mullein: alleviate the apple with cowboy toilet paper

www.permies.com Mullein (mullan, Verbascum thapsus) is a biennial plant with fuzzy leaves. Often called "cowboy toilet paper" or "the butt wipe plant". It will grow in the worst soils, including gravel piles, rock piles, and the video will show it growing in asphalt. Mullein generally doesn't compete with anything, so it improves the worst soils wherever it goes. Brian Kerkvliet of Inspiration Farm in Bellingham, Washington says that he might take some mullein out, but usually leaves it in. He thinks it has a lot of good roots for building the soil. Good biomass, bee food and the dried stalks help with aerating compost piles. Tulsey Latoski mentions the lore that mullein fights off evil spirits, then shares information about how mullein can be used as an ear ache medicine; As the foundation for tallow torches; roadside toilet paper. Norris Thomlinson talks about how goldfinches and downy woodpeckers like the seeds. Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia's Garden, A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, starts off by confessing that mullein is "the world's greatest toilet paper", then explains how mullein heals the worst soil problems it has a "spike root" which will break up compacted soil, bringing minerals up from deep in the soil. "Removing 'weeds' stops nature from healing the soil." Mullein grows in sand, gravel and rock piles, is an early pioneer stage plant, and "once the soil actually gets better ... the mullein often leaves of its own accord. It's not something to stick ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4putIxHsNCk&hl=en

Thanks To : Civil Engineering Short Column Laptop Black Friday