How to Grow and Care for Flax Plants?

Flax plants give immense joy to the gardener in growing them because of their beautiful sight of blue flowers and partially due to the multiple benefits of the ingredients we get from them, such as linseed oil, linseed cake, flaxseeds, and linen. Flax plants are known to be native to California but can grow in other parts of the US (United States Of America). The Roman, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian people are known to have used it for millennia. It has an old history attached to it.

Now, people grow it for commercial as well as for home use. For commercial purposes, it is used to make linen fabric, composted flax residue is used to improve the fertility of the soil and linseed oil is used in making paint pigment, fiber production, and feeding livestock. Flax seeds, being edible, are consumed for multiple health benefits like protein, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Above all the reason, it is loved by people due to its ornamental value for the garden. Let’s have a look at the detailed information about the flax plants.

There is A Detailed Guide to Grow and Care for Butt Plant.

Summary of Basic Information About Flax Plants

Flax Plants Varieties

There are four varieties of flax plants. They are as follows:

Red- A small variant of flax plant (3ft.) which blooms reddish brown leaves.

Golden- It is a tall variety of flax(11ft.) that blooms with yellow flowers.

Blue- The Spanish blue flax variety is the oldest type that gives blue flowers.

Common- This variety is grown for its edible seeds and oil.

Features of Flax Plants

These plants have a round stem, self-pollinating blue flowers with five petals that bloom in the late spring to the late summer season, and pea-sized capsules containing ten seeds. The proper harvesting time is when pods dry and turn golden. Flax plants are self-seed plants under the right growing conditions.

Use of Flax Plants

It has multiple uses. Seeds are consumed or pressed to get oil; linseed oil is used as a base for many oil paints and is preferred for wood oils. The remnants of the linseed are used to feed livestock; flowers are used to decorate confections because flowers are edible and also used to make dye. Flax seeds have medicinal value in curing osteoporosis and maintaining blood glucose levels.

All You Should Know About Flax Plants

Let's have a look at detailed information about the essential requirements of flax plants for robust growth.

Sunlight

These plants need around eight hours of full sunlight every day for robust growth. However, don't expose it to extreme heat.

Temperature

Flax plants thrive in temperatures of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The plant decreases pollen production if the temperature goes beyond 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Water

It requires regular watering around the roots and not foliage. Keep the roots wet during the dry weather until they germinate, which will take around ten days. Once the plant is well established, water them every few weeks. Don't water the plant during the rainy season.

Fertilizer

Flax plants don't require fertilizers. However, a thin layer of organic compost can be applied.

Pruning

Many researchers suggest practicing crop rotation of flax plants every three years. It's advisable to remove the plant before flowering to prevent germination. Remove diseased leaves for healthy growth.

Propagating

It's a way of plant rotation. Dig the entire root system and add it to a weed-free new planting area.

Harvesting

The perfect harvesting time is when flowers bloom. Pick up the flowers immediately and use them because they die in a day. If you can hear the seeds shaking in the pod, it means the seed pods are ready for harvesting. Grab a bunch of stems from the base, cut it, and shake it on a cloth. If seeds come out, well and good, else dry them, and finally, thresh the pods and sift the seed from the plant matter.

Storage

Proper storage is essential to add life to the seeds. Store the seeds in an air-tight box at room temperature or in the freezer to last for one year. If kept in the refrigerator, ground seeds will last for six months, and flax seeds last for a couple of days if kept at room temperature. Use fresh flowers immediately or dry them and store them.

Growing Tips

Avoid overwatering, excess heat, excessive cold, and overshading because it may harm the plant. Overwatering weakens the root system, making it prone to disease; too much heat will lead to low yield; too much cold hampers the growth, damaging the leaves, and over-shading can also affect the development. Growing the plan requires vigilant eyes on the plants for healthy growth.

Steps to Grow Flax Seeds From Seed

Propagating is one way to grow the plant, but gardeners prefer to grow them from seed.

• If you plan to collect seeds from the plant, wait until the seeds turn brown because that gives a signal that the plant is fully mature. Remove the seed carefully.

• Soak flax seeds before sowing until a mucosal casing develops. Then spread it in the garden. Make sure you choose a spot full of sun and well-drained loamy soil.

• Check the soil quality. If it's poor, add compost to improve the soil quality.

• Smoothen the planting area and add 1 tbsp of seeds for every ten sq. ft.

• Keep soil moist until germination.

Ways to Deal With Pest and Disease Problems

Pests

There are many pests, such as army cutworms, grasshoppers, wireworms, Bertha armyworms, and pale western cutworms, who love to eat green parts of the leaves of flax plants. All you have to do is dilute neem oil in water and spray it all over the plant. The alternate solution is Bt spray or Pyrethrin. There are other pests that demand a different way to deal with them. For example, to deal with wireworms that live on the roots and ungerminated seeds, aerate the soil before planting or bury potatoes for a week until the plant germinates to give wireworms an alternate feeding option which they'll love and then remove potatoes after a week.

Diseases

Flax plants are prone to fungal diseases like rust, fusarium wilt, pasmo, seedling blight, powdery mildew, and aster yellows. Keep a close watch on the plant to detect any disease at an early stage to prevent damage to the plant.

Conclusion

Flax plants are a multi-beneficial plant, making it the favorite of many. The commercial and home use makes it a great choice. Commercially, it is used as a base to make paint and is consumed owing to its multiple health benefits.