Seed to Skein 2010 Dye Garden Project, Part VIII

Japanese Indigo, lower garden bed, 2010.

Part VIII: Polygonum Progression

I admit, of all the dye plants I chose to grow for Seed to Skein 2010 Dye Garden Project, Polygonum tinctorium is the species which I had the least expectations for its survival in Oklahoma. After all, we are a long way from Japan. On the other hand, I assumed Woad, Isatis tinctoria, to be the hands-down no problem plant but it is plagued with the same issues I am having with Weld in the clay loam soil (see ‘Part VII: Weld Rescue’). Luckily I was so confident about Woad’s ability to survive that I planted seed in my sandy loam “wild country garden” and it is happy taking care of itself.

Polygonum tinctorium, early June, 2010.

Polygonum tinctorium, early July, 2010.

So I am very pleased to say that the Japanese Indigo appears to like Oklahoma! It  likes nutritious pH neutral ground and does not seemed bothered by our clay loam soil. The unusual amount of rainfall is most likely working in my favor, but so far it is healthy, growing and abundantly beautiful. The leaves are dark green, rich and lush looking. They are about 28" tall by mid July. The mulch is doing an excellent job of suppressing the darn morning glory vines that come up everywhere.

Indigo Tops, early July, 2010.

Dark and Lush Polygonum Leaves,

mid July, 2010.

Initially there were some mealy bugs, those white suckers, but they were everywhere and not only in my garden but friend’s gardens as well. I  let them be and they sorted out their natural balance.

Mealy bug invasion, 2010.

Possible Leaf Curl, June, 2010.

Grasshopper on first Polygonum Flower,

mid July, 2010

On 11th of July, within days after posting ‘First Flowers’ (see ‘Part VI: First Flowers’) we discovered the first Polygonum tinctorium flower! Tiny little pink flowers just beginning to open. They are very beautiful. The first cutting of the leaves is around the corner.

Close-up of first Polygonum Flower, 2010.

Polygonum tinctorium, 2010.

Polygonum tinctorium, mature plants, 2010.

Seed to Skein 2010 Dye Garden Project, Part VII

Healthy Weld Plant, 2010.

Part VII:  Weld Rescue

The Weld, Reseda luteola, has been struggling since mid-June. On the 4th of July I executed a Weld Rescue Program and I am keeping my hopes up that the plants will recover in their new home and live successful lives in my wild garden in the country. Maybe I’m dreaming but it was either that or sure death.

Weld in 4" pot, mid-May, 2010.

Weld mulched, lower garden bed, 2010.

Weld likes sandy and rocky soil. At our home the soil is a clay loam. Although I  know better than to go against a plants preferences, I still could not resist trying Weld in this hot Oklahoma clay soil which is rich in nutrients. I chose two different garden beds, one with a little more shade than the other. In 4” pots they looked bright and healthy. After transplanting into the ground they looked healthy and strong. But, by mid-June I began to notice the Weld plants in the lower bed turning yellow, wilting, and dyeing one by one.

Weld from happy to stressed, 2010.

Oklahoma summers are usually very hot, humid, with little rain. This summer the temperatures have barely peaked into the 90’s but the humidity is sweltering and we feel like we live in a fish bowl. It has also rained a considerable amount. Everything is damp. First I attributed the sad looking Weld to too much water and hoped that it would recover after it had a chance to dry out a bit. The problem is that clay soil does not drain quickly like sandy rocky soil drains. And then it just kept raining.

After loosing the entire lower bed, about 18 plants, I decided it was time for an intervention. I was noticing the same symptoms just beginning so I dug up the remaining plants in the upper bed, about 8 total and transplanted them to my “wild country garden”. For me this is my old garden ground, made up of good sandy soil that has been amended with compost and straw over the years and it is full of earthworms.

Weld from top to bottom,

2010.

Although Weld does not like to be moved after its taproot has developed, I gently lifted them out of the clay soil, took pictures of the roots, and drove to my “wild country garden”, cleared a garden spot on a semi shaded slope and placed them gently into the sandy rich loam soil. It rained for the next three days, giving them a chance to recover from the move and from their struggle to survive.

Weld in new garden bed,

day of transplant, 2010.

Weld, one week after transplant, 2010.

Weld, lifting up from its center, 2010.

One week later there are two plants that have especially perked up in the middle, lifting themselves up while the larger leaves have died back. I hope that the better drainage from the sandy soil will be better for them and that it will not be so difficult for the tap root to push itself downward, creating a stronger root. 

Wish them luck!

Seed to Skein 2010 Dye Garden Project, Part VI

Hopi Dye Sunflower, 2010.

“The first purpose of a garden is to give happiness and repose of mind.”

(unknown)

Part VI: First Flowers

First flowers seem to always have wonder and surprise. They are full of promise and stunning in their complexity.

Tagetes patula bud, 2010.

Tagetes patula flower and bud, 2010.

The first Marigold, Tagetes patula, bloomed at the very end of May. It is now a daily habit to collect the flowers and place them on a drying rack in my  studio.

Calendula bud, 2010.

Calendula plant, 2010.

Calendula is a new plant for me to grow. I only have about a half dozen plants but I am drying the flowers as I pick them. This may be a slow accumulation for natural color but I really like the flowers.

Coreopsis flower and buds, 2010.

Coreopsis grandiflora was quite prolific throughout the Spring. I cut about half of the plant back around the end of May in hopes that it will be able to make another round of flowers. As I collected these Coreopsis flowers I placed them in a plastic bag in the freezer to use later.

Dahlia plant with flowers opening, 2010.

Open Dahlia flower, 2010.

There are only two Dahlia plants that germinated from my mixed Dahlia species (old seed) and they are both yellow. But they seem to be quite happy and they are producing a number of flowers.

