Woad: Sarah's Natural Colour

Woad cultivation: How to Grow Woad

I Planted the woad seed 4" apart  and  2"  deep. in April, when the aspen trees were in bud and the grass had begun to grow in my area.  The woad seeds germinated in 2 weeks, under a floating row cover.  Woad seed has a germination inhibiting chemical that is water soluble.  It is washed into the soil by rain.  This allows the seed to remain dormant for long periods waiting the ideal moisture conditions for optimal growth.  It also inhibits the growth of other plants that may compete with the woad.  This makes woad a very successful "weed" when it is growing where it is not wanted. When beginning woad seed indoors it may be helpful to soak the seed overnight to remove this germination inhibitor.	Second year woad plant in May, before flowering.
I thinned the plants to 10 to 12" apart in the rows.   I covered the raised beds with a floating row cover, to protect the plants from frost.   Spacing allowed for 10 plants per square meter. The bed was weeded and mulched with straw-rabbit manure, after the plants were 3 inches tall.   Three times during the growing season,  the bed was weeded and fertilized with llama manure tea.  The plants grew rapidly to a harvestable size. I had my first harvest of leaves July 14. The leaves are harvested by cutting off all the leaves from a plant, leaving the young centre leaves intact.  The plant will grow new leaves from the crown and may be harvested again in 4 to 6 weeks. In my climate I can harvest woad leaves 2 or 3 times in a growing season.  July 15, August 15 and September 15 are ideal.  The most indigo is obtained in the first harvest, with subsequent harvests producing less pigment. Hurry suggests that young woad leaves have the highest indigo precursor content.	Woad doesn't like being transplanted.  Plants I began in the house and then transplanted out at the time that I direct seeded the plants took a month or more to catch up to the direct seeded plants in height.  However, both transplanted and direct seeded plants produced indigo in their leaves.  After 6 weeks there was little difference between transplanted plants and direct seeded plants.
Second year woad plant in late June in Canada, behind the irises.	With the second year plants the flower head is about 3'  high and  has  many  stems  that in late June produce clusters of yellow flowers. The flowers look and taste like broccoli when they first appear.  The flowers contain indigoid pigments, too, although to a lesser extant than the first year leaves. Native bees visited the flowers frequently.  The flowers were sweetly honey scented and attractive. In late July, early August  the flowers turn into seeds with hundred's per stem.
The seeds are green at first and change to purple and from the purple to brown. The seeds are harvested by cutting the stalk and drying them under cover, to prevent unwanted self-seeding.  I dry mine in a paper bag.  They remain attached to the stem after drying and do not scatter easily in the wind. The woad seed is rich in anti oxidant oils and is used in soap making and cosmetics.  The seeds may also be used for textile dyeing or paper making.	Woad seeds maturing in late July.