The wild form of the mullein (Verbascum), also commonly known as the wool flower, is often found in this country on fallow construction sites with gravel-covered soil. Since the plant copes well with extreme drought and heat, caring for it in the right location is not very time-consuming.
How do you properly care for a mullein?
The mullein requires little care: Choose a sunny location without waterlogging, ensure good drainage in heavy soils and let the plant grow without additional watering or fertilizing. Pests and diseases are rare and pruning is done after flowering.
Should mullein be watered in summer?
The mullein can usually cope with even greater drought without difficulty, as the leaves of the plant, also known as the wool flower, are protected from evaporation by fine hairs.
Can you transplant the mullein?
In principle, transplanting only makes sense for two- and perennial mullein, but this should only be considered when choosing a more suitable location. If you have to remove a mullein from a garden bed for design reasons, you can get root cuttings for propagation when transplanting and then replant the mother plant as quickly as possible. Make sure not to let the roots dry out and to water them in the new location.
When and how should the mullein be cut?
After the mullein has flowered in midsummer, the seeds form in the capsules before the inflorescence, which can be up to two meters high, begins to wilt. If you want to get seeds for sowing, you have to wait for the seeds to ripen, otherwise you can remove the rather unattractive inflorescences earlier. However, leave the pairs of leaves near the ground so that the perennial mulleins can still collect energy for the next season in autumn.
Is mullein susceptible to pests and diseases?
Basically, the mullein is not particularly susceptible to diseases and pests. Snails can sometimes be a problem for young plants that have just been planted. You should also gradually accustom young plants that have been grown indoors to the direct sunlight in the garden.
Should mullein be fertilized?
Basically, the mullein does not require particularly nutrient-rich soil. If you want to have a positive effect on the size of the flowers, you can apply a complete fertilizer sparingly to the flowerbed in the spring of the second year (when flowers usually form for the first time).
How is the mullein overwintered?
Depending on the subspecies, mulleins are annual, biennial or perennial. The biennial and perennial species can easily overwinter outdoors in most locations. For the varieties that only bloom in their second year, the cold stimulus in winter is essential for the formation of the inflorescences.
Tips & Tricks
If a sunny location that is not prone to waterlogging is chosen for the mullein, then the plant usually develops its impressive flowers without watering, fertilizing or other care measures. Good drainage of the subsoil is important in heavy soils, otherwise the mullein is prone to root rot.
