Flax perennial sky blue growing from seeds. Linen: planting and care

So familiar to most of us perennial flax often relegated to the background when choosing suitable decorative flowers for the garden area. But in vain. After all, this plant has long been considered a real decoration of any home and its protector. Flax is a plant that is completely unpretentious, but at the same time able to bloom with incredible flowers. luxurious flowers. By the way, contrary to popular belief, linen does not have to be blue. Today you will learn about all the features of growing blue perennial flax in open field: planting, care, application in landscape design(photo materials are attached).

Flax perennial blue: description, main varieties and varieties

Flax belongs to the genus of herbaceous plants, numbering about 200 plants that are diverse in appearance and properties. Most often, flax is represented by a small plant, reaching a height of about 0.5 m, with fairly thin, but strong stems and different size flowers (they are both small and large enough) of pale blue, white or pink-red.

Actively cultivated in the middle latitudes. plant prefers temperate climate, so you can most often find blue flax in North America, Africa, parts of Europe and Asia.

Among existing species and varieties of flax, the following can be especially distinguished (photo below):

• Oily. This ornamental variety of flax is home grown, often for the purpose of producing nutritious and incredibly healthy flaxseeds. The plant usually reaches a height of no more than 30 cm. The flowers are relatively small. Their color can be pale blue, yellow and even red.

oil flax

• Decorative. One of the most picky varieties of flax: growing it is a pleasure even for a novice gardener. In addition, it is from decorative varieties linen is produced durable natural clothing.
• Large-flowered. This variety of flax appeared in domestic gardening not so long ago and immediately became one of the "favorites" among gardeners - lovers of home flora. The plant can be called medium-sized - it usually reaches a height of 0.5 m. decorative linen very large, represented by a rich range of shades. Decorative flax is considered a perennial: favorable conditions in one place he can live up to 5 years.

large-flowered flax

• Flax is a perennial. This type of flax is considered the most common among all existing ones. Perennial linen is used to decorate flower walls, borders, etc.

Planting a plant in open ground

The plant cannot be called particularly picky about growing conditions, but still flax, regardless of variety or variety, needs a sufficient amount sunlight, therefore, the site for its planting must be chosen completely not shaded by houses or trees.

Advice. If you are a resident of a region where the sun is considered a rather rare phenomenon, it is, unfortunately, better for you to refuse to grow perennial flax.

The soil for planting flax can be almost any, but you are unlikely to be able to grow flax in a swampy area. The soil must be light, with a sufficiently deep occurrence. ground water. Flax perennial will take root perfectly even on slopes (but not too steep).

Landing perennial varieties flax is best carried out indoors, but if the climate is warm enough, you can sow them immediately in open ground, and it is advisable not to deepen the seeds into the ground, but simply spread them out on the ground and spray them with water from a spray bottle.

flax bush

Outdoor cultivation is possible both in spring (when the temperature reaches a stable 20 degrees) and in autumn (when the temperature has not yet fallen below 20 degrees).

Advice. When growing perennial flax in open ground, be sure to take into account the cold factor: planting should not be carried out in wet or rainy weather, and after this process, the seeds must be covered with a small layer of soil, then insulated like an ordinary flower crop.

Plant propagation

Reproduction of perennial flax is carried out in several ways:

1. Seeds. As we already know, seed propagation is possible both in spring and autumn (when the seed material is sown in winter). Seeds are carefully laid out on the ground (without deepening into the soil) and slightly moistened with water. By the way, perennial varieties you can safely start growing even in summer period. When growing in containers (meaning a permanent place, since seedling method growing flax with subsequent transplantation is ineffective) open space carried out immediately after sowing.
2. The division of the bush. This propagation method is relevant for biennial plants. The process of separating several parts from mother bush usually carried out in mid-spring, or after the end of the flowering period - in August. Parts of the bush are usually planted at a distance of about 20 cm from each other. They require constant watering and protection from direct sunlight.

Blue flax care: watering and fertilizing regimen, pest control

So that in the summer the plant will please you with luxury, albeit not too long flowering, be sure to make sure that it receives complete care. Further on, what kind of care will be required for perennial flax when it is grown in open ground.

