Mullein: heal the earth with cowboy toilet paper

[Paul Wheaton]

This might be my best video yet.

While the focus is on how it will turn gravel/rock/dirt into soil, there is a lot covered about it's uses as a poor man's medicine.

YouTube

[Danaus29]

I love the spokesmodel! He sure is a talkative kid. LOL
Good video.

I accidentally knocked my mullein seedhead over. It's still green so I'm hoping the seeds will go ahead and mature.

[bruce2288]

You really need to listen to the crap this Toby guy is saying. First he go on about how Mullein likes compacted soil, then says it grows well on gravel, which is definately not compacted soil. No plant likes compacted soil. The other guys at least knew what they were talking about. It is an early succession plant,is able to grow in poor soil or compacted soil, but not well adapted to compete with other plants. I would suggest Toby do a little reading about adaptation, succession and study how the natural world really works. Plants do not take a bow and move along when their job is done. I bet he thinks bambi really does talk to flower.

[Paul Wheaton]

Bruce: did you see the mullein growing in the asphalt?

And did you see the mullein growing in the rock pile? Sand? Gravel?

[Danaus29]

A driveway is rocky compacted soil. I've seen them growing in gravel driveways. Can't get much more compacted than a gravel driveway. And yes, gravel can be compacted. If you don't believe me I've got a good spot for you to try digging in. (I have 2 holes that have to be dug for shrubs )

[chickenista]

This area is abundant with compacted HARD soil.
But there are a few places with softer, more supple soil.
The mullein is always in the poor soil. Always.
So, when I got some and planted it, I found the most horrible, rocky, clay hard, hot, sunny, wretched patch of earth in my yard. It is a strip in front of an old foundation wall from a building long gone. Screaming sun and not even weeds will grow there.
The mullein looks fantastic!!
It is one of the happiest and healthiest plants in the yard this year.

[mudburn]

We harvest and dry mullein leaves for making tea during the winter months.

[Annie]

mudburn, is it bitter at all? I always have some growing here and there. Comes up in the bad soil and sometimes in the good and has been coming back for at least 15 years. Video was good, Paul. Thanks.

[Trisha in WA]

mudburn, I had wondered about doing that myself! How does the tea taste?

[mudburn]

It's not bitter. I find it to have a pleasant, mild taste. Sometimes I will sweeten it with honey, but often I won't. It's nice when experiencing some congestion or coughing. I like it as a tea.

[terri46355]

I steep mullein in vodka for a tincture. It helps with respiratory ailments.

[chickenista]

We drink the tea here as well.
My dad has some breathing troubles and mullein tea helps.
It is fairly mild, but you can also make it a strong or light as you prefer.
I like to add a splash of cranberry juice or a rose hip or two to tart it up a bit.
He has been known to smoke it as well, but puff it lightly. It will really open up your lungs. Whoowhee.

[edcopp]

We gather the leaves, dry them; and smoke some in a pipe to relieve lung congestion.

[chickenista]

Oh.. with the tea, it needs to made in a cloth bag or a coffee filter to strain out the little hairs. They can be irritating.

[Paul Wheaton]

I edited out the part about smoking it. Well, I edited out a lot of stuff to get it to shrink a bit.

I wonder if instead of smoking it like a cigar, you could burn it like incense.