1. Choose the right flax variety

  • Use flax for fiber (Linum usitatissimum), not oilseed flax
  • Ideal varieties have tall, slender stalks with fewer branches
Buy flax seeds

2. Prepare the soil

  • Plough the soil to a depth of at least 10 cm
  • We don't need to fertilise
  • I level the soil with a rake before sowing
  • I plant after the last frost (March, April or May)
  • Flax prefers loose, well-drained soil with full sun
  • Avoid overly rich or compacted soils, which can reduce fiber quality

3. Rows

  • Shallow lines are enough
  • Rows approximately 12 cm apart

4. Sow the seeds

  • I plant in rows
  • Regularly, in the range of
    approximately as in the picture
  • The close planting helps the flax grow tall and straight (flax stretches for the sun)

5. Label

If I have several types of flax, I label them with the name

6. Covering the seeds

  • I then gently cover the seeds with soil
  • Approximately 2cm above the seeds

7. Stomping of soil

  • Since I don't have a roller, I gently stomp the soil at the end
  • If you are afraid of stomping, it will be enough to press the ground with a rake

8. Water and care

  • If it does not rain at the beginning of the flax's growth, water it. Otherwise, it will be fine with rainwater
  • Flax does not need any fertilisers or pesticides - it is completely self-sufficient.

Tips during growth

  • If you have a problem with birds picking out seeds or cats digging through the soil, put light twigs in the field
  • At the beginning of growth, pull weeds regularly until the flax reaches a height to shade it

Tips during growth

  • If the flax falls while growing, you can support it with a fence. Make it from sticks and tie a rope to prevent the flax from falling
  • The flax is probably falling because the seeds are planted too thickly

Harvesting

  • Pull the plants out by the roots to preserve maximum fiber length

1. If we want fine fibre, we harvest flax when the pods are 50% ripe and the stalk is starting to turn yellow.

2. If we also want ripe seeds and less hard fibre, we pick when the stalk is half yellow and the pods are fully ripe (the flax seeds rattle in them)

Harvesting

If you are harvesting as in case 1. for fine fiber, you can put the flax in stacks or hang it down with capsules. They will fully mature in a week or two, but the fibre will remain fine

Do you want to plant flax on the balcony?