How to Grow Dyer's Woad (Isatis Tinctoria)

Dyer's woad is usually grown from seed, and that is the method we suggest for cultivating them. After the final frost date, sow your woad seeds wherever you want them to grow. Remove any weeds, and rake the planting site until the soil is light and fine. While raking, add in some slow-release fertilizer if you wish.

How do you grow dyer's woad?
Where does dyer's woad grow?
Can I grow woad?
Where does woad grow best?
Is woad easy to grow?
What climate does woad grow in?
Is woad a hallucinogen?
How do I get rid of Dyer's woad?
What does dyer's woad look like?
How long does woad take to germinate?
Does woad need full sun?
Is woad the same as Indigo?

How do you grow dyer's 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.

Where does dyer's woad grow?

Dyer's woad (Isatis tinctoria) is a problematic, invasive weed in the intermountain west, including far northern California. It grows in both disturbed and undisturbed sites and can be commonly found along roadsides, fencerows, and ditch banks, as well as in pastures, rangeland, and natural areas.

Can I grow woad?

Generally, woad seeds are planted in early spring (March) directly in the garden in warmer climates or in seed trays in cooler climates. Planting woad seeds in spring usually will result in a good harvest by fall (Sept-Oct). Woad seeds are thinly spaced in shallow grooves 24 inches (61 cm.)

Where does woad grow best?

It can grow in sand and clay soils and loam, and thrives in rich, well-drained soil. Woad tolerates highly alkaline soil, but grows best in a neutral to mildly alkaline soil. Full-sun sites produce the strongest plants, but woad also tolerates partial shade, such as a west- or east-facing garden bed.

Is woad easy to grow?

Woad is the easiest source of blue for dyers in the Northeast to grow, since it is perfectly happy with the length of our typical growing season. Other plants that yield blue, including Japanese indigo or dyer's knotweed (Polygonum tinctorium), require a longer growing season and need protection in the spring and fall.

What climate does woad grow in?

Woad (Isatis tinctoria) is a hardy member of the Brassicaceae (also called Cruciferae) family. It is easily cultivated in any reasonably temperate climate (zones 3 to 8), but it requires fertile soil and plenty of sunshine for greater dye production.

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 I get rid of Dyer's woad?

Cutting off the blooms before they turn to seed will minimize the spread of woad. Sowing weed-free seed and feeding livestock with weed-free hay can also help reduce the impact of the plant. In some situations, repeated tilling of an area is an effective way of getting rid of woad.

What does dyer's woad look like?

Shaped like arrowheads, the leaves become progressively smaller up the stem. The bright yellow flowers are borne in a highly branched inflorescence that is either flat-topped or umbrella-shaped. Each small flower has six stamens and four petals that are spoon-shaped. Dyer's woad flowers April through June.

How long does woad take to germinate?

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.

Does woad need full sun?

Woad can be planted at any time in spring. I plant it at the same time as the spring peas. ... The plants in full sun, and had frost damage, gave better color and indigo yield compared to covered plants. Woad plants will also produce more seed when in full sun.

Is woad the same as Indigo?

Indigo is derived from Indigofera plants native to India, especially Indigofera tinctoria, while woad is extracted from the leaves of Isatis tinctoria plants, native to central Asia and widely cultivated across Europe.