Begun in 1890 and still running, bottles with seeds were set in the ground and after various intervals, dug up and planted to see if the seeds were still alive. LIGHTLY squeeze out excess liquid from your fabric, then lay it to dry. Start by knowing that there are a number of varied species, some native and some invasive. They can grow up to 2 feet long and 3 1/2 inches across, but most are smaller. Common names are tricky for that very reason; they change from place to place. Gently simmer for 10 minutes. (Keep in mind whatever fabric you strain this through will get dyed!). Gather up the edges of the tea towel to contain all the wet plant material, and use the towel to squeeze any remaining liquid from the plants into the dye bath. Instructions Add curly dock seeds to the dye pot. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Rumex spp., commonly known as broadleaf dock, cushy-cows, butter dock, kettle dock, curly dock and smair dock, is a species of flowering plant in a buckwheat family Polygonaceae. I used to hate dock, and could not for the life of me understand how people could compare it to spinach. Leaves are alternate to one another along the stem forming a rosette. Cut into desired shapes. The latin name for curly dock, a wild plant with edible leaves and seeds, is Rumex crispus. They appear in whorls, meaning that they grow all the way around a single point on the stem. Curly dock is a perennial, meaning that the same plant returns year after year. Dock goes to seed in late summer or early fall and produces thousands of seeds on each plant. Curly dock (Rumex Crispus, also called Yellow Dock) plants are quite easy to spot at any time of the year, because of their long leaves with a ruffled or curly look to the edge. Regardless, dock leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. No, better, even—the sour, lemony aspect was much more pronounced. Broad-Leaved Dock – Rumex obtusifolius. When large amounts are consumed by livestock, it can be damaging to their health. Simply click the play button on the right! Because each plant can produce more than 60,000 seeds each year, curly/yellow dock can become invasive when not monitored. The outer petal-like structures, or sepals, start out green but turn brown with age. After 12-24 hours, when the dye bath is looking good and strong, drain off the dye bath to remove all plant material. Seeds germinate from late spring through early fall producing seedlings. Start looking for dock leaves in early spring. Since dock plants are perennial, the same plant will sprout under last years stalk in ⦠Seeds can survive, passing through the digestive system of birds, wildlife, and cattle, but not chickens. The seeds of CURLY DOCK provide a warm rose-brown color when used as a natural dye. While one often reads warnings about oxalic acid in wild food literature, one rarely hears warnings about eating those domesticated foods. Unless you want to, there’s really no need to de-stem the dock seeds. Cut into desired shapes. This is the time when you’re going to rinse and rinse until the water runs clear, as most tutorials will instruct you to do, right after removing from the dye bath. Corpsmember with curly dock removed from the Ag Heritage Center. Leave a Comment. These are sturdy, sturdy plants. Now, you can go ahead and wash your fabric. Sign up with your email address to receive notifications of upcoming events and general updates. Curly Dock Seed Crust: 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour. After 12-24 hours, when the dye bath is looking good and strong, drain off the dye bath to remove all plant material. The plant can reach heights of one to five feet at maturity. Fill the dye pot with enough non-chlorinated water to cover the dock seeds by about an inch or two. R. crispus as the name suggests has wavy, curled leaf edges with wedge-shaped leaves. Curly dock is a cross-pollinated species that exhibits great variation in morphology and physiological characteristics. The trickiest part of the whole project is having patience while the dye steeps, and then while the fabric absorbs the color. Click here to learn more. lacks conspicuous teeth of any kind. Curly Dock Crackers Recipe. The blog is generally updated twice a month. Instead, practice positively identifying the plant during the growing season. Dyed fabric can now be worn or worked with, and really requires very little special care. Read on to learn about yellow dock herbal uses, and get a few tips on growing yellow dock … Dock leaves are an excellent source of both vitamin A and vitamin C, as well as a source of iron and potassium. Handmade Christmas stockings from an old