Due to the velvety hairy leaves, the mullein that blooms in many cottage gardens is also popularly known as wool flower. You can propagate the attractive flowering plant with the candle-shaped inflorescences relatively easily, but you need a little patience until the young plants start flowering.

When propagating with self-collected seeds, surprising flower colors can occur

Different types of mullein

With the mulleins of the genus Verbascum, a distinction must be made between different lifespans of the various varieties, these are sometimes:

  • annual
  • biennial
  • perennial

The mullein, which occurs wild in this country with the characteristic, yellow individual flowers, usually only blooms in the second year of growth. In general, mulleins usually reproduce unproblematically by self-sowing. As a rule, annuals and biennials die off fairly quickly after flowering. If you are unsure about the type and lifespan, you should still cut off the mullein above the lower pairs of leaves after the flowering period or let the seeds in the seed capsules mature first.

Propagation by seeds

The maturity of the seeds is indicated by the bursting of the seed capsules and by the blue or black color of the seeds. Basically, the seeds can be sown in spring and autumn, with the freshest possible seed yielding the best results. If you have bought hybrid seed from a specialist shop, it is not possible to propagate from seeds you have harvested yourself. In addition, the mulleins grown from their own seeds are not always true to the variety and can therefore sometimes have surprising flower colors. If the seeds are preferred in plant boxes, then you should separate the young mulleins at a distance of about 50 centimeters as soon as they have finished forming their first pairs of leaves.

The propagation of mullein by root cuttings

Biennial and perennial varieties of mullein can also be propagated by so-called root cuttings, with this propagation method producing offshoots of the same variety. To do this, expose the roots of a strong mullein after the flowering period or dig them out carefully. Then cut off pieces of root about five to ten centimeters long with sharp planting scissors or a knife and overwinter them with sufficient moisture in a cool but bright room. By spring, the first pair of leaves should have formed on each root cutting, so that they can be planted directly in the garden bed.

tips and tricks

When propagating with root cuttings, make sure to plant the individual root pieces in the direction of growth in the propagation box filled with a sand-soil mixture.

Category:

Herbs