Woad seeds give away

[xylaria]

Would anyone like some woad seeds.

My friend has grown some, and the seeds are about to come ripe, and need to be planted soon after riping, so if you would like to grow your own dye, or war paint drop me a PM.

 

[EdS]

I'd like to give it another try - tried twice and the never grew.

 

[rich59]

I'll have a shot.

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

I would also love to grow some Woad - if you have any spare please.

Phil.

 

[xylaria]

Don't worry I have plenty of seed.

It likes high nutrient soil, not too fussy what type, just a lot of nutrients. Will steel nutrition off surrounding plants but exhaust the soil after two years. The only places I have seen it grow wild is the banks of the severn where a lot of silt is washed over the land.

I will post the seeds out this weekend.

 

[xylaria]

I will post them out today.
Rich 59 + other stuff I had forgotten about .
EdS
TMKTC need your address
Fallow way need your address

You should get at least 20 seeds each.

 

[rich59]

I am the proud recipient of some woad seeds. Thanks Xylaria!!! I have been Googling the issue of germination. As they appear to be a major pest in parts of the mid west of USA their life cycle is quite well documented.

I read 2 detailed sources. Either the seed pod or the seed has a chemical in that inhibits the germination until it has been leached out. This can delay germination for many years it seems.

So, I plan to plant a few with different treatments to see what works

1) the pods as sent (some have a seed in and some don't)

2) selected pods with a seed in (chucking the empty ones)

3) seeds separated from the pod

4) seeds pods thorougly soaked and re washed a few times

Also I will plant some on the surface and some just below the surface.

Also, I note that they are reported to particularly populate gravelly and rocky places, so I will try some in gravel as well as soil.

Interesting that I heart Xylaria say they they like rich soils as a rocky environment seems the opposite.

Might try a rich soil as an option then as well.

Apparently they inhibit other plants around them so perhaps they will do well if planted in garden soil that hasen't been sterilised.

That would be a lot of options! I will try a few variations in this list anyway.

 

[xylaria]

They grow on the steep sides of the severn valley, and dove dale. Where it is rocky sandstone that gets flood water and high nutrient detris. I have read that they are a pest in US but here woad is rare.

I gave out so many seeds because I know the germination rate is very poor. My friend who has the gift, only managed to get one plant out of a pack of 30 seeds. She used ordinary potting compost. But the plant makes up for it by producing thousands of seeds.

 

[rich59]

I have got some visible germination in my seeds separated from the pods!

I placed my seeds on a few layers of kitchen towel and covered over by another layer, all on a saucer, moistened, and 3/4 closed in with some cling film and located on a window sill. I now need to transfer to some soil I guess!



I ended up with 4 different treatments:- one as above, 2 others in similar set ups in saucers but with the seed pods still attached, one washed twice daily to wash out the suspected germination inhibitor. The last batch I raked into a neglected patch of gravel in my garden.

 

[Fallow Way]

Hiya, I sent you a PM a while ago, I`m wondering if there are any seeds still going? I`m aiming to set up a Bronze Age garden of sorts.

 

[Floyd Soul]

I've grown a few of them this spring too. There planted out in the garden but have failed to grow more than 6 inches high. Shame really, I had high hopes of being a dashing painted warrior come Samhain!

 

[rich59]

I've grown a few of them this spring too. There planted out in the garden but have failed to grow more than 6 inches high. Shame really, I had high hopes of being a dashing painted warrior come Samhain!

Did they flower? If they didn't then you might get a much bigger plant next year. Apparently they usually flower in the 2nd or 3rd year.

 

[Floyd Soul]

No they never flowered. Are they perennials? I thought annuals.

 

[rich59]

They are reported to be mostly a biennial. The low growing rosette is the first year stage. These are apparently the best leaves for making woad from. The 2nd year it sends up flowers and seeds like mad.

 

[Floyd Soul]

Cool stuff, I look forward to mine taking off next year so!

 

[Fallow Way]

If anyone could send me some seed I would greatly appreciate it. I am trying to grown a Bronze Age garden for teaching purposes.

 

[sallyinwales]

Just a note on planting them, I've always found woad seeds keep well, if they are still black, they will germinate even after years of storage

 

[sallyinwales]

They are reported to be mostly a biennial. The low growing rosette is the first year stage. These are apparently the best leaves for making woad from. The 2nd year it sends up flowers and seeds like mad.

Thats right, the rosette in the first year is what you want for dye, pick it around midday when its really hot and sunny for the best colour I find, then next year havest seed for future use. Its a bit temperamental sometimes, some years it grows like a weed for me, other years not at all. Havent planted any this year at all though.

 

[rich59]

Do you have any tips on how to extract the dye Sally? There seem to be a number of ideas on the net.

I was wondering - how did it get discovered as a dye? I am guessing that the colour the leaves can turn in the autumn could be a clue? In that case I am wondering if bindweed would produce a purply blue dye, but when I look it up apparently it can produce a yellow dye, so that idea seems a bit off.

 

[sallyinwales]

There are several methods, the most 'authentic' is fermentation in a urine bath, but most beginners start out using a chemical to deoxegynate the dyebath. There is a quick overview here, in an article I wrote on natural dyes
http://www.downsizer.net/Projects/A_sustainable_home/Dyeing_-_the_basics/

Very few plants produce blue, thats part of the fun!