This week we hit 100+. I’ve finished as much planting as I can in Fort Indigo. The fences have been newly painted and hopefully will withstand the armadillo and possum incursions for grubs. The indigo bed was enlarged at the expense of a madder bed. This year I am mixing Japanese Indigo and Indigofera Suffruticosa in the same bed. The IS will shade the JI and the two have played well together when I trim the IS limbs up. Plus I have the added bonus that the JI beta enzyme appears to work with the SI leaves when the two are crushed together. More on that later this season.
Smaller earlier planted IS compared to spoiled IS seedlings held in pots to grow.Before the mulch the plants, both IS and JI, are placed by irrigation emitters to ensure water available in the hot seasonMulch in place, fence in place, now we wait for growth to kick in.For comparison, two & three year IS bushes happily growing under the eaves facing East. Note the new seedlings for this year.
So, if all goes well I will continue to practice with my indigo extraction and blender vats this summer. And, even more importantly I will have an Indigofera Suffruticosa seed crop this fall.
I usually don’t pull up my precious Indigofera Suffruticosa until grudgingly certain the plant has given up the ghost. Last time I pulled up IS was about three years ago when I got hit by a hard freeze. I lost all of my plants and did have to pull everything up. I remember that was difficult but they’ve been in the ground for three or four years. So this past winter I did lose a two year old plant, but the same vintage plants around it survived. So, here is a replay of the pull..
Two year plant succumbed to winter 2019/20 freezes.
So, the plant broke at ground level, not surprising since I have been doing spring watering. Rot has set in with the irrigation moisture on deadwood. So here is our second try at pulling the root.
So, yes, after two years full growth, the roots are deep. I won’t take a shovel to it due to its proximity to other plants. That root will stay in place.
And for those who remember my sad plant ravaged by caterpillars, it lives. Transplanted to a pot and spoiled for a couple of weeks the leaves are making another appearance. This will go back into the ground soon. It still looks sad but with the increasing warm temps and a permanent home in the ground it will thrive.
The seasons move on and we decide how to spend them in the garden with what they have left us. I am working with my Indigofera Suffruticosa seedlings and getting them ready for the Texas Hill Country summer sun. I soaked the seeds in hot water overnight. The seeds were planted in seed trays about April 8th. The seedling pushed out in 80 degree F weather but slowed to a crawl with 60 degree F. The past week we’ve pushed the low 90’s so the seedlings are much happier and growing. As of May 2 I moved them from the seedling tray into larger pots and let the root system grow. It seems that with our hot dry weather this gives the plant the strength to grow and thrive thru the hot 100 degree F in the summer months when I put them in the ground.
Lower left seedling tray Lower right combining seedlings Top left larger pots
Over the winter my husband and I covered our plants twice to protect them from several early mornings of a hard freeze. Of all the plants that survived one succumbed in late April to caterpillars munching away on the leaves. I moved the plant to a pot to try and give it care but I think I’ve lost this second year indigo but I still hope. It is rather pathetic looking. Send healing thoughts please.
Finally, looking at my 1 & 2 year plants that we did successfully defend from hard freezes this past winter, the spring growth is pushing out from last year’s hard stems and is looking good. Sun and time will yield plenty of Indigofera Suffruticosa leaves for processing and hopefully seeds at the end of the season.
Excuse the spring wind, here’s a clip of the growth pushing out. I usually leave my dead wood in place early in the season so the hummingbirds can perch. Once I harvest the leaves in the first harvest in late June I will trim it back. Some folks have asked me what a 2nd or 3rd bush looks like. Here ya go.
It’s been 5 years since I dug my madder root bed. It is time. With the self isolation in the world today one has time to dig. This is day 3 of my digging. Since my back surgury I have learned to pace myself. I thought I would record the dig/clean steps for others.
Equipment is pitch fork, shovel, buckets(lots of buckets), wheelbarrow and screens for washing and drying. Below you see my equipment and this morning’s harvest before cleaning.
Left: Equipment Right: Raw harvest
After the fun of digging and wrestling with the irrigation equipment you deal with dirt before it becomes mud. I move the roots from my wheelbarrow to a bucket, shaking out the dirt and trimming the green tips away. Shaking out the dirt means less mud to deal with later down the line.
Left: Trimming out the green Right: Shaking out the dirt
I have some garden frames and screens I repurpose every couple of years when I harvest. Below is my frame set up by my water source. I set the sun screen fabric on my garden frames and use it to keep my madder in place as I rinse more dirt off. The madder is moved to another bucket for a 2nd rinse. Of course, these rinse waters are put on meadow plants and other areas outside the irrigation system.