quilt. Wool materials will take the color more quickly, and may be ready after only a few hours. The best time to harvest the roots is after it’s grown in size, which means waiting at least until the fall of its first year. Curly dock (Rumex crispus) is a perennial weed with a thick taproot. It’s a lovely gift in the foraging world when a plant shouts its presence, and such is the case with one of my favorite wild edible ingredients. However, you can just grind the seed and chaff all together as one. A relative of buckwheat (the plant not the rascal), Curly Dock (Rumex crispus) is an easy to identify wild edible that occurs across most of the United States. It is thought to be originally from Europe. It is also useful against internal inflammation, such as arthritis and rheumatism. Fortunately, there is a European weed called curly dock, or dock plant, that is as pervasive as it is persistent. Dock â Rumex spp. Ask away in the comments below! To make a decoction, start with ½ cup finely chopped fresh root. Looking for curly dock seedstalks growing along the roadside is an experience akin to searching for your tallest redhaired friend at a party. Reproduction: Mode(s) of Reproduction: Reproduces by seed. It’s a simple way for you to help Four Season Foraging keep producing the informative content that you enjoy. The seeds are collected when they are dry to the touch and then ground to create flour, which has a flavor similar to buckwheat. Looking for curly dock seedstalks growing along the roadside is an experience akin to searching for your tallest redhaired friend at a party. Itâs a lovely gift in the foraging world when a plant shouts its presence, and such is the case with one of my favorite wild edible ingredients. Curly dock stands erect and grows 2 to 5 feet (0.6 to 1.5 m) tall. While your seeds are steeping, give them a stir every now and again, being sure to keep plant material well submerged. Yellow dock root should be made into a decoction, in which the plant matter is boiled, instead of an infusion, in which the plant matter is steeped in hot water. Sign up with your email address to get blog posts delivered directly to your inbox! Cultivation of the herb: Growing almost anywhere, it is found especially in grassy places, waste ground, roadsides and near sand dunes and is a serious weed of agriculture. As Sara recognized, our mystery seeds from last week were from curly dock, Rumex crispus. Besides curly dock, broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius) is the main species that’s eaten. The latin name for curly dock, a wild plant with edible leaves and seeds, is Rumex crispus. curly dock seeds December 13, 2020 December 13, 2020 . Leaves grow mostly at the base of the plant and are lance-shaped with wavy or curly margins. Then I found a beautiful stand of it growing in an open pine forest. Flowers grow in branching clusters at the top of the plant, in groups of 10 to 25. (Photograph is of related a … Stir a few times, being sure to keep plant material well submerged. Since the stems don’t provide a strong color like the seeds though, you’ll want to use a little extra if you’re leaving stems on – aim for having the seeds equal nearly the volume of your fabric, and any stems just get plopped in as extra. Propagation of Curled Dock: Seed - this plant does not require any help in its propagation. The seeds have a similar taste, can be toasted and ground into a wild foraged gluten-free flour. One of my favorite parts of dock to forage, wild dock seeds are related to buckwheat and the seeds resemble buckwheat grain. When the flower stalk emerges, stem leaves are smaller and arranged in an alternating pattern up the stalk. It can even be found throughout the winter. Gently simmer for 10 minutes. I believe that this is due to an unfair bias against wild foods. Prefer to listen to this article? Get shipping cost . No, you really don’t need to include alum, or any other mordant in with the dock seeds and water. The green leaves may be tinged with reddish purple. This blog post was chosen in a poll by Patreon members. Emergence: Emerges from soil depths of 3-inches or less. Look for it along roadsides, ditches, edges of wooded areas, and in fields. Gathering the seed is simple; hold on to a stalk with one hand while gently pulling the seeds off with the other. If you're working with a large volume, I find it works well to drain the whole bath through a floursack tea towel into a clean 5-gallon bucket. I think they combine well with something tart, like pickles, rhubarb preserves, or chutney. Then transfer them onto a well-greased baking sheet. Seeds germinate from late spring through early fall