Flax is important for both oil production and the clothing industry. But it also works well as an ornamental plant. Find out below what you need to consider when growing this plant in order to achieve rich harvest yields!
How can flax be grown successfully?
When growing flax, you should sow between the end of March and the beginning of April, sow 2-3 cm deep with a distance of 20-30 cm between plants and prefer a bright location that offers deep, permeable and sandy loam soil. The plant requires little care and copes well with drought.
Does flax place special demands on the soil?
Flax does not place any special demands on the soil. Basically, the plant prefers soils with the following properties:
- not prone to getting wet
- permeable
- medium nutrient content
- not too hard
- not too humus
- profound
- sandy loam soils
When and how is sowing done?
You should sow flax early in the year. The ideal period is between the end of March and the beginning of April. It is important that there is no severe frost at sowing time! Choose a bright location!
The seeds are sown widely and incorporated well. They should be 2 to 3 cm deep in the ground. A distance of 20 to 30 cm between the individual plants is optimal. Germination takes 1 to 2 weeks.
Does flax need care during its growing season?
In suitable locations, flax does not need any special care during its growth period. It tolerates dry periods well. He just doesn't deal well with wet conditions. For a rich harvest, it is important that the water supply is ensured during flowering. If the soil is well supplied with nutrients when sowing, you do not need to fertilize the flax afterwards.
How long does it take until harvest?
With oil linseed, it takes between 110 and 120 days until you can harvest up to 3 tons of linseed per hectare of land. Flax fiber must be harvested about 10 days before it is fully ripe.
How do you recognize ripe flax?
The flax is usually ready for harvest at the end of August and flax cultivation ends. The linseed capsules ripen evenly. Once ripe, the seeds rustle inside. Other identifying characteristics of maturity:
- bottom leaves have fallen off
- upper stem section is colored brown
- lower stem section is colored green
Tip
Oats or corn are ideal as a previous crop as they leave few weeds behind.
