mulleins are easy to care for in terms of the supply of water and nutrients. And when it comes to pruning and wintering, you don't have to do much either.
Cutting mulleins is primarily a visual measure and is not absolutely necessary for the beautiful flowers to thrive. Depending on the procedure, however, you can prevent or promote self-reproduction when pruning. And there are also a few things to consider when overwintering the plant. For overwintering perennial species, for example, a light frost protection is recommended if double-digit minus temperatures are to be expected in your garden. Annual species die off after flowering anyway.
How to cut mullein correctly
Pruning back your mulleins immediately after flowering, and do it resolutely: trim the plants down to the rosette (flower crown) just above the ground. The chances are then not bad that perennial mulleins will develop a second inflorescence in the same year after pruning. Regardless of the stage of development of the flowers, you should always remove diseased parts of the plant or parts of the plant that are infested with pests.
Prevent or promote self-reproduction of the mullein:
Would you like to prevent the mullein from self-seeding? Then it is advisable to cut off the withered inflorescences individually by hand and also to search the ground for fallen capsule fruits.
Or is it your wish that the mulleins multiply themselves? Then only cut back the flowers when the capsules have come loose on their own. You can also help nature a little, harvest the ripe capsules by hand, open them and sow the seeds at the desired location.
Tip: If you want to propagate the mullein, this is also possible, for example, with root cuttings.
The right way to hibernate mulleins
Overwintering annual mulleins:
mulleins are annual or perennial plants, depending on the species. With annual species, you don't need to take any special precautionsfor the winter as they will not survive anyway. Leave the mulleins in the fall or dig up the flowers complete with the roots.
Perennial mullein overwinter:
Most perennial species of mullein are frost-resistant and usually hibernate without any damage on your part. If you live in a region where very frosty winters are to be expected, you should provide the mulleins with a light winter protection. To do this, cover the ground around the plants generously with organic material - for example with leaves that have accumulated after the leaves have fallen or with valuable bark mulch. They protect the roots from extreme frost and at the same time provide the mullein with important nutrients for the next growth period. Your mulleins will bloom in full yellow splendor next summer.