I was surprised how easy it was to grow Indigo in my garden, after I first planted the seeds several years ago.

Indigo plants love warmth and humidity. Sow seeds in April.

You can either start seeds in a greenhouse or direct sow. Soak the seeds overnight in water and then sow your seeds in pots at least 3 inches in diameter, one seed per pot (pots are better than seed trays because indigo does not like to have its roots disturbed). If started in the greenhouse, transplant the seedlings when they are 6" high and the danger of frost is over.

When the indigo plants flower, followed by seeds, they will freely spread their seed all over the garden, so be forewarned. I don’t mind seeing them pop up amongst the pink or orange cosmos.

The indigo plant leaves must be harvested before the plants flower and dried before using as a dye.

Each seed package is sealed with a wax stamp.

The Indigo seeds were harvested from River’s Edge Farm, a climate resilient, carbon neutral, zero waste, pollinator supporting regenerative organic mini farm in the Hudson Valley, in upstate New York. More information available on its page on Instagram