Growing Madder Root
Dye with Madder root
When I started natural dyeing and eco-printing four years ago, I was surprised to learn the incredible value it would have for my mental health.
Like so many others, the pandemic hit me hard. I noticed that I was having a harder time than usual with getting into a flow state. My creativity and my intrinsic motivation seemed diminished. I was pretty sure it was related to not just the stress of the pandemic, but also the increase of screen time that was a symptom of the pandemic.
There are a million things rewarding our brains with quick dopamine hits, especially digital entertainment, and social media. This actually can cause us to become addicted to immediate gratification and cause us to become depressed when there isn’t a constant supply of fresh and immediate dopamine. Therefore longer term rewards become less motivating. Neural Pathways are like muscles and they get stronger with use. When we provide lots of opportunities to engage in projects with longer term outcomes, we build the neural pathways for intrinsic motivation.
Natural dyeing is a project with a longer term outcome. Growing your own plants for dye increases the time between starting a project and completing it. Often it can take a whole year from seed to finished dye project. Dyeing with homegrown Madder root takes up to 4 years!
Now when I look at Madder roots and their tangly form, I see a resemblance with the nerves of the human body. After years of developing a relationship with this plant, I am humbled to learn its therapeutic impact on my own nervous system. I feel compelled to share with others the benefits of a long term creative project for mental health.
Fall Madder root harvest
Natural dyeing, particularly with Madder root, provides the opportunity to slow down and attune to nature and its intelligent processes.
Growing your own dye plants connects us to the web of life where we find belonging in the natural world. Working with our hands, we build neuropathways of creativity, and hopelessness and depression naturally lift off of us.
Art is therapy without a doubt. When we start with seed and grow our own art supplies, we are also engaging the creative centers of our brain so that we can reverse the harmful effects of our fast paced digital world.
Natural dyeing is a way to intentionally regenerate our brains and nervous systems to increase our ability to focus, self-soothe and connect. You can start your natural dyeing journey by learning how to grow Madder root with my growing madder root guide. And you can buy Madder root plants and seeds on my website.
Getting to know Madder:
Madder root (Rubia tinctorum)
Madder root (Rubia tinctorum) has been cultivated for thousands of years for its ability to produce a vibrant red dye, known as alizarin. Colors possible are yellow, orange, brown, rust and red. Madder root has been used since ancient times, with its cultivation tracing back to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The ancient Egyptians utilized Madder in the painting of mummy portraits. Greek and Roman civilizations also prized Madder for its vibrant red hue, using it to dye garments and for medicinal purposes.
During the medieval period, Madder cultivation spread throughout Europe, becoming particularly significant in countries like France, Germany, and the Netherlands. The dye produced from Madder was an essential commodity in the textile industry, contributing significantly to the economy.
The significance of Madder continued into the Renaissance and the early modern period. The dyeing process was often kept secret by dyers, who passed down the knowledge through generations. A royal decree actually required privates’ uniforms to be dyed red in order to support British agricultural interests, specifically the cultivation of the madder plant. The madder industry was huge in Europe up to 1870, with about 70,000 pounds being produced annually
The advent of synthetic dyes in the late 19th century led to a decline in Madder cultivation.
Botanical Characteristics
Rubia tinctorum, commonly known as common Madder, is a perennial climbing plant belonging to the Rubiaceae family. It can grow up to 1.5 meters in height and is characterized by its whorled leaves, small yellow flowers, and red berries. It produces sprawling vines that have fuzzy, sticky hairs all over the stalks and leaves. The most valuable part of the plant for dyeing is its roots, which contain the alizarin compound responsible for the red dye.
Cultivation
compost and garden lime for soil amendment
Growing Madder root requires specific conditions and care to ensure dye rich, healthy roots. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to cultivate Madder root effectively:
1. Site Selection and Soil Preparation
Madder prefers a sunny location with well-drained soil. The ideal soil pH ranges from 6.0 to 7.5. My Madder root is planted in a section of my garden that has sandy soil. Before planting, the soil should be prepared with compost and the addition of garden lime.