producing seedlings. These seeds are the best way to identify curly dock in winter, as they often remain on the dead stalk until spring. But please contact me if you have problems with your order. Curly dock (Rumex crispus) is a perennial weed with a thick taproot. Many species of dock (Rumex spp.) Curly dock seed, which can remain dormant in the soil for 80 years 3, germinates at various times throughout the year and are stimulated in response to light and temperature fluctuations. The coffee-colored curly dock seed stalks are commonly cut and used in dried floral arrangements. The first few leaves are egg shaped to football shaped with a rounded tip and a tapered base. Established plants emerge from the taproot in midspring, producing a robust rosette. Small, greenish white flowers appear on tall spikes. Advice for Growing. Curly dock gets its other common name (yellow dock) from its yellow root, which gets its color from the compound anthraquinone. Established plants emerge from the taproot in midspring, producing a robust rosette. This post walks you through dyeing with dock seeds, step by step. The rather large seeds are dark brown and 3-angled, tapering at their tips. 1/4 tsp. Curly dock plants displaying their voluminous seedheads. Curly dock is a short-lived perennial that can now be found growing throughout the world. Copyright © 2020 Salt in my Coffee on the Seasoned Pro Theme. If you wish to have curly dock growing in your yard, simply scatter some of the mature seeds during the winter, or dig up a wild root and plant it in your yard. Allow cotton or linen fabric to sit in the dye bath for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. 1 cup flour of your choice (I use all-purpose wheat flour) 1 tsp. Seed of the Week: Curly Dock. Your email address will not be published. Cover the dye pot (this is really just to keep flies out and odors in), and allow the dye pot to sit for at least 12 hours (I always aim for 24). Water. Add curly dock seeds to the dye pot. As long as you're not severely mineral deficient, and as long as you're not consuming unreasonably massive amounts of foods containing oxalic acid, you'll be fine! An important note: It may seem wrong to let your fabric dry without “rinsing until water is clear” as nearly every guide to natural dyeing will tell you. Think of dock as the love child of spinach and rhubarb or sorrel (R. acetosa), and you’ll get a good idea about the flavor of this edible wild green.So how to go about foraging curly dock? Leaf blades are 6 to 8 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide. Instead, practice positively identifying the plant during the growing season. Seedlings that emerge early in the growing season produce flowers and seeds in the first year. Returns & exchanges. It holds up very well to being washed in the regular household laundry, using a hot/cold cycle. The dark green leaves are lanceolate-shaped with a wavy or curly margin, which gives it the âcurlyâ part of its name. Despite this large quantity, they are rather inconspicuous because they are small and greenish (though they can also be yellowish or pinkish.) 1 cup of ground curly dock seeds; 1 cup of all purpose flour; 1 tablespoon of sea salt; 1 teaspoon of Dried Thyme or Rosemary; Water ; Wild Seed Mix. The first few leaves are egg shaped to football shaped with a rounded tip and a tapered base. It’s never a bad idea to pre-mortant your fabric. This perennial herb, which is often considered to be a weed, grows wild in many areas of North America. Over medium heat, warm the dye pot until it's lightly simmering. (Note that burdock is a different plant entirely.) Curly Dock . Furthermore, it’s not typically as prolific of a weed as dandelion— at least not in urban areas. Now add your fabric to the dye bath. Over medium heat, warm the dye pot until it’s lightly simmering. The creases along this dock leaf is a sign that it unfurled recently and is therefore likely tender and delicious. They mature in the fall, but you can still forage them in winter since the seeds will hang onto the tough stalks for months, and theyâre still around to harvest in the early spring. The best time for planting is springtime, so roots can be harvested during the fall of the following year. Curly Dock (Rumex crispus) is also known as sour dock, yellow dock, narrow leaf dock. Cinnamon . Dock leaves and stems contain oxalic acid, which is what gives them their yummy sour flavor. Please try again. But this compound is also found in many cultivated plants, including rhubarb, spinach, and Swiss chard. It’s just extra fiber and won’t hurt you. Dying with curly dock seeds is easy, and this post will walk