The winds knocked down some weak branches on my Indigofera Suffruticosa. Reluctant to let branches go to waste, I elected to harvest for the first time this season.
After I trim branches I strip the leaves off. I do this just to minimize the size container need to soak the leaves. I don’t have the lovely large ground vats I see in SE Asia or India so I make do with stripping the leaves off the large branches. Other cultures put all of the branch into soak.
This morning’s effort yield 3.5 pounds of raw leaves. They were divided into two 5 gallon buckets and covered with water. I used the stems to press the leaves under water and my vegetable steamers to add more weight to keep them submerged. Now, we wait, till the leaves give up their color in about 2-3 days. Where’s the sun when I need it.
debmcclintock 
i’d be curious about the stems too. i might chop them up and soak in a separate bucket just to see…
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I got lazy and tossed them but was sorely tempted. There will be more cutting later this season and maybe when we hit the 100’s I will succumb. If you do it, let me know if you think it is worth it.
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Impressive garden, Deb!
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I live the the San Francisco bay area. Do you know if this plant would grow in this climate or does it need hot humid weather?
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It is a tropical plant. You might be able to grow it but I doubt you could get it to seed. Treat it as an annual. Here in Central Texas my plants rocket up in 90+ degree weather. Below that they stutter and just look pathetic. Do you have a place where you can reflect sunlight to increase heat and imitate the tropics? My weakness is rain and freezes. I have to irrigate in the heat and protect during hard freezes.
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