Hopi Dye Sunflower, giant bud, 2010.

One Hopi Sunflower, Helianthus, is well over 12’ tall! I  had to stand on the roof to get a view of the top of this flower head. Other Hopi Sunflowers are not quite as far along as this giant. They are such cheery flowers.

Rubia tinctoria flowers and berries 2010.

To my surprise the Rubia tinctoria, Madder, is making flowers and berries during its first year. It is a perennial and appears to be becoming happily established. The flowers are yellow and they are very tiny and some of the berries are starting to form.

Zinnia flower, 2010.

The Zinnias are just starting to open. There should be a mix of colors coming on soon.

Verbascum thaspus flowers, 2010.

The great Mullein, Verbascum thaspus, that I  transplanted into our little porch garden last year, shot up its stock the beginning of May. The little five petaled yellow flowers are sweet. Although I did not plant Mullein as part of the Seed to Skein 2010 Dye Garden Project, it is a favorite garden and dye plant. They are quite abundant in Oklahoma.

Coreopsis tinctoria flowers, 2010.

We discovered a magnificent field of Coreopsis tinctoria just off the highway. I have included these June bloomers because they make a beautiful orangy color and they are an abundant wildflower in Oklahoma.

Seed to Skein 2010 Dye Garden Project, Part V

VW Improv, 2010.

Part V: Mulching

It would be nearly impossible to garden in Oklahoma without a good layer of mulch. Ground leaves are a favorite mulch but they are more difficult to come by than wheat straw. Even the wheat straw has to be “hunted” for every time I need to replenish my supply. I buy as much as I can transport in whatever vehicle is available. We do not have a truck so we improvised with the VW Camper van. We packed in 16 total!

16 Bales Full, 2010.

Top > Bottom:

Polygonum tinctorium

Isatis tinctoria

Reseda luteola

2010.

Top > Bottom/Mulched:

Polygonum tinctorium

Isatis tinctoria

Reseda luteola

2010.

Polygonum tinctorium mulched, 2010.

All of my dye plant seedlings have been transplanted into their garden ground. I purchased wheat straw from a farmer in Tuttle, Oklahoma. The wheat straw was spread throughout all the garden beds about 6” thick.

A good layer of mulch helps to retain moisture, especially during the hot and dry Oklahoma Summer. Mulch is excellent for suppressing weeds too, reducing the amount of overall weeding that needs to be done.

Tomatoes, Basil,

Cardoon, Calendula,

 Tagetes patula, 2010.

Same bed as above,

looking North, Rubia tinctoria

in foreground, 2010.

Calendula bud

 in freshly mulched bed, 2010.

Seed to Skein 2010 Dye Garden Project, Part IV

Seed Starting Frame/Growth Stages, 2010.

Part IV: Transplanting and Root Systems

Once the true leaf has developed (after the cotyledons), the small plants can be transplanted directly into garden ground or potted up individually into 4” garden pots. The main advantage to starting multiple dye plant seeds in a single 4” pot is the ability to clearly identify the dye plant sprouts as they emerge. Several factors determine direct ground or continue in pots: Is the garden bed ready? Has the last frost date passed? How sensitive is the plant? Does it have a better chance of survival if it is able to grow a bit bigger and stronger, developing a stronger root system before being transplanted directly into the soil.

Layout Rubia Tinctoria, 2010.

Transplanted Dahlia, 2010.

Transplanting time is an overwhelming process. There are many decisions to make. I find planting choices to begin methodically and end intuitively. Some seedlings are not the least bit bothered by division or transplanting while others go into shock for a of couple days but find the strength and determination to recover. Some plants simply do not like to be moved and may continue to struggle or perhaps die. Often the weather during the time of the transplanting can play a major factor in the outcome for sensitive plants. Many results are predictable, but some are surprises or simply the “lay of the land” when learning to garden or getting to know new plant species. These characteristics are important to recognize and to respect in each garden and for each plant species. Think of people being moved... sometimes we take it well, sometimes we don’t. Plants are no different. And, like people, they like to have a good drink once they have been moved. Ideal moving days for plants are when it is cool and wet.

Isatis tinctoria

being thinning, 2010.

When seeds are directly sown into the garden soil they most likely will need to be thinned because they germinated too closely to one another. Woad, Isatis tinctoria, was the only plant I direct seeded this year. Weld, Reseda luteola, one of the slower dye plants to germinate, is usually recommended for direct sowing, but I was concerned about not being able to identify the seedling, so I planted them in a 4” pot that went into the seed-starting frame. Once the seedlings were ready for division I transplanted about a dozen into a prepared garden bed and I also potted some up into individual 4” pots. Although the Weld needed a couple days to recover from their move, and the cloudy, cool days helped, both methods worked well. Weld will shortly develop a tap root, making transplanting too difficult and traumatic. 

Reseda luteola roots of seedlings, 2010.

Rubia tinctoria

 roots, 2010.

Rubia tinctoria roots,

close up out of 4" pot, 2010.

Roots anchor the plant in the ground, absorb water and nutrients, store carbohydrates, and they are responsible for the primary growth of the plant. There are many different types of roots. Primary root systems are the main root growing downward. Tap roots are characterized by their single large, downward growing root with branch or lateral roots growing off the side of the tap root like a carrot. Fibrous roots are when all the roots are of similar size. Root nodules form with nitrogen-fixing bacteria along the root systems of legumes- Indigofera tinctoria is a good example.

Polygonum tinctorium,

close up out of 4" pot, 2010.

Polygonum tinctorium,

root growth stages, 2010.

Transplanting dye plant seedlings allows for observation of various species’ root systems, exposing root systems rarely seen or not fully exposed until harvest.

Galium verum roots, transplant, 2010.