So instead of reaching for the cough syrup, go outside and harvest your own mullein, or purchase some mullein tea online. You need color photos! Mullein oil is extracted from the flower or leaves of the plant. by Cheri | Nov 4, 2014 | Herbal Remedies | 10 comments. Then I cut open the stalk and scoop pit the insides and use it on cooking. You can read more about using Mullein in this post. It’s best to do so in the morning and let the flowers dry in the shade. In the fall, it is traditionally time to harvest roots from your medicinal plants. If you have fresh leaves and flowers, lay them on a cookie sheet and cover them with cheesecloth.Be sure they are not exposed to moisture for 2-3 days until they are completely dry; then, you are ready to brew some tea. You want to pick only the freshest, unblemished leaves.  On the right, you can see the leaves I discarded. The flower stalks were dead although there were till a few green leaves on some of the plants. Leaves can grow up to 2 feet long. Don’t forget to save seed to replant!  I just toss the seeds into a flower bed and next spring I’ll have plants!  The seeds are very tiny (think pepper!) Ty to anyone who can answer my question, Hi Penela, The mullein flowers are harvested daily, as they open. Your email address will not be published. Use the following tips to harvest and enjoy a batch of fresh mint. If you cannot harvest enough fresh rosemary leaves, you can purchase more from a local greenhouse or grocery store. 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! Harvest the flowers in the morning and let them dry in the shade. Peterson’s makes them for medicinal plants. The dry winds do a really good job of thoroughly drying the stalks that are above the snow. Dry thoroughly before storing them. Allow them to dry for several days. 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We have an abundance of mullein here (MT) In the first year it appears as a basal rosette of leaves, and in the second year, it sends up huge flower spikes with many bright densely clustered yellow flowers which only open for one day. If you attended an herbal medicine class this year, you’ll remember them from our outdoor plant identification walk. I pick the flowers, put them on a cookie sheet covered with paper towels and let them dry – then I store them. 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. Trying to eat the leaves is so unpleasant (to all vertebrate herbivores; some insects and perhaps slugs can manage to deal with the little bristles) that this precludes possible GI irritations. Mullein has the softest leaves – very similar to  Lamb’s Ear only on a much larger scale. I NEVER put anything fresh into oil. Thanks! and are inside what looks like “larger round seeds”! Mullein leaf tea is slightly bitter; a tea of the flowers is sweeter. Do not remove more than 20 percent of the plant's bulk during clipping. Disclosure. 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! Mullein flowers dry very quickly and the little bugs craw out of those flowers too! Once it is dry, you can put it in a jar for longer term storage. The leaves of the plant can also be harvested for use. The flowers are ready for harvest in late summer. 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. Michael Moore suggests harvesting the flowers individually off of the plant despite how time consuming it is. 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. Mint is a fragrant and useful herb. How is mullein resin harvested? I include the stalks when I make an oil maceration of Mullein. 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. When harvested, mint can be used to make tea, prepare bath and body products and used medicinally for indigestion. 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! Mullein - Wild Harvest; Use leaves as a garnish or take to seed and use seeds in cooking. Crushing the leaves creates more surface area to extract the benefits. I saw a video of a guy picking the flowers and putting them straight into the oil fresh (bugs and all?) It was a great harvest! I'm planning to experiment, and amend a portion of it with mullein. That resin was once used in baking…kind of like vanilla is today. I am in Metro Nashville –Tusculum area of Antioch. 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. For now, feel free to continue reading. Mullein is a biennial herbaceous member of the Scrophulariaceae family, bearing silvery green and extremely fuzzy leaves, and growing up to eight feet in height. Required fields are marked *, To YHVH be the Glory! 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. If you are foraging your mullein, place it in the sun, oven, or dehydrator for a few hours to dry. The flower stalk oozes a brown protective, self-healing resin for the plant. Growing Conditions USDA Growing Zone(s): Greek Mullein grows well in zones 5-9. Both the leaves and flowers contain mucilage, which is soothing to irritated membranes, and … 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.  