In order for the plant to remain healthy and “live” a full life, it is necessary to provide it with periodic watering, which, by the way, should not turn the soil surface into a swampy area.

Avoid stagnant water at the roots of flax

Remember that flax does not like stagnant water. A sufficient frequency of watering can be about 1-2 times a week (depending on the dryness of the period and the temperature characteristics of the region). Make sure the soil is always moist. But with the onset of autumn, it is advisable to reduce watering to a minimum, and then stop altogether.

In addition to watering, flax will also need periodic weeding, since weeds and excessive thickening of the plant do not have the best effect on appearance flax.

Top dressing cannot be called the weak point of perennial flax, so you can forget about the constant preparation of nutrient mixtures for the soil. AT without fail must be paid organic feeding a few days before sowing seed material and add a little potash fertilizer there. During the season, it is advisable to apply liquid top dressing at least a couple of times. It is desirable to carry out the process of plant nutrition immediately after watering.

As for diseases, then flax has something to brag about, because the plant is not susceptible to any diseases. Is that a linen flea can sometimes attack him. Unfortunately, folk remedies are powerless in the fight against it, therefore, immediately when a small pest appears, it is necessary to treat the area with growing flax with a special chemical preparation.

Combination with other plants

In order for flax to take root well on garden plot and became a worthy adornment, remember that the best combination plants are observed mainly with crops that have a similar development pattern and growing conditions.

Flax in landscape design

Flax (Linum) - perennial or annual herbaceous plant from the Flax family. In nature, the plant can be found in temperate and subtropical latitudes of our planet.

Origin

Flax is native to Northwest Africa. More than 200 species of plants belong to the genus of flax, of which a little more than 40 are cultivated. 25 species of flax are grown as an ornamental crop.

Description

For gardeners, the following types and varieties of flax are of interest.

You can admire the wonderful flowering of flax by looking at the photo of the plant.

Conditions for growing flax

The plant is demanding on lighting, reconciles only with a light lacy shadow. Most best plots for decorative linen - open sunny areas. Flax planted in clearings attracts the eye with the brightness of flowering.

The plant is not demanding on the soil. The main thing is that the soil is well drained and has an alkaline reaction. Perennial flax prefers light sandy soils filled with humus at a dose of 5–7 kg per 1 sq. meter. heavy clay soils cultivated by introducing sand, wood ash and lime. Annual species grow well on any soil.

Linen care is very simple. Watering plantings is required only in severe drought, usually, natural rainfall is enough for the flower.

Weeds will spoil the look of flower clearings, so you need to carry out weeding in a timely manner.
To avoid uncontrolled spread of the flower by self-sowing, you need to collect seed pods on time. Or take a separate area for flax, away from flower beds and flower beds.

With unfavorable weather conditions, flax can be affected by fusarium, rust. If, at the first signs of the disease, the treatment of plantings with fungicides is not started, there is a risk of losing all the plantings.

Flax propagation

Annual species are easily spread by sowing seeds in the ground, self-seeding is possible. Sowing is carried out in the spring, at the end of April - May, on prepared soil. Seeds are poured into grooves to a depth of 1.5 - 2 cm, the distance between seeds is 3 - 6 cm, between rows is 12 - 20 cm. Flax seedlings are friendly and fast.

Perennial species can be propagated by dividing the bush in early spring. The bush is dug up, and the rhizome is divided into parts. Delenki are planted in a prepared place, in a well-spilled hole. Sowing of perennial flax with seeds is carried out before winter. At one place perennial species plants can grow up to 5 years.

Decorative linen in landscape design

Blooming throughout the summer bright flowers, flax is an important component of the Mauritanian lawn. Planted in the company of poppies, cereals, flax will complement a flower garden in a natural or rustic style.

Good flax planted near large plants with dark textured foliage. Perennial undersized flax is planted on alpine slide, combining with and bells, cereals; along the paths, in the foreground of flower beds. You should not combine linen with exquisite aristocratic flowers - roses, lilies, wild flower too simple for such a neighborhood.

