Growing flax

[willie]

I researched the values for stiffness on fibers once. can't find the data now, but I do remember there was a lot of variation in reported values. being that plants are harvested at different stages of their growth cycle, that would seem to make sense. Harvesting for max MOE may not be a high yeild, but its what one wants for the best bowstring. I honestly don't think that I ever found data the isolated best moe possible, and some data was from fiber used in matrixes and some from fiber spun into various products which introduce more variables.

you should just scout around for nettles, there are lots of patches out there already. If I remember correctly nettle is more work to process than others, or maybe lower yields compared to others. ramie is a domesticated fiber plant related to nettle, if you want to plant seed.

[Zuma]

What a really cool thread. You guys are tops.
I think you  know James Parker. Well Rebecca his wife made nettle soup
for us along the banks of the New River ( Blue Ridge Mts.) Wonderful.
So I know James knows nettles.  Me I know they taste good. Also a health food lady
I once knew made expensive tea from nettles.
Zuma

[Hawkdancer]

My source said " Very interesting!", but isn't sure their (hemp) plants are tall enough, but the fibers are tough.  I did ask him how tall they grew and that the fibers would be "spun" similar to making thread, then strings.  There are several sites listing hemp fibers, both raw and processed.  Prices seemed reasonable enough.
Hawkdancer

[gfugal]

[willie]

cheap enough, you might buy a little now just to see if it germinates well.

[gfugal]

I didn't realize there's two varieties. I got both and plan on growing them side by side in two separate pots, but same conditions, and comparing the difference. I bought less than a quarter pound of both and spent less than a dollar for both so it coast me like nothing to try this. All I need now are two pots and a place to grow them. I'm thinking at my parent's place they have a section of yard on the east side of their house that gets sun only half the day so hopefully it won't get too hot, especially for the Canadian strain.

[dinorocks]

My favorite is dogbane!  ...related to milkweed.  My son spreads the seeds when he harvests the plants in the fall.  The plant likes to grow in wet areas...at least in my neck of the woods...Buffalo.  Pm me and I would be happy to send you some stalks and or seeds.

Dino

[cjkopec]

I wish I could grow hemp, but dumb government mistakes it for ol Mary Jane. Other fiber options are Jute, Sisal, Nettle, Yucca, ect. Does anybody grow any of these for the purpose of harvesting fiber

I am in the