How to Grow Linum Perenne From Seed

Indoor Seeding

• 1

  Prepare the container and growing media. Use a soil-less media such as a peat moss or peat mixture or a suitable substitute. Keep in mind that Linume perenne does not perform especially well following transplant, so consider seeding directly into larger containers where seedlings can remain until they will be planted in a permanent location.

• 2

  Sow the seeds on top of the media.

• 3

  Cover the seeds with about 1/8 inch perlite or vermiculite and water the seeds and media lightly.

• 4

  Place the seeds in a warm, humid environment or outdoors in a cold frame, if available. The seeds will germinate in about three to four weeks.

• 5

  Thin the seedlings out while they are still small so that only the healthiest, strongest plant remains in each pot, cell or container.

Outdoor Seeding

• 6

  Prepare the site and time the planting. Amend the soil as recommended by soil tests. Flax grown as a crop for seed or for forage or wildlife purposes should be seeded in early spring on heavy-textured soils, while seeds should be sown in late fall if the soil has a light texture. Flax seed or seed mixes perform best on a firm seedbed, so complete any deep tillage several weeks before planting to let the soil settle.

• 7

  Plant the seeds using a seeding drill or broadcaster. Seeds can be planted as deep as 1/4 inch, but the ideal planting depth is 1/8 inch. The maximum full seeding rate for flax or a forb mix is 4 pounds of pure live seed per acre.

• 8

  Irrigate the seeds and young plants when rainfall is not adequate to encourage stand development. Apply a mulch, if desired.