A detailed guide to flax cultivation techniques, master the growing method with ease

Flax is an annual herbaceous plant that can be used to make fabric and has sweat-absorbing properties. It is currently grown in many regions, so what are the flax cultivation techniques?

1. Soil selection and land preparation

Flax prefers a cool, humid climate, is cold-tolerant and afraid of high temperatures, and is suitable for planting in soil that is deep, loose, fertile and well-drained; it is best if crops such as corn or wheat were grown there previously. In addition, flax seeds are relatively small and have weak sprouting strength to push through the soil, so land preparation before planting is a necessary process: clear weeds and debris from the planting site, then deep-plow the soil, then break up large clods of compacted soil so that the soil is loose and fine.

2. Seed selection and treatment

Before planting, selecting good seeds is the primary condition for achieving high and quality yields; choose excellent varieties with strong adaptability, strong disease resistance and suitability for local growing conditions. The seeds used for sowing should be plump and free of defects; remove small seeds and seeds with impurities, and place the seeds in the sun to expose them for 1-2 days, which can increase the germination rate. To prevent diseases, seeds can be treated by mixing with chemicals.

3. Sowing

The climate and soil environment of each region are different, so the sowing time also differs slightly; generally the sowing time is in early May. When sowing, pay attention to sowing density. If sowing is too dense, there will be competition for light and nutrients, causing many seedlings to have slender stems and tall plants that are prone to lodging, and the yield will not be high; however, if sowing is insufficient, flax stems will be thick and strong but will have many branches, and both quality and yield will be poor, resulting in low economic benefit. Generally, sow 100-110 kg per hectare, with about 2000 seedlings per square meter.

4. Field management techniques

(1) Reasonable fertilization: flax has a relatively large demand for nutrients during growth, especially nitrogen and potassium fertilizers, but a relatively small demand for phosphate fertilizer; each growth stage has different nutrient requirements. In the early growth stage, the demand for nitrogen fertilizer is relatively large; in the peak growth period and flowering period, the demand for potassium fertilizer is relatively large, and the flowering period also requires a large amount of phosphate fertilizer. However, fertilization should not be excessive: for example, excessive nitrogen fertilizer will make plants prone to lodging, and excessive phosphate fertilizer will cause plant dwarfing and premature senescence. The flax root system is relatively weak, so fertilization should be mainly base fertilizer, supplemented by topdressing, and attention should also be paid to other trace elements.

(2) Weeding: weeds have a great impact on the yield and quality of flax. If the early growth is not as vigorous as the weeds, it will affect flax growth. Weeding must be clean and thorough; in addition to manual weeding, chemical weeding can also be used.

(3) Pest and disease control: the main diseases of flax are damping-off, anthracnose, fusarium wilt and powdery mildew, and the main pests are flies and moths. During planting, observe carefully and deal with pests and diseases promptly when found.