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Flax Care Must-Knows
Flax thrives in full sun and light, well-drained soil. Wet feet will kill this plant. Heavy, clay soil causes this perennial to develop shallow roots, which prove challenging to its survival in winter. Start flax by planting seeds directly in the garden. Some of the plants grown this way may even flower the first year. In addition, flax can be started from transplants purchased at the nursery. Water these plants regularly for three or four weeks after planting to encourage a strong root system. Reduce watering after that point. Flax begins its profuse blooming in early summer and doesn’t finish blooming for about 8 weeks. Each five-petal blue flower lasts only one day: opening in the morning but dropping petals by late afternoon. Trim plants back by half their height after flowering finishes for the season. This pruning may spur another round of flowering in early fall. If you love this plant with its wiry stems and blue blossoms, keep your fingers crossed; flax happily self-seeds in ideal growing conditions. Worth noting: Perennial flax’s tough, fibrous stems were once used to make linen and rope in Europe. Today, linen is made from the stems of several varieties of annual flax called Linum usitatissimum. Take a look at more drought-tolerant perennials.