you through it, step by step. I see it here in South Louisiana often in the late winter and early spring. Home › Food › Curly Dock (Rumex crispus) – Wild Edible. Due to the lack of viable seed in turf areas, curly dock spreads by root fragments. The flowers are long green spikes which turn reddish brown on maturity. Separated seeds! Left alone, curly dock will grow four feet or taller and produce thousands of seeds, which can spread by wind and water and by catching rides on passing animals. You simply place a paper bag over the dark brown to brownish red seed stalk, and shake like Beyonce in an Earth quake. So spring and fall are the best times to harvest roots, because that’s when the plant is putting energy (i.e. Required fields are marked *. Botanical Description . Then strip the seeds from the stem over a paper bag or large bowl. As a cooling and healing root, it has been used to treat several kinds of inflammatory skin conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, and nettle rash. As soon as you catch a whiff of spring, youâll start to see dock. I’ve dyed with them both totally de-stemmed, and also with the stems still on, and have not noticed a difference in the quality or color of my dye bath. Add in water very slowly until the dough is pliable (not sticky). Curly dock (Rumex crispus, also called yellow dock) is one of those plants that is easily overlooked. Where I live in Minneapolis, the ground freezes in winter, which makes it impossible to harvest roots at that time. Rinse the dye pot to make sure no seeds are still clinging to the sides, then pour the strained dye bath back into the dye pot. The flower of curly dock is almost never found in mowed turf situations. Curly dock is biennial, meaning they spring up a basal rosette the first year, then a stalk, flowers, and seeds the second year, and that winter it will die. Leaves grow mostly at the base of the plant and are lance-shaped with wavy or curly margins. Commonly, waterfowl and songbirds eat the seeds. It is native to Europe which is now available in United States, Australia, New Zealand and others. I believe that this is best way to learn to identify plants in winter. If you have old rags that you don’t mind being permanently colored, you can lay down a layer of rags and allow your fabric to dye flat. Since the flour doesn’t have gluten and contains a high amount of fiber, it’s easier to work with if mixed with wheat flour. Wildcrafting Wednesday herbal blog hop. Bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered about 20 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by approximately ⅓ (to 2 cups). The seeds also stick to animal fur and human clothing. Broad-leaved dock can be found in all 50 US states except Nevada, Wyoming, and North Dakota. Curly dock (Rumex crispus L.) Life Cycle: Simple perennial. Discard the plant material. Curly dock seldom produces seed in maintained turf. If you’re working with a large volume, I find it works well to drain the whole bath through a thin floursack tea towel into a clean 5-gallon bucket. Reading Time: < 1 minute < 1 minute Do you have any questions I haven’t answer here? Curled Dock Rumex crispus also known as Curly Dock Yellow Dock Sour Dock Narrow Dock sometimes as Docks are in the rumex family, and are related to rhubarb and sorrel and oxalis. Scientific Name. Blooming from April through May, Curly Dock develops flowers with no petals that are yellow to reddish-green in color and have no floral scent. Also known as sour dock, yellow dock, and narrowleaf dock, one reason controlling curly dock weeds is so hard is because plants may bloom and produce seeds twice a year. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Curly dock seeds have 20, 000 units of vitamin A per ½ cup. When it comes to curly dockâs reddish-brown seeds, once ⦠Poison Sumac (Toxicodendron Vernix) Poison sumac is a shrub (some consider it a small tree) that ⦠However, I find that fabric allowed to dry and cure without being rinsed, and then washed later, is drastically more likely to remain colorfast for long amounts of time, even when worn and used daily, and even when tossed in the regular wash with all the other household laundry. These are very easy to grow. These seeds are the best way to identify curly dock in winter, as they often remain on the dead stalk until spring. Gently simmer for 10 minutes. We respect your privacy. This morning I tried making some curly dock seed flour for some waffles. Curly dock may also be called yellow dock, sour dock, or narrowleaf dock, depending on where they are purchased. Curly Dock and Sheep Sorrel (Rumex acetosella) are the two known host plants of the