After getting rid of the muck I rinse a final time and start sorting and final trimming. I end up with 3 buckets of goods. The greens get dumped back into the madder garden. As I trim, I separate out the large roots from the younger, more immature roots. My plan is to run comparison baths to show the depth of shade in the young versus the older roots.
Left: Washed roots Right: Sorting Center: The keepers
Finally, I put the sorted roots out to dry. It is important to dry the roots with good circulation so mold does not set in. I do cover this screen and the harvest with another screen to protect it from winds and nibblers.
Finally, I post this older photo to remind me and you why I grow & dig this root.
Seed crop is looking good. I will know more if I have enough to sell in Jan/Feb 2020.
This picture gives you an idea of one year old plants versus two year old plants. This year I will definitely keep them safe from killing frosts. Leave room to grow. I have digging armadillos hence the Fort Indigo.
So many things on deck but I have to wait to finish them. Mom fractured her hip last Thursday and I have definitely been redirected in my explorations & write up of results. But as I sit here in the elder care eddy of life I thought I’d post pictures of what is in the pipeline and will get written about.
My effort for black without iron gave me some promising directions…the skeins wait patiently.
My time poring thru John Marshall’s library gave me more info on pulling the yellows early from a madder root bath. The roots & rice are having a party in my absence in the sun. Note my drawstring color.
My experiments at John’s indigo explorations with dried Japanese indigo leaves, fructose and lime gave me the green blue one gets from blender indigo.
Finally my pull from the Indigofera Suffruticosa waits patiently. Hopefully it is separating as we wait.
I am remembering why drying indigo leaves was so attractive to me. I pick, dry and hold them for when I have time to play.
I was trying for indirubin red with Japanese indigo….no success…yet!
Fresh leaves-chopped
Bring to boil in double boiler-will push to grey
Add the cloth as water bubbles, cloth should turn red as bubbles hit cloth.
Notes also said add more vinegar to push the red.
Now….no red but a very good moss green. Lightfastness still to be tested.
Samples
V= left overnight in vinegar
O= left overnight in JI stew + vinegar
Right hand sample pulled from pot & rinsed immediately.
Negative research is good. I will try again with a different method. This recipe boggled my mind as I don’t think of a process of Japanese Indigo with boiled water.
It is time to harvest my Japanese Indigo before the Texas August heat. I am definitely a small grower, dependent on irrigation & sun shield fabric. My indigo bed is about 3 1/2 feet by 14 feet, it is not huge because my shade & irrigation lines limit productive garden. Plus I have to protect from “the diggers”, armadillos. Hence my desire to dry leaves, it is works for my pace. As an aside you can see my madder root which has a reckless disregard for the Texas heat & armidillos trying to breach the indigo fort.
I prepped 10 bundles to dry. This week’s weather is perfect for drying, hot, no rain & moderate wind.
My dye patio shelving does double duty as drying rack. The green fabric protects the “greens” overnight. We have racoons. In a couple of days the bunches will be dry enough to strip the leaves easily and store in bins for final drying for storage.
The bed has been watered and resecured. More will grow & I will harvest again in late September.
I’ve shared photos of my Japanese Indigo leaf harvest before so some of this is repeat for some readers. For other readers this is worth repeating. My Japanese Indigo crop sprouted in February, way early for the Texas Hill Country. Sprouts came from discarded seeds and root stock left on the ground last season. This bonus crop is now in the way of planting new seedlings. So time to try new harvesting tools and drying methods with this bonus crop. I can tell by it’s height and leaf size as it goes to seed it is not as vigorous as new annuals. So it needs to clear the way for this year’s seedlings.
I have electric clippers that I use in garden trimming (arthritis slows me down). Will they work faster than scissors? Caution….
The clippers worked well. I tried drying the leaves in the same set up I have for a different Indigo but I went back to my bundle and hang method. Why? The May winds blow over my temporary setup. For now, I’ve secured it to a gate. There is no wind to contend with in August and September when I usually harvest. Remember….bonus crop due to the Texas rains last fall & late winter temperatures.
A couple of days will render these bundles to a dry level that will enable me to easily strip off the leaves of the stems. But one always looks for alternatives in one’s circumstances and environment.
I prepped 10 bundles to dry. This week’s weather is perfect for drying, hot, no rain & moderate wind.
debmcclintock 
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