’Tis the End of a Season

Time to review the potted flax adventure of the summer of 2022. It was interesting. That is the Minnesota way of saying, uh, maybe not so good. The crop ended up being unimpressive. Although I did get some flax stalks, they are nothing like a crop produced in full sun in a field. Surprisingly, there were also very few flowers. All in all, it wasn’t very happy flax.

It’s hard to see in this image, but the ultimate height 

of the potted flax was no more than 30 inches. 

That’s several inches shorter than flax planted in a field.

...even though the crop was well-supervised by this little frog!

And the final result! Harvested flax from the pots.

They are short, fairly curly flax stalks with the most delicate of roots.

Even with the “meh” results, it was a good learning experience. I will still dry, ret, and use this flax, so keep in touch on that progress.

In the end, I have concluded that flax is best grown in a field, free to blow and bend in the wind, supported by others of its kind. (When you consider it, we aren’t so different from flax stalks. If you keep us bound, without the freedom to become who we are meant to become, we stagnate and become less of who we could be!)

I am seeking a small plot of sunny land for next summer, where the flax may grow tall and flourish. Please get in touch with me if you have such a plot. A spot in a plowed field (about 20 x 20 feet just for management purposes) and at the western edge of the Twin Cities metro would be my ideal site.

Next post. . . more about my ASI Teaching Tools Grant work.