Growing Madder

A few days ago we sowed five madder (Rubia tinctorum) seeds. Four of them obviously feel very comfortable with their temporary home: simple cottage cheese and honey buckets with holes in the bottom side.
It’s a long road to go: The red dye is supposed to be extracted from the roots of the two year old crops. Ideally they are dried for another year.

We intend to breed a variety of dyeing plants and are currently doing research on gardening space for spring time. Meanwhile we share our apartment with the seedlings. They’re enjoyable roommates.