How to Grow

Flax and linseed confusion??  flax and linseed are varieties of the same species of plant Linum usitatissimum translated from the latin as 'Line most useful', originally a dual purpose plant. Today in the UK, farmers commercially grow linseed a short variety with less fibre which is harvested with a combine harvester like wheat or barley, for its seeds, the straw, at present, has little use and is mostly burnt in the field.

Flax is the taller variety grown for fibre content, with a reduced seed yield, there are no commercial  facilities in the UK to process and spin the long fibres from this plant, neither is there the harvesting machinery to pull the crop from the ground.

Prior to a flax fibre and linen industry re establishing itself in the UK an understanding and gaining of experience of the growing and process involved is best achieved through small producers or individuals.  

Flax can easily   be grown throughout the UK, there are now commercial growers of flax for fibre in the UK but no facilities for processing flax fibres

including spinning. This makes flax growing an ideal project for individuals or groups keen to learn about natural fibres or become an artisan producer of linen or flax yarns and twines.

(photo linseed and flax varieties)  

Sowing and timing flax grows rapidly with approximately 100 days between planting and harvesting. Flax is sown from the late March into early May when the soil has warmed and the seed will germinate quickly. Seed is sown thickly aiming to establish 2,000 plus plants to a square metre this equates to approximately 12 grams of seed. To obtain the best plants it is best sown in rows about 125mm apart making 8 rows to a metre width, create a 25mm groove in the soil.

 This can easily be done using a board one metre long by 125 mm wide. Using its short edge cut a groove 25mm deep, roll the board width wise and create another groove which will be 125mm away from the last, make 8 grooves. Weigh out 12 grams of seed and divide by 8 on a piece of paper. Sprinkle each eight into a row, cover with soil and firm the ground. 

For large areas a hand pushed drill is used or larger tractor mounted drills. As a guide a square metre of well grown and processed flax could produce 200 grams of fibre sufficient to make a tea towel.

Sowing linseed for seed and oils  these seeds can be broadcast and raked into a depth of 25 mm,  sow approx 600 seeds to a square metre  4 grams. 

Plant spacing is not so important when growing for seed alone.

Flax grows rapidly it should not need watering but will require hand weeding until the plants have grown tall to compete with the weeds.

Wearing soft shoes, it is possible to walk through the crop as bent over plants up to 100mm will stand up after a day. Flax generally does not need fertilisers. 

With April sowing flowering starts towards the end of June and last about 7 to 10 days. The flowers for most varieties are blue in colour and are self pollinating. The flower buds open around 9.00 am and will drop by evening; with more flowers following the next day.

Once the plant has finished flowering the seed bolls swell and the leaves start to turn yellow and drop off on the lower stem. The stem gradually becomes firmer and  lignified, most flax is harvested between 4 to 6 weeks after flowering; the seeds will have changed colour from a white to brown.

Plants are pulled by hand and led on the ground with roots to one end and seed to the other in layers 50 mm thick.

The plants now start the process of retting (rotting), the gums and pectins holding the fibres together are broken down by moulds and fungi in the damp under layers of the laid flax. The seed pods continue to ripen and can be removed by pulling them off with a large comb, this process is called rippling. After 10 to 14 days the crop is then turned, to allow the top layer, which has mostly dried, to become damp and ret. This process is weather dependent and can take from 2 weeks to 2 months in drought conditions. When the crop is fully retted and completely dry it needs to be stored in the dry.

Growing Linseed for fibre and seed ?

Over time flax growers and seed breeders have selected varieties to favour either seed or fibre production, whereas in the past the value of the seed and fibre would have been of equal importance. There are no specific dual purpose varieties of flax. The potential of growing linseed varieties for seed and fibre is becoming increasingly attractive to both commercial farmers and artisan growers (this is particularly useful when flax fibre seed is difficult to obtain as per the 2021 - 2024 seasons). Our own work, and others studies in Europe with similar conclusions confirm that the fibre yield of linseed can be utilised for both industrial uses and longline spinning.

Linseed fibre yield is generally half, with seed yield quadrupled compared to fibre varieties. Linseed length is shorter 500 mm as opposed to 1,000 mm of the fibre flax types, as with flax fibre quality depends on the maturity of the crop at pulling time. To get the full value of the seed plants  have  to ripen for a longer period resulting in  a more more lignified straw which requires more retting.

 We are quite excited about the future of growing dual purpose flax both for industrial use and for hand spinning using longline linseed fibre.

If growing for seed sow at 4 grams to a square metre. 

For fibre sow at 10 - 12 grams a square metre.

Pictured  comparative yields in grams of linseed and flax from 100 stems.

Assessing when the crop is fully retted is a skill which is best learnt with experience of handling the crop. The straw or shive should break away easily and fibres should separate when combed yet still be strong. Retting is a part of the process we concentrate on at our workshops as there are no hard and fast rules to follow with options on  timings and retting methods   (eg water retting, drying the straw and storing to rett  at a later date or following years, early pulling for finer fibres).

Flax straw should be left to settle for at least 2 months before processing. 

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