How To Plant Woad Seeds - Planting Woad Seeds In The Garden

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.

How do you plant woad seeds?

Sown the seed, thinly spaced, in shallow drills directly outdoors or in seed trays. Lightly cover with soil and water well. Easy to grow, Woad germinates in 1 to 2 weeks. Thin or transplant seedlings 30cm (12in) apart when they are large enough to handle.

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.

How do you make woad?

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.

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 harvest woad?

There are two ways you can go about picking the leaves during a first season woad dye harvest. You can either remove the entire rosette, leaving just the roots intact, or you can pick only the largest leaves (the ones that are 6 inches/15 cm. or longer) and leave the shorter leaves in the middle of the rosette.

What does the woad plant look like?

Woad (Isatis tinctoria) is an erect biennial that grows to between 1-3 feet, sometimes up to 4 feet in height. Its leaves are bluish green overlaid with a powdery white fluff. The leaves are narrow and lightly serrated to wavy.

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 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.

Where can I find woad?

Woad is native to the steppe and desert zones of the Caucasus, Central Asia to Eastern Siberia and Western Asia (per Hegi) but is now also found in South-Eastern and Central Europe and western North America.

How do you extract dye from woad?

Infusing woad leaves in water around 80 degrees Celcius

To extract Woad you need to first infuse leaves in nearly boiling water – preferably soft water such as rain water. After ten minutes the leaves are removed and squeezed of any juice before being discarded on the compost pile.

What Colour dye does the woad plant yield?

Learn more about the Woad plant (Isatis tinctoria), a famous natural dye and source of natural indigo dye, used for several thousand years (see woad history) in Europe and the Middle East. Woad dye extraction produces natural indigo dye from the dark blue-green, spinach-like woad leaves. Buy woad pigment here.

Why did Celts paint themselves blue?

So, where did the idea about the Picts painting themselves blue originate from? Julius Caesar once noted that the Celts got blue pigment from the woad plant and that they used it to decorate their bodies. ... It has also been theorized that the real use of woad was perhaps intended to heal the scars after the battle.

Did Vikings use woad?

“All the Britons dye their bodies with woad, which produces a blue colour, and this gives them a more terrifying appearance in battle.” Vikings may have learned of and adopted this tactic during the period of their invasion and subsequent immersion in Britain, though I haven't seen evidence of this.

What does indigo mean?

Indigo is a deep midnight blue. It is a combination of deep blue and violet and holds the attributes of both these colors. ... Powerful and dignified, indigo conveys integrity and deep sincerity. The color meaning of indigo reflects great devotion, wisdom and justice along with fairness and impartiality.

Why Indigo was considered better than woad in textile industries?

The textile industry in southern France, centered in Toulouse, was devoted to woad -- until the 16th century, when indigo was introduced from Asia and, literally, blew it out of the water! ... Indigo has the most concentrated levels of the blue pigment, which is why it's preeminent among its competitors.

Is the indigo plant edible?

Indigo is edible and can be consumed as a tea. Not only are the leaves and stems used, but also the root, flower and seed depending on the season.

Is Dyer's woad edible?

The roots of woad have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine, for a wide range of ailments, commonly made into tea. The leaves are edible, though quite bitter (the flavor is said to improve after prolonged soaking/leaching). It is a biennial or short-lived perennial native to Europe.

Does woad grow in Ontario?

Woad was brought to North America by the early European settlers. Seeds were imported from Britain for household use. In the 1830's, woad was listed in the seed catalogues in Ontario, as the plant was common in household gardens.

How did Celts use Indigo to decorate their bodies?

When the Romans invaded the Celtic tribal lands, they saw Celts wearing blue body art. Ancient Celtic people stained their skin blue with dye made from plants that contained the indigo molecule. ... Begin by creating the indigo vat.

What is isatis root good for?

The leaves and roots of the plant are used in traditional Chinese medicine. Isatis is used to treat the common cold and other infections of the nose, throat, and sinuses (upper respiratory tract infections), as well as infections of the glands that make saliva (parotitis).

What is a Woad warrior?

Woad warriors are brave fighters - and mad. They disdain armour and most cloting, preffering to paint themselves with intricate and stylised magical designs in woad (a blue dye) to deflect enemy blows and missiles.