Indigo Composting or Sukumo

Indigo leaves and flowers blooming in late October. Once cut with stems and flowers, I place leaves in a canvas bag to compost for 60–100 days. When flowers completely dry out, they turn to seed for planting next spring. When the leaves reach a more broken-down state, I will soak the leaves, extract the dye with lime, and then prepare a fermentation vat with wood ash and barley for dyeing.  Seed funding provided by Puffin Foundation West with in-kind support from Wyckoff Farmhouse and Michael Olenick. leav