growing woad in pots

Plant my woad Bury the roots a few centimeters so that the foliage is flush. Fill and pack well around the plant so as not to leave a pocket of air. Water copiously just after planting. If you are planting in a pot, use one whose volume corresponds to that of the plant, otherwise you will have to water it too often.

1. How do you plant woad?
2. Is woad a perennial?
3. What Colour dye does the woad plant yield?
4. How do you harvest woad seeds?
5. Is woad the same as Indigo?
6. How do you identify woad?
7. Is woad a hallucinogen?
8. How do you make woad dye?
9. Where is woad found?
10. How do you dye wool with woad?
11. What plant does woad come from?

How do you plant woad?

Sow seeds thinly space in March in seed trays. Cover lightly with soil and keep moist. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant them outside, leaving a foot of space between each. Woad likes an alkaline soil, so an application of lime, one week prior to planting, will give them the proper soil pH.

Is woad a perennial?

Dyer's woad is an erect biennial herb that grows to four feet tall. It can also sometimes act as an annual or shortlived perennial. Before growing its flowering stems, the plant exists as a basal rosette for a growing season.

What Colour dye does the woad plant yield?

WOAD (Isatis tinctoria)

It is closely related to broccoli and cabbage. Both indigo and woad provide us with a beautiful blue dye. The chemical which gives the blue dye is called indigotin.

How do you harvest woad seeds?

Harvest the pods when they are dry and purple. Store the seeds in the pods. The pods contain a germination inhibitor. Remove the seeds from the pods before planting.

Is woad the same as Indigo?

Woad was, and still is, the native European source of indigo blue dye. ... This is confusing as the blue colouring matter in woad is the same as the blue colouring matter in “indigo”, but the dye is much less concentrated in woad leaves, which is why “indigo” eventually largely replaced woad in Europe.

How do you identify woad?

All leaves have a prominent cream colored mid-rib extending the entire length of the leaf, and a bluish-green color. The leaf color and prominent mid-rib are good identifying characteristics of dyer's woad. The weed has a thick, fleshy tap root that penetrates down to 3 feet into the soil.

Is woad a hallucinogen?

"The blue part of the Woad is not any sort of hallucinogen, despite lore to the contrary. The raw sap crushed from fresh Woad leaves sometimes causes surface skin numbness, slight dizziness, and in certain bloodlines, a vague impression of less danger or more confidence.

How do you make woad dye?

Take the leaves from the base of the plant and then cut them into small pieces. Submerge the torn or cut leaves in a stainless steel pan of water and bring up to a temperature of 175F (80C). Simmer for about 10 minutes. Cool the woad dye down as quickly as possible, so that the leaves don't breakdown too much.

Where is woad found?

Woad is thought to be native to southern Russia, but it escaped cultivation and has now naturalised throughout most of central and southern Europe. It can be found on cliffs and in cornfields, often in chalky soils.

How do you dye wool with woad?

Dyeing Techniques

The fermentation removes the oxygen from the vat making the woad soluble. Wool or fabric is dipped into the vat, left for a few minutes, and then removed. At first the wool is pale yellow, but with exposure to air, the colour gradually turns to green and then to blue.

What plant does woad come from?

Isatis tinctoria, also called woad (/ˈwoʊd/), dyer's woad, or glastum, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is occasionally known as Asp of Jerusalem. Woad is also the name of a blue dye produced from the leaves of the plant.