FLAX SEEDS

Linum usitatissimum

Flax has been cultivated for fiber since the Neolithic. The ancestors of our modern flax are found in the archaeological record virtually worldwide. It is hard to imagine the advance of our civilization in the absence of this humble plant. 

There are many species of Linum around the world. Today only Linum usitatissimum is cultivated for its fiber and edible seed. The nearly 3' stems contains bundles of long bast fibers encased in pectin, wax and gum. This fiber is used in the production of linen. The seeds are pressed for oil or dried for consumption by both humans and livestock.

Growing Flax in the garden is surprisingly easy. Thickly sown plants produce thin straight stalks and, when skillfully retted, a very high quality fiber that is easily spun. The sky blue flowers are a welcome sight in the summer landscape, and they are suitable for cutting. When sprouted, dried and toasted, the seeds prove a nutritious and tasty food for humans. We love them ground with roasted almonds or hazelnuts and sprinkled over autumn salads. Unharvested plants make fantastic forage for chickens and wildlife in winter. 

Sow these seeds directly in to the garden in early spring. Seeds may be scattered by hand in a bed of deeply cultivated and loose fertile soil, about 3'-4' wide. Rake to about one half inch depth and water deeply. Young plants can tolerate light frost, and we've seen industrial organic planting done in the Upper Midwest when soils were surprisingly cold. Here in the Northeast, the main concern is that the seedlings will be crushed by heavy wet snow, so May is our preferred planting time. 

If growing purely for fiber, pull (do not cut) plants in their entirety after they have flowered but whilst they are still green. Lay out to dry, turning at least once, before combing out the seeds. The stems can then be retting in any number of ways. We prefer to do the drying and retting in the same bed that the plants were grown. There are fantastic books and resources available online that will better explain this process than we can in this space. As a preamble, consider THIS inspiring blog by a commercial flax producer in Belgium. 

For fiber production, seeds may be sown very generously, around 150-200 seeds per square foot. Flax grown for seeds should be sown in rows about 6" apart. Thin plants in each row to just 1"-2" apart. 

We do not know the variety name of this particular Flax, only that it is a common commercial strain. Brown seeds.

Packet contains around 2000 seeds.