herb gardening Archives - Urban Family Homestead & Apothecary

This week in Urban Family Homestead and Apothecary Herb series, we will explore the soft and beautiful herb Mullein. She is a useful, fuzzy herb that will help you out in a pinch whenever you feel a cold coming on. This plant gives off beautiful flowers in the summer and tolerates most growing conditions. Some types even tolerate a light frost!

all about mullein urban family homestead and apothecary

Mullein (Verbascum spp.) is a genus of flowering plants in the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae). It is native to Europe, Asia and Africa, and has been introduced to other regions. They are known for their tall pillars of yellow or white flowers and are often used in traditional medicine for their medicinal properties. The leaves and flowers of the plant are used to make teas, tinctures, extracts, and ointments.

Mullein Medicinal Uses

Mullein has been traditionally used for various medicinal purposes, such as respiratory issues, skin irritations, earaches, insomnia, and headaches. With respiratory issues, Mullein tea or tincture made from leaves and flowers is my favorite way to treat respiratory issues such as coughs, bronchitis, and asthma. Mullein can be used in ointments to soothe and heal skin irritations such as wounds, burns, and rashes, and is even helpful for the soothing of eczema. When my little ones have an earache, I use Mullein oil (usually infused with garlic oil) as a way to treat earaches. I simply warm a few drops and apply it to the affected ear.

dried mullein leaf urban family homestead and apothecary — Dried Mullein Leaf

Mullein tea can also be used as a natural remedy for insomnia, as it is believed to promote relaxation and sleep. Also due to its ability to relax and soothe, Mullein tea is used as a natural remedy for headaches, as it is believed to have a calming effect on the mind and body. As always, be sure to consult your naturopath before using mullein to double check for interactions with medicine you already take, and proper dosing for your specific body and needs.

How to Take Mullein

As mentioned above, a great way to take Mullein is through several different modalities including teas, extracts, tinctures, and oil infusions. Depending on your specific need will depend on what modality is best. Teas are best for respiratory issues such as coughs, colds, and chest viruses. Extracts are great for little ones who need a quick dose of mullein. Tinctures are often favored by adults and for medicine on the go as it lasts for several years and can be added to hot water for a quick tea. Oil infusions are my favorite for earaches. My favorite way to make an oil infusion is to place it in olive oil along with garlic and let it infuse over time. If you need it quicker, you can always use the double boiler method to quicker extract the plant material faster into the oil.

mullein tea urban family homestead and apothecary — Mullein Tea

Growing Mullein

Mullein is a hardy and easy-to-grow plant that can be grown in a variety of conditions. You can find it growing best in zones 3-9. It loves to bloom in the summer time after a spring or fall planting. It particularly loves the full sun, but will do well also in partial shade as long as it is in well draining soil. Although Mullein is a drought tolerant herb, watering it regularly will promote the best growth. Fertilizing it once per month (my favorite is with worm castings solution) will keep it healthy.

Mullein plant. You can see the bud for the flowers in the center surrounded by soft, fuzzy leaves.

If you want to promote a bushier plant, pinch back the tips of the plant to promote a lot more growth. You can harvest often from the Mullein plant. I like to cut leaves consistently through the season (while leaving 3/4 to 1/2 of the plant still) and dry the leaves in the sun for future tea and extract making. You can also harvest the flowers when the pillars start to grow for tea. While you can grow Mullein easily from seed, you can also propagate through divisions or cuttings.

My baby Mullein making its way through freezing 20 degree temps.

Mullein can grow up to seven feet tall and get as wide as 30 inches. A lot of people like to grow them in a confined area of the yard or in large pots because they can be somewhat invasive in some areas. This plant is a biennial which means that this plant can take up to two years to reach it’s full maturity before dying. While this plant does grow in the wild, many gardeners love it for it’s extremely soft leaves, beautiful flowers, and useful medicinal properties.

Recipe

Garlic and Mullein Oil Infusion for Earaches

Ingredients:
4 TBSP chopped garlic (fresh is best, no seasonings if you buy pre-minced)
4 TBSP chopped mullein (dried or fresh is fine)
Olive Oil (you can use other oil such as avocado or coconut)
Mason
Glass jar with dropper

Directions:
Place a pot of water, filled 2-3 inches, on the stove and bring to a low rolling boil. While the water is starting to get hot, place the garlic and mullein in the mason jar. Fill the mason jar until you have covered the plant material plus 1-2″ (I prefer 2″). Bring the water to a low simmer and place the jar in the middle of the pot. Let simmer for about an hour and a half. You will notice that the oil will begin to darken.

Alternatively, you can do this in a slow cooker with the mason jar in a few inches of water and on the low setting for a few hours.

After the hour and a half is up, turn off the stove and let cool. Strain the plant material from the oil and keep the oil. Compost the plant material and you can add the oil to an amber bottle with a dropper. Store any remaining oil in a jar with a lid on tight. It can sit on the counter or storage shelf.

To Use:
Place a few drops in your ear and rub the neck in a circular motion, behind the ear. Repeat several times a day until symptoms improve.