Useful properties of flax

In addition to beautiful flowering, and growing for plant fiber, flax seed has a number of useful properties for the human body. The seed is especially rich in Omega 3, 6 and 9 acids. The product is useful for digestion, improves the condition of the skin, hair and nails. Flax seeds are taken for kidney disease, hormonal disorders, frequent colds, bronchitis, atherosclerosis, diabetes. Mucous flax decoctions and kissels are an excellent medicine for a sick stomach.

Flax seeds are added to cold salads, cereals, jelly is prepared, or simply eaten with water or juice. The combination of flaxseed and kefir will bring particular benefit to the gastrointestinal tract.

Important! More than 2 tbsp. spoons of flax seeds per day should not be consumed. The optimal dose for strengthening immunity is 8-10 g.

In the pharmacy you can buy not only flax seeds, but also linseed oil. It is useful to add it daily to salads without heat treatment.

In cosmetology, flax seeds are used as part of cleansing scrubs, smoothing masks.

See also video

Flax is not the most common crop on household plots. You can grow it at home by following the recommendations from the article. We will tell you how to properly prepare the seeds and soil for sowing, as well as take care of the plant.

If you have already tried to grow flax, but unsuccessfully, check out the section on pests and diseases of the crop. And tips on harvesting and storing the crop will help you prepare raw materials for the production of natural fabrics with your own hands.

Flax cultivation

Flax belongs to industrial crops, so most owners of summer cottages bypass it. This makes a certain sense, because in order to profit from the cultivation of flax, or at least a sufficient amount of raw materials for production, you need to plant a fairly large bed.

With relative lack of demand, flax is gradually regaining its former popularity, because its cultivation makes it possible to obtain high-quality raw materials for the production of fabrics. Since most summer residents do not know how to properly grow this plant, we will dwell on all stages of this process in more detail.

On the this moment There are more than 100 species, but common flax is considered the most common. The stems contain a lot of fiber, which is used to make fabrics.

There are four main kind(picture 1):

1. Long flax It has a high stem and a weakly branching top, on which 2-3 boxes are placed. Leaves are elongated and sessile. Plants are pollinated by insects or by self-pollination. The box is spherical in shape, divided into 5 compartments and half compartments, where only one seed ripens.
2. Curly flax grown for seeds. They belong to low-growing plants with strongly branching stems. From one seedling you can get up to 80 boxes. It is also called Shrovetide flax, due to the content of up to 47% fat in the seeds. Grow in the area Central Asia and Transcaucasia.
3. Lion-mezheumok grown for oil.
4. creeping flax has a large number of leaves and small inflorescences. Seeds of this type are brown in color, small in size and contain up to 32% oil. The importance of the species lies in the fact that it tolerates persistent frosts and prolonged drought. Grown mainly in the steppes and valleys, as well as in the foothills and hilly areas.

Figure 1. The main types of flax: 1 - long-haired, 2 - curly, 3 - mezheumok, 4 - creeping

Growing at home

The crop is sown in spring, scattered to a depth of 2 cm. When sown in rows, the distance between them should be 20 cm.

Planting is carried out at the end of April, as young shoots are highly resistant to frost. After one and a half to two months, flowers form, after - rounded seed boxes. Depending on the variety and the period of application to the soil, medicinal seeds ripen in July-September.

Site selection

Flax does not tolerate stagnant water, so the site should be in a sunny place with low humidity. They are planted in rows, and for better growth and flowering, the holes are made shallow and sprinkled with a thin layer of soil.

Any soil is suitable for flax, but it must be well fertilized and drained. However, to get good harvest better choose fertile soils. During the period of budding and flowering, the plant needs moisture, so you need to make sure that the earth does not dry out. During the growing period, weed the earth twice from weeds and loosen it.

Soil and seed preparation

The seeds are treated before sowing. As a rule, this is done in advance or two or three days before the start of field work. Granosan is used to treat seeds against fungus. After that, dusting with hexachlorane is done, for more shoots.

To obtain a stronger fiber, flax is sown early. At this time, the soil contains a large amount of moisture, which prevents damage by diseases and pests. Harvest before the first frost. The straw is spread or soaked in August.

Sowing begins after persistent frosts have passed and the soil warms up to a temperature of +8 degrees.