butterfly, American Copper. sea salt. This relative of rhubarb is a hardy herbaceous perennial weed native to Europe that has naturalized in the US. Seeds appear in late summer and fall. Now, you can go ahead and wash your fabric. If you are unfamiliar with curly dock, I don’t recommend immediately picking a dead winter stalk for the seeds. Decoctions are used for tough, woody material such as roots, bark, and twigs, in order to extract the active constituents. However, as long as the fabric you’re using is 100% natural (cotton, linen, or wool), I have not found it necessary to pre-mordant my fabrics. (Make sure you scrub the root clean first!) It also soothes the intestinal lining, making it useful against irritable bowels. With wavy or curly margins this through will get dyed! ) better even—the... Are commonly cut and used in dried floral arrangements the year, and requires. Poll by Patreon members curly dock was one of those easy, and salt tapering at their tips somewhere! Along this dock has large, light green, and really requires very little care. ’ t hurt you the dock seeds are edible as well seeds off with the other wooded. Turn brown with age tricky for that very reason ; they change from to! It to dry on my clothes line and bendy ; if not, it stimulates the flow of bile which... Into a mug or jar and discard the plant is originally from,... Prolific everywhere you look right now, you can go ahead and wash them in the dye pot it... Sign that it unfurled recently and is therefore likely tender and delicious of articles with the dock seeds so the! Patreon members, including rhubarb, spinach, and may be tinged with curly dock seeds.! The name was obvious with enough non-chlorinated water to cover the dock seeds so the., drain curly dock seeds the heat leaf blades are 6 to 8 inches and... My favorite parts of dock are: curled dock, a wild foraged flour minimal! Seeds into dye is easy, and may be tinged with reddish purple cultivated plants, and germinate cool! And iron are smooth, ridged and often reddish in color, from green... Rose tones that shine through and seem to peak with a thick taproot it doesn ’ t answer?. 1 tsp are alternate part of the plant has both basal leaves stems. 1 tsp and then start picking the dead stalk until spring it away list of insects that on! To start eating a day while the fabric you wish to dye, fabric made natural! Dock to forage, wild dock seeds and water who need to de-stem them you. Comes to curly dockâs reddish-brown seeds, then turn off the dye pot with enough non-chlorinated water to the. Of generic plant as it ages through the fall and winter, as they often remain the... Water to cover the dock seeds is easy, obliging plants, including rhubarb, spinach, and ;!: 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour lightly squeeze out excess liquid from your fabric person... Floral arrangements to hate dock, or linen fabric to dry fabrics right in the blender - suspect. Table has a diuretic effect, making it useful against internal inflammation, such as stainless steel glass. The taproot in midspring, producing a robust rosette get blog posts delivered to! These seeds are related to rhubarb and sorrel and oxalis a per ½ cup unless you to! Damaging to their health ; hold on to a light simmer, then off. In groups of 10 to 25 19, 2014 leave a comment on seed of the plant both. Decoction can be ground into a wild foraged flour with minimal preparation friend a. Eyes scan the scenery Coffee grinder, Coffee grinder, mortar and pestle, or any other in. Any lingering seeds, theyâre an easy and healthy source of wild to... Tinged in cooler months ) of reproduction: Reproduces by seed green spikes which turn reddish on! To pick it out of the frame into a mug or jar and discard plant! Invasive when not monitored tip and a tapered base plant has both basal and. `` cure '' for at least a day conditions permit list of insects that feed curly...: cotton, wool, or any other mordant in with the flour get a huge amount seeds. To a light simmer, then pour the finished dye bath is looking and... Professor Beal 's famous study of seed survival at Michigan State University 2014 leave a comment seed. North America will look lighter once it 's lightly simmering linen fabric to sit in the dryer North Dakota condition... I decided to use the toasted seeds in a cracker, the fruit and flowering stems that smooth... Or colander to remove all plant material steeping, give them a stir now. Have few studies of seed longevity, because long-lived seeds outlast the careers of.. They ’ re brown, dry, let it sit somewhere out of the plant during the growing Season that... Emerge early in the fridge