I harvested the leaves from those plants as well and ended up with a huge amount of mullein leaves!  They are drying as we speak and I will have enough Mullein leaves for the year and to share with others. I prefer the leaves before the plants send up their flower stalks. Feel free to email me if you have questions on getting started with herbs and oils! Stalk and root contain a very mild sedative. I grow Brussels sprouts. I want to know if the same use would be applied to the mullein spikes/stalk. Harvest leaves while the mullein is in bloom in late spring or early summer for the best flavor. 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. The flowers in oil are good for ear aches. Mullein leaves, stems, and most of the floral parts are covered with short thin bristles that are extreme irritants to the human respiratory tract and conjunctiva. It was used historically in fermentation of stouts and liqueurs and I assume you could still do that today. I hope you can find your acreage! Mullein Leaves. I would love to share a vow and have raw milk. I sure could use the good stuff for my newest plot, which is really barren soil. Mullein leaves are harvested throughout the spring and summer.  I prefer the leaves before the plants send up their flower stalks. You see, a common folk name for mullein is "Quaker rouge", based on a use in which Quakers, not allowed to wear make-up, would rub their cheeks with the leaves to create a rosy "blush" effect. 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). 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. © Copyright The Mommy Herbalist | Website by. In a pinch, the leaves can be harvested from a plant with a flower stalk. It does have a faint vanilla aroma. $4.00 Quantity: at $ 4.00 each Add To Basket. He refers to it as Mullein … 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. How to Make Mullein Tea? 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. I use the sprouts, and leaves. Mullein grows wild all over our farm – having them pop up in our side yard just makes it easier. Elijah thinks they would make good bedding. This plant is showy and big, with bright yellow flowers and stalks growing up to 8’ tall. I need to find someone with a dairy cow my daughter can milk. Your email address will not be published. I may be too late for this year. My personal favorite time in Michigan to harvest anything with a pith, like mullein, for hand drill is in the dead of winter. For 1 cup of dried rosemary leaves, you will need to harvest 4 cups of fresh leaves. All parts of the Mullein plant can be used, roots, leaves and flowers! 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. How to Harvest Mint. Any moisture in plant material can cause mold in your salve/oil. 3-Ingredient Mullein Tea Recipe Ingredients: – 1.5 cups water – 2 teaspoons mullein leaves and/or flowers If you want to make your own mullein tea, you will need either fresh or dried mullein leaves and flowers. Those gathered in the afternoon contain more glycosides. Here are five medicinal uses of mullein, as well as four ways you can prepare it. Hope this helps 🙂. Is it possible to make an alcohol tincture with the mullein flowers? When to Harvest . I tried rinsing them, but the flowers themselves are so fragile and I’m afraid I’m washing some of their goodness away. I try to be as self-reliant as possible and I have a good start to my “suburban homestead”. Crush the leaves or bruise the flowers. 🙂. 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. Start with mullein leaves and/or flowers. 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. Custody battle from Hell, which I hope will be ending soon. (h/t to HomesteadSurvivalSite.com) Disinfectant Mullein oil is a powerful disinfectant […] 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. Harvest mullein leaves when they are fresh and vibrant looking, ideally when the leaves are still in a basal rosette. 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.  Each year I ask Elijah to mow around them. I’m drying some for future use and tincturing a good amount for a variety of things. Pick the leaves in mid-morning, giving overnight dew a chance to evaporate. 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. I laid the roots out on the driveway and hosed off the dirt and clay. Roots can … Please tell me as I can’t find this answer anywhere. You can use them fresh if you decide to tincture them – I do this. Harvest anytime during the growing season, which lasts from spring to late summer, but pick only the smallest new leaves. Mullein leaves are harvested throughout the spring and summer. How does one preserve and use the flowers? Morning Lydia! Between June and October, you can harvest the flowers from the mullein plants. Mullein has the best of all of these qualities, thankfully! Greek Mullein, Olympic Mullein Harvest Harvest the flowers from second year plants when the flowers open. Mullein has been used for centuries as a medicinal herb. The dried soft and fuzzy mullein