Prepare the site since the fall. Flax is recommended to be sown after winter and spring cereals, fertilized potatoes, legumes. After harvesting grain, the soil is treated by stubble peeling, after 2 weeks deep plowing is carried out and phosphorus-potassium and nitrogen fertilizers are applied. After plowing until the start of frosts, 2 cultivations are carried out. In the spring, before the seeds are introduced into the soil, cultivation and harrowing are carried out.

From the video you will learn how to plant flax at home.

plant care

After two or three weeks, the first sprouts appear, after a while they need to be thinned out. Before the appearance of buds, you need to fertilize with mineral or organic fertilizers.

When a crust is formed on the soil, light harrowing is carried out. It is also necessary to remove weeds in a timely manner and fight pests, as they reduce yields. Due to the poorly developed root system, flax responds well to fertilizers. They are applied when seedlings reach a height of 4-10 cm. Low content nutrients negatively affects the composition of the oil, delays the growth of buds and flowers, leads to uneven ripening and complicates harvesting. After the end of flowering, wilted inflorescences are cut off.

Diseases and pests

Diseases and pests of flax can reduce the yield. The culture is affected by such diseases (Figure 2):

1. Anthracnose can affect shoots regardless of the stage of development. Formed on stems and roots yellow spots which eventually turn into ulcers. Gradually, the plant withers and dies.
2. Fusarium appears on crops regardless of the growing season, but most often affects young shoots, causing them to turn yellow and dry out. Increased humidity can provoke the development of the disease.
3. Browning (brittle stems) occurs regardless of the region of cultivation. Leaves and cotyledons are covered with brown spots, which gradually turn into ulcers. The affected parts break, and the culture dies.

Figure 2. Diseases of flax: a - anthracnose, b - fusarium, c - browning (brittle stems)

In addition, flax can affect powdery mildew, bacteriosis of roots and other diseases industrial crops to combat which it is necessary to observe crop rotation and carry out pre-sowing seed treatment.

To the main flax pests relate(picture 3):

1. Linen flea- the insect is found in all regions whose climate is suitable for growing flax. Most often damages cotyledon leaves and young shoots. The larvae of the pest gnaw the roots, which can cause the entire crop to die.
2. Scoop-gamma- one of the main pests of fiber flax. Crops are damaged not only by the butterflies themselves, but also by larvae and caterpillars that gnaw the leaves and stop growth.
3. Linen codling moth. Of particular danger are caterpillars, which destroy the seeds in the box.
4. flax weevil lay their eggs on the leaves, and the larvae gnaw out the core of the stem, causing a decrease in crop growth and yield.

Figure 3. Pests of flax: 1 - flax flea, 2 - scoop-gamma, 3 - flax codling moth, 4 - flax weevil

Harvest and storage

The flax harvest at home is harvested by hand (Figure 4). It is advisable to harvest raw materials in September, when all the seeds are ripe. Since they contain a lot of protein, carbohydrates and other useful substances, raw materials are used to make butter. Seeds are harvested during threshing and dried under a canopy. You can store them for no more than three years.

Figure 4. Collection of flax stems and seeds

The stems are used to make fiber for the production of fabrics. More information about the collection and further processing of flax - in the video.

Flax is a plant from which wonderful well-known fabric, yarn, threads are made, but there is more decorative types of flax for growing in flower beds. Sky-blue simple flax flowers bloom profusely on a herbaceous plant, so flowering flax field looks like a heavenly carpet. These simple graceful flowers come in other colors - blue, red, white and yellow.

The name of this plant was given for its use in the textile field, from the Latin language the word "flax" (Limun) means "thread". The flax genus includes more than 200 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants. Most often, flax grows in the steppes, fields, slopes and even swampy areas. Common feature species of flax flower structure, simple form with five petals. Flowers bloom mainly on sunny days in the morning and fade by evening, they last no more than two or three days, but as more and more buds appear and bloom, flowering continues from mid-June to September. In place of a faded flower, a fruit is formed - a box in which seeds ripen.

About 25 types of flax are grown in decorative floriculture. Are popular annual flowering species - this is ordinary flax and large-flowered flax.

Common flax(Limun usitatissimun) - is an annual herbaceous plant, the stem of which is strongly branched in the upper part and reaches a height of 30-50 cm. This plant is also used in textile industry and to get linseed oil.