Welcome to week 2 of our weekly herbal education series. Peppermint is a perennial herb in the mint family, characterized by its square stem and its strong, distinctive minty aroma. The leaves of the peppermint plant are used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It is native to Europe and has been naturalized in many other regions around the world. The plant can grow up to three feet tall and produces small, purple or white flowers. Peppermint is commonly used as a flavoring for food and drinks, as well as in toothpaste, mouthwash, and other personal care products. It is also used in aromatherapy for its refreshing scent and is believed to have several health benefits, such as relieving symptoms of indigestion and reducing headaches.

Peppermint, also known as mentha piperita, will thrive in zones 3-11 in some part of the year or another outside and has beautiful rich green leaves with a pungent smell. Peppermint plants also come in a lot of different ‘flavors’ at farmers markets such as orange peppermint, strawberry peppermint, and even chocolate peppermint, to name just a few!

Peppermint Medicinal Uses

Peppermint is a very popular herb to use medicinally because not only is it easy to grow and maintain, it’s easy to find and use in a variety of different ways. Peppermint in tea form is popular and effective for heartburn, stomach aches, and nausea. It is generally regarded as safe for most people on most medications (but as always, before taking any herb consult your naturopath on the method and dosage right for your body). In my house, peppermint tea is a tummy calmer and used during colds and other respiratory illnesses. I also enjoy using peppermint tea for a fever reducer, especially over ice with a bit of plant milk or honey (or both!) It’s also a great way to keep you cool in the summer when the sun is blazing outside.

Fun fact: you can also give crushed up peppermint leaves alone, in water, or in ice cubes to your chickens to help keep them cool in the hot summer, as a tasty treat.

How to Take Peppermint

There are several ways to take peppermint. Earlier I mentioned it as a tea but there are other fantastic modalities for taking peppermint. It can be used in essential oil form for body products such as body and lip scrubs, or even in your cleaning solutions. They are wonderful paired with orange and fir essential oil for a winter/holiday vibe in your candles and wax melts. It can also be tinctured and extracted to use on the go and for longevity. If you are partial to honey, many people like to put fun mints such as chocolate or orange mint into their honey as a way to flavor their honey for tea! Peppermint is an anti-inflammatory herb and can even be used as a tonic for irritated and inflamed skin, especially one that is warm to the touch. It can even be beneficial for those pesky headaches that like to pop up out of no where. The ways you can take peppermint really are endless!

Peppermint tea can be made using fresh or dried leaves.

As with most herbs, it is not suggested to take it every single day on a medicinal usage level. While I use it nightly after dinner as I have a very sensitive stomach and it is a huge help, using it in higher medicinal concentrations such as with an extract or tincture should be reserved for treating ailments as they come, not as a preventative treatment. Again, always follow the advise of your naturopath!

Growing Peppermint

Peppermint can be grown from small starts or propagated from another peppermint plant. It does enjoy yearly fertilizer to help with the growth and health of the plant. It grows throughout the year in varying zones, with reaching maturity in about 90 days. In spring it is best in zones 3-7, in spring through summer it is best in zones 8-10a, and in the spring through fall season it does well in zone 10a, and in zone 11 it will grow year round outside. It is a very hardy plant! They take easily to being transplanted and do as well in the hot, west facing sun as the cooler, shady parts of your yard. Peppermint will grow up to 2 feet tall if you keep up on watering and fertilizing it and is a wonderful pollinator plant.

Dried peppermint leaves stored in a mason jar.

The more you clip the leaves and stems back, the more it will grow. Once you see it growing in your container or garden bed, you can begin to harvest often. I find it only takes 4-7 days before it’s ready to harvest again. If you do grow it in the ground or the garden beds, be sure to harvest often as it can become invasive and take over your garden bed. In addition to being a helpful plant for pollinators, it is also a great companion plant for your vegetable garden. Peppermint will deter mice, deer, and rabbits from getting into your garden. You can even plant them at the base of fruit trees to discourage deer from stealing your fruit.

In order to have peppermint year round, you can harvest often and then dry out the leaves completely using a basket in the sun or a dehydrator on 95 degrees for 12 hours or so. You can then crush or save whole in a mason jar with a lid and it will be at your disposal all year long!

Recipe

Last week I posted Rosemary Gladstar’s Echinacea Spray for Sore Throats here that you can also use peppermint in but I will give you an additional peppermint recipe I enjoy. This one is for healthy teeth and gums!

Peppermint Tooth Powder by The Homesteader’s Herbal Companion

1 cup baking soda
4-5 tbsp bentonite clay (or calcium carbonate)
1 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt (or regular sea salt)
1 tbsp diatomaceous earth
15 drops peppermint essential oil

METHOD:
1. In a glass jar, combine baking soda, diatomaceous earth, bentonite clay (or calcium carbonate), and salt. Mix well.
2. Add essential oils and mix until completely combined.
3. Cap, label, and store in your bathroom until ready for the next batch.
4. To use,, simply dip your wet toothbrush into the mixture and brush as usual. There wont’ be any bubbles, but your mouth will naturally create a paste. Rinse mouth out well.