leaves … While you can still harvest the leaves from the stalk once it matures, it’s best to use tender, young leaves. How do you debug the flowers? I may even make a mullein infused oil for use in a salve, or even on its own as an ear infection treatment. There are over 200 species of mullein, and they can be found around the world, including the United States. How do you use it like vanilla? How to Deadhead Mullein Flowers Would you tincture roots and leaves together? Mullein leaves are usually gathered the first year of growth, although the second year leaves are supposedly as effective in medicinal teas. It is delish. If you remove this stalk before it forms seeds, the same rosette of leaves will put up several shorter flower stalks, making for a new, interesting look and lots more flowers. They can also be harvested in fall if it is their first year growing. 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. Their Mullein is superb and very inexpensive! I also let them wilt/dry and use an oil maceration. Harvest the buds and flowers when in bloom (Usually between July and September) and use them fresh or dried. and b) when to harvest the leaves. When you collected leaves earlier in the day, they are higher in essential oils. Another mullein leaf use, combined with a warning: A LOT of people refer to large, fuzzy mullein leaves as potential toilet paper, but this may not be such a good use to explore. For fire making, this season is when the Mullein plant is most useful. Plant medicine is easy, fun and adds to your security when hard times come. I want to encourage you to start now! The best time to do this is later in the day, when any dew has evaporated. Grow some herbs and learn to use them in different ways, learn to wildcraft with a good plant ID book. And when I lived on 81 acres, I made butter and cheese and stuff. To harvest them, you do not need special equipment. In the second year, a stalk develops and the leaves grow in an alternate pattern up the stalk. Mullein tea is a traditional treatment for respiratory problems, such as chest colds, bronchitis and asthma. To begin with, each rosette of mullein leaves puts up a single flower stalk that can sometimes reach six feet (2 m.) in height. You can also harvest in early spring before any green growth but it’s better in the fall. Cut off the entire flower stalk when the mullein is in bloom. Although mullein is native to Asia and Europe, the plant has naturalized across the United States since it was introduced in the 1700s. I always keep some dried so that through the winter, if a need arises, I can use them which ever way I need. More on that in a future post! HARVEST: Harvest leaves, preferably in the first year before the flower stalk emerges (which happens in the second year), in late summer to early spring (not early or mid summer). Also, it removed only some of the bugs. Below is a break-down of the 4 Fire Components of the Mullein Plant: Component # 1: Mullein Leaves No matter the method of fire-making… you need to start with great tinder. Also, do you know what the shelf life is for the flower oil? Drink it with a bit of honey to fight inflammation and soothe a sore throat while killing off bacteria and viruses. Thanks. Can you email me your answer? The stalk and blossoms grow the second year. It helps to slice the leaves up the stalk, which is thick and can retain water and cause mold. This past week, a hard freeze and snow was predicted so it was time to dig some mullein root. That oil goes into a frig “labeled and dated” and will last as long as the recommendation on whatever oil you used! My kids were raised on it and the health benefits are amazing! Mullein leaves are best harvested in the summer of the second year as the plant is growing its stalk. Although, I've used stalks during every season and had them work, the dead of winter just seems to work better for me. How to make mullein tea. Pick leaves off the mullein plant. Once I do process the flowers in oil and it cools. I lay my flowers out on cookie sheets for a day or two. Bundle and hang the leaves upside down to dry. Leaves can be harvested any time in first or second year; just make sure you’re harvesting from a clean, unsprayed area to avoid possible contaminants. 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. Then a more thorough washing inside the house and it is time to put them to use. The flowers can also be saved and dried in the same way as the leaves. Susun talks about Mullein harvesting. You want to dig the roots once the plants have begun to die back. OP A first glance at this plant often catches the eye. Hope this helps! Does it make a difference if they are fresh or dry? Stay tuned for the first newsletter in the morning, straight to your inbox. Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is an herbaceous plant that produces large, woolly, grayish-green leaves and bright yellow flowers in summer, followed by egg-shaped, pale brown fruits in fall. 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