Guy Lafond, an Agriculture Canada researcher at Indian Head, Sask., provided the following recommendations for maximizing potential when growing flax:
- Flax has a wide seeding window: from the end of April to May 21. Seed canola first because it responds better to early seeding.
- Seed at a rate of one bushel per acre
(25 kilograms) to provide a margin of safety. - Aim for at least 300 plants per sq. metre.
- Fertilizer and seed separation is important. Urea will damage seedlings.
- Thirty-two kg of nitrogen per acre is generally enough. Seven kg of P2O5 is also usually enough. There is seldom a response to potash or sulfur.
- Grow on a cereal stubble.
- Canola on flax stubble is OK, but avoid flax on canola stubble.
- Avoid heavy broadleaf weed pressure.
- If volunteer cereal and grassy weeds are present, control early.
- Flax seems to do better on heavy textured soils.
- Flax does well in no-till systems.
- Avoid wet seedbeds.
- Frost is seldom a problem with flax seedlings.
