The Bloom is on the Flax!
I went on a quick visit to Gale Woods Farm this morning to check on the linen flax plot. I hadn't been able to get out to do more weeding of the crop during the past week or so, although the plot looked fairly weed-free, at least among the stalks themselves, so that was good to see.
Some stalks have already started to bloom! This is about three weeks earlier than expected. In addition, a few stalks appear to be turning yellow at their base. That is extremely early, since full maturity should be at 90–100 days, not 43 days, which it currently is. This has made me ponder the reasons behind the appearance of maturity. Perhaps the late sowing created conditions that forced the stalks to mature more quickly than normal or stressed the plants? It has also been very wet, hot, and humid for the past four weeks—not conditions that young linen flax stalks like. Another thought is that this particular part of the field did not have the nutrients that the linen flax prefers. Perhaps it is too nitrogen-rich? I am also investigating what was planted in this area last year to determine if the soil conditions were impacted by a previous crop.
I hope the field stalks continue to grow taller, and their blooming and yellowing is limited to just a few odd stalks.