Common flax flowers are small, 3-3.5 cm in diameter, bloom continuously all summer. Flax is grown in flower beds in a group or planted among other perennial flowers, filling empty spaces, blooming small flax flowers will be the backdrop for other solo flowers. Flowering flax looks good among daisies, bluebells, blue cornflowers, poppies, it turns out such a summer flowering meadow in a rustic style.

This unpretentious and easy-to-care plant, drought-resistant, tolerates light frosts. The place for sowing should be sunny. Flax is not picky about the soil. Flax seeds can be sown from March to September.

At large-flowered flax(L. grandiflorum) flowers are slightly larger than those of the common one, up to 4 cm in diameter. simple flowers with five petals are red, pink, blue or white, there is a white flax variety with a red eye.

The plant is unpretentious, undemanding to the soil and watering. It grows well in sunny places with light, loose soil, does not tolerate stagnant moisture in the soil.

it annual plant propagated by seeds. Sowing is carried out in the middle of spring or to obtain more early flowering flax can be sown in late autumn (before winter). Flax entries appear in one to two weeks. Young plants are thinned out, leaving a distance of 15-20 cm between them.

These flowers do not require special care - weeding, loosening, watering in dry weather and fertilizing with mineral fertilizer will ensure abundant flowering.

The hardy qualities of large-flowered flax allow it to be used for landscaping balconies and sow seeds in balcony boxes, containers, flowerpots. Due to its ease of cultivation, flax is one of the most popular and common annual flowers.

Cut flowering shoots of flax look good in bouquets and keep for a long time. decorative look in water.

From perennial species in floriculture use flax perennial(L. Perenne), Austrian flax(L. Austriacum), coarse flax(L. Hirsutum) - they have small blue flowers up to 3 cm in diameter, high strongly branched shoots, some of the species with slightly drooping shoots in the upper part. Plants form an openwork bush up to 80 cm high. Perennial flax blooms in the first half of summer.

If you like bright sunny flowers, then you can use types of flax with golden yellow flowers - these arelinen yellow(L. flavum), flax Ukrainian.

In the care and cultivation of perennial species of flowering flax are also simple. They need weeding, watering only in the dry season of summer and top dressing with complex mineral fertilizer. To prevent self-sowing and thickening of plants, wilted flower stalks are cut off so that the seeds do not ripen.

Perennial flax species are propagated by seeds; cuttings can be rooted at the end of summer. Since the root of these plants is taproot and goes deep into the ground, they do not tolerate transplanting and dividing rhizomes.

Seeds are sown in spring (in April) or before winter (in November) immediately to a permanent place. Sown plants bloom profusely for the next three to five years, then they are rejuvenated by sowing new ones.

The blue bloom of the flax is mesmerizing. These openwork plants well combined with large perennials and give them lightness and airiness.

Even our distant ancestors began to grow flax for various purposes. It was used to obtain yarn from which the fabric was woven, used in traditional medicine. The seeds were used to make flour and butter. Linen tow was insulated at home. It was the main agricultural crop. Linen has long been revered as a symbol of loyalty and purity.

Nowadays, we are unlikely to carry out the cultivation of home-made flax in order to subsequently obtain yarn, but to use it medicinal properties and the most delicate view is quite possible. And, most importantly, its flowering lasts all summer.

plant types. Their description

More than 200 species of the plant are known, only about 40 of its species grow in our country. The most common is ordinary flax, which is divided into:

• fiber flax;
• flax-curly;
• flax mezheumok;
• creeping linen.

Fiber flax is characterized by a stem elongated about a meter with a little branching top. Up to three boxes filled with seeds are formed on it. The leaves are elongated. Flowering occurs in delicate blue inflorescences in the form of an umbrella-shaped brush. The seed pod is divided into five sections in which the seeds are placed. In one box there are up to 10 seeds of an ovoid flattened shape. They are Brown color. This subspecies is used for fiber production.

To obtain large quantity seeds, grow flax-curly. It has a dense branching of stems, each of which is located up to 80 seed pods. They contain larger seeds when compared with fiber flax. It grows up to 70 centimeters in height. This subspecies is used for the production of butter, as it contains up to 47% fat.

