with flowers, barely cover them in oil, and place the jar in a warm place over low heat. Stalks and leaves can be dried or used fresh, and even the seeds are useful. Remember to harvest responsibly: don't strip a patch bare by taking all the plants and/or flowers. Ty to anyone who can answer my question, Hi Penela, I want to encourage you to start now! It is also fun to take the dried flower stalks and use them as torches…either as is or dipped in tallow or parafin…farm fun! A specific product that contains mullein, garlic, calendula, and St. John’s wort has been used in the ear for up to 3 days. Also, it removed only some of the bugs. Methods of Use. Do not exceed smoking the herbal mix for more than 2 weeks. Long-oval, woolly-velvety leaves: In the first year of growth, mullein develops a rosette of very hairy leaves (on both the top and bottom sides). Mullein propagation is usually done from seed, though you can transplant foraged root stock or seedlings (18 to 24 inches apart) in your garden. Each year I ask Elijah to mow around them. You can use them fresh if you decide to tincture them – I do this. Pick leaves off the mullein plant. That resin was once used in baking…kind of like vanilla is today. To begin with, each rosette of mullein leaves puts up a single flower stalk that can sometimes reach six feet (2 m.) in height. Verbascum thapsus is the most commonly used species of mullein, though there are other varieties. Once you harvest mullein, you can use it to create medicinal herbal teas by pouring boiling water over fresh or dried mullein leaves. When to Harvest Mullein Leaves | Hunker A large, upright plant from the figwort family, mullein (Verbascum Thapsus) is a biennial, meaning it grows two years in a row. Your email address will not be published. My kids were raised on it and the health benefits are amazing! Strain the tea through a cheesecloth or a coffee filter to remove the leaf hairs that can irritate the throat. I have been interested in herbal medicine for over 40 years but am just now at a point where I think I can start putting my interest into action. by Cheri | Nov 4, 2014 | Herbal Remedies | 10 comments. Leaves can grow up to 2 feet long. You can read more about using Mullein in this post. 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Leaves when they are drying as we speak and I have a good amount for a day or.. The summer of the mixture as you can see the leaves from those plants as well and ended up a... Oozes a brown protective, self-healing resin for the cough syrup, go outside and your! Get rid of mullein just a bit how to harvest mullein leaves honey to fight inflammation and soothe sore! Vibrant looking, ideally when the best time to put them to use them fresh dried! What an eventful ye, my grandmother had this old handwritten cook book, the 9. Are only collected later in the morning and dried added water will help smoking. A variety of things roots out on cookie sheets for a day or two roots... And freezes them for use over the winter season oblong, thick, and like. Your salve/oil tallow or parafin…farm fun m drying some for future use and tincturing good! Are a tasty addition to salads up their flower stalks were dead although there till!