Growing Madder from seed
2. Sowing Madder
Sow seeds in early spring in a greenhouse with heat mats. Germination can be slow, sometimes taking several weeks, but germinating in a greenhouse on heat mats increases germination time to 7-10 days.
3. Planting
Because you will be harvesting 3 year old roots, I recommend creating a bed with 4 quadrants. Plant the first quadrant the first year, adding new plants to each subsequent quadrant each year. In the third year, you can harvest the first quadrant you planted and so on. That way you have roots to harvest each year to have a constant supply of Madder roots for dyeing.
When starting from transplants, space the plants about 1 foot apart in rows that are 2 feet apart.
4. Watering
Madder requires regular watering, especially during dry periods. The soil should be kept moist but not waterlogged. I recommend ¼” drip tubing with emitters located every 9-12 inches. It’s even better if each drip tube has a shut off valve so you can control how much water they are receiving seasonally so they don’t get too wet in spring, which can cause them to rot.
5. Trellising and Maintenance
Dye vat with madder vines
Once your plants are in the ground, you’ll want to add a trellis of some kind for them to sprawl on. I do this by simply making an arch with a 3ft x 5ft piece of fencing material.
In order to keep new plants separate from two and three year old plants, you’ll want to perform good maintenance in spring and fall. If 1, 2, and 3 year old plants combine, the roots will bind around each other and inhibit the healthy growth of the first planted roots. Excessive weed roots bound with your Madder roots will also make them more difficult to harvest.
First emergence of madder plant in late winter
In Fall, your Madder plants will be sprawling all over the trellis and they will go to seed. Once the plants begin to die back and brown, you can harvest the seeds, which are like juicy berries. If you don’t harvest them, the bed will be full of baby Madder plants in spring. After harvesting seeds, you can cut back all the tops, which can be used to make a light pink dye, or you can let them over-winter as a protective mulch.
In late winter of the 2nd and 3rd years, before seeing the plants beginning to grow, remove all the dried vegetative growth. Weed the Madder bed thoroughly. As soon as you start seeing new growth, it’s time to amend the soil.
Mix compost 6:1 with garden lime and spread the mixture all over the bed. Once your plants emerge to about 2 inches in height, you may start seeing baby Madder plants. Remove any newly sprouted seedlings and mulch with straw; enough so that you cannot see soil through it.
Harvesting
Madder roots can be harvested in the third year after planting. The roots should be the thickness of your pinky finger or a minimum of the thickness of a pencil.
Dig roots in late autumn after the aerial parts of the plant have died back. Carefully lift the roots with a garden fork, shaking off excess soil.
Cut the vegetative growth off close to the crown, but don’t remove the crown. Let the roots sit out in the shade until the soil clumps on them have dried. Gently knock off the soil clumps. The roots should then be washed to remove any remaining soil. I do this by putting the roots in a five gallon bucket of water to soak overnight. The next day, I shake the dirt off, drain the bucket and repeat until the roots are clean. Now they are ready to be dried, or you can make a fresh Madder root dye vat with them.
If you are going to dry them, consider cutting the roots into small pieces while they are supple and moist. Once dried, the roots are quite hard and difficult to cut up. The drying process can take several weeks and should be done in a well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight. Once completely dried out, your dried Madder roots can be stored in a cool, dry place until you are ready to use them.
Cutting up dried Madder roots for a dye vat is difficult
Madder root (Rubia tinctorum) not only holds a significant place in history due to its valuable dye-producing properties, it is also a dear friend to our creativity and therefore our nervous systems. The cultivation of Madder requires specific conditions and care, but the process is rewarding for those that want to grow their own botanical dyes and engage in a creative process with a long term outcome. Understanding the value of growing Madder root can provide a deeper appreciation for this ancient plant and its continued relevance in our fast paced modern times. Are you ready to invite this plant friend into your life? You can take a class from me, or buy seeds or plants in my webstore.