Flax-mezheumok is also grown for oil. Outwardly, it has much in common with flax-curly.

Creeping flax is much less common. It is more of a wild subspecies that grows in the steppes and valleys, individual populations can be found in the valleys and hilly areas. This subspecies is characterized by leafy stems and small blue inflorescences. Seeds are smaller, brown in color. They contain up to 32% oil. Due to the different maturation time of the seed pods, its collection is difficult, so creeping flax is not so popular. Its main value will be frost resistance. This quality is used when crossing it with other subspecies.

On the summer cottages decorative linen is especially popular, having large flowers. Its color scheme is very rich. Decorative flax is low, up to 60 centimeters in height. Flowering occurs from early summer to mid-autumn. Flower buds are large, do not fade within 2-3 days. This species can grow up to five years in the same place. At the same time, its decorative effect will not be lost. Over time, with noticeable changes in appearance, it is transplanted to another place.

Cultivation technology

Flax is a valuable agricultural crop, especially the oilseed subspecies (curly, mezheumok), widely used in production. It is a source of vegetable protein, which is used in animal husbandry, as well as technical oil, as a raw material in different types industries (paint and varnish, leather and footwear, soap making, etc.).

In our time, the use of seeds, which have medicinal properties. They contain a large amount of linolenic acid. If you regularly take flaxseed oil, then it will remove cholesterol from the body, improve metabolic processes and normalize arterial pressure. With its intake, the risk of thrombosis and oncology, as well as cardiovascular and allergic diseases, decreases.

After obtaining linseed oil in the conditions of production, meal (cake) remains, which is a concentrated valuable feed. It is used in animal husbandry. When combined with water, it increases in volume, forming mucus, and becomes a valuable dietary product.

Flaxseed itself in its entirety is used in different peoples as an additive in bread and cereal mixtures. Possessing a gelatinizing property, it has found application in cooking.

A freshly prepared infusion of seeds soaked in boiling water is used in the treatment of gastritis, enterocolitis, dyspepsia and burns.

The flax stem contains up to 18% fiber, so it is used in the manufacture of coarse fabrics, as well as heat-insulating and packaging materials. Flax fire by pressing is used for the production of building boards.

seed germination

Flax refers to cereals that are eaten sprouted. It is a source of health, rich in amino acids and trace elements, vitamins. With its help cope with many diseases. How to germinate flax at home? To do this, you need a regular tray or plate, as well as gauze and a sieve.

Seeds are poured onto a tray and covered slightly with water per millimeter. After 8-10 hours, they are washed from mucus with a sieve. Then wet gauze is spread on the tray. Seeds are placed on it. They are kept in a well-lit place, but without direct sunlight. Periodically moisten the gauze, make sure that it does not dry out. When in a few days the sprouts appear up to two centimeters, they are eaten. The finished product can be stored in the refrigerator for about five days. Then you need to germinate a new batch.

People who consume sprouted seeds have improved skin conditions. It becomes elastic and elastic. Various dermatitis, eczema and even psoriasis will disturb you less. In addition, the nails are strengthened, and the hair becomes thick and shiny. The gastrointestinal tract is improving its work, hence there is a mild weight loss for those who have excess weight.

Flax care in the garden

We are pleased when the lawns near the houses are full of various shades. It is especially pleasing when the flowering of delicate buds lasts a long time, and plant care is minimal. The inhabitants of the flower beds are increasingly becoming field and forest flowers. Landed in in large numbers, they perfectly decorate the space around them. Thin flax looks good in a flower garden. Delicate buds give it a special charm.

Flax is sown randomly in the spring. After that, it is harrowed to close up the seeds up to two centimeters deep. You can plant them in rows with a row spacing of 20 centimeters. The plant is resistant to cold, and can withstand frosts down to -3 degrees. In this connection, landing can be carried out as early as April. After a month and a half, flax will begin to bloom. Seed ripening will begin in July and will last until September.

The site is selected with well-drained and enriched soil. When the first flowers appear, garden plant provide regular watering, as at this time it needs moisture. Care of flax during the growing season will include getting rid of plant weeds and loosening the soil.