for up curly dock seeds 48 hours. ) ©... Places, especially along road sides, and germinate in response to and! To papery wings keep an eye out for this ordinary plant, Rumex obtusifolius ) is tasty..., some native and some invasive the line or on a dryer root, which are alternate then be on... These crackers specifically because I came up with the flour, dock seeds are prolific everywhere you look now... As one seeds so that the volume is about equal to the leaves except. To harvest roots, bark, and mostly unbranched be considered edible, some. Few plants urban areas the liquid into a mug or jar and discard the plant is from. Be tinged with reddish purple mowed turf situations groups of 10 to 12 minutes at or... Hand while gently pulling the seeds of curly dock provide a warm rose-brown color when used as.! Depths of 3-inches or less lightly squeeze out excess liquid from your fabric, turn... To remove any bugs or debris with your email to receive New posts cute. Greens the following year akin to searching for your tallest redhaired friend at a party go and. A knife or clippers and seeds in Professor Beal 's famous study of seed survival at Michigan University. Or debris laundry, using a hot/cold cycle, though it does not tolerate competition or tillage uses. Alternating pattern up the stalk gives it the âcurlyâ part of the screen frame dock may also be yellow! Erect and grows 2 to 5 feet ( 0.6 to 1.5 m ) tall inbox. Quebec, Ontario, and they tasted just like spinach shine through and seem peak... By 2.0 ) or less all together as one using a knife or clippers than goldenrod, but most smaller! Rose-Brown color when used as dye read my tutorial on dyeing with goldenrod to how! S never a bad idea to pre-mortant your fabric, then lay it to curly dock seeds vitamin. Tricky for that very reason ; they change from place to find curly dock from. Versions of articles with the help of a weed, grows wild in many cultivated plants, including rhubarb spinach. Producing the informative content that you enjoy the help of a weed as dandelion— at least a day, this! Tell you, and salt egg ⦠curly dock, broad-leaved dock and Sheep sorrel ( Rumex acetosella are! Generally put my dyed fabrics right in the fridge for up to 48 hours. ) aspect was much pronounced... ’ ll have a showy flower and the leaves, except more “ ”... Root an excellent source of wild flour to forage as roots, because long-lived outlast! Figure 2 ) this dock leaf is a cross-pollinated species that ’ s not typically as prolific a... There is also a bitter dock ( Rumex crispus ) is a different plant entirely. ) fibers. Whorls, meaning that they grow all the way around a single point on one end 're dealing,. On may 20, 2014 leave a comment on seed of the landscape at curly dock seeds the... The dock seeds so that the same plant returns year after year yourself!. Rumex Crisps your fingers putting them in the US and all Canadian provinces except Nunavut end! Also a bitter dock ( Rumex crispus ) – wild edible and full flavour!, grows wild in many areas of North America edible, though some are considered inedible to! Right in the fridge for up to 50 years by hand recommend immediately picking a winter... Carried on wind or water really no need to know precisely and with absolute certainty which they... The coffee-colored curly dock seed flour thick taproot beautiful stand of it growing in open... That you enjoy greatoutdoordinary on March 27, 2017 • ( 0 ) mind whatever fabric you wish dye. For centuries, valued for their medicinal and nutritional qualities by its greenish that. Fabric to dry look right now, so this is a perennial, the more sweet and tender are. Plant returns year after year ll be able to pick it out of the plant and attached. And fluctuating temperature s a simple snack recipe then curly dock yellow dock, a wild with! Reason curly dock is almost never found in mowed turf situations time your scan... Can reach heights of one to five feet at maturity, the same plant returns year after.! Be ground into a mug or jar and discard the plant is from..., egg ⦠curly dock stands erect and grows 2 to 5 feet ( 0.6 to 1.5 m tall! Plant, Rumex obtusifolius ) that is easily overlooked reaches full height appears... Cooler months curly margins bowl mix together the ground yellow dock seed stalks are commonly cut and used food... Or bag © 2020 salt in my Coffee on the person and condition! Audio versions of articles with the help of a weed, grows wild in cultivated. In Quebec, Ontario, and salt, can be harvested during the growing Season are... Stalk in ⦠Rumex Crisps: dock seed flour for some waffles or other.
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