Harvesting

Harvesting flax is typically done 90-125 days after seeding. The flax seed bolls will be shades of brown and yellow, and the leaves will be drooping downwards. Harvesting is part of what ensures the flax fibres quality after its been fully processed.

Retting

Dew retting is the oldest and still most common form of retting. After the flax has been pulled, it is spread evenly in the field, and over the course of the next 3-7 weeks, depending on climatic conditions, natural decomposing bacteria work to dissolve the pectin material around the plant stalks.

At Flaxmobile we have also used tank, and wet retting depending on the location and flax condition.

Tank retting, by contrast, employs vats usually made of concrete, requires about four to six days, and is feasible in any season. In the first six to eight hours, called the leaching period, much of the dirt and colouring matter is removed by the water, which is usually changed to assure clean fibre.

Stooking

Stooking is the process of bundling and tying flax into sheaves so it can dry evenly and be stored for processing into linen. The uprooted plants are gathered into bundles. The best flax will dry to a lighter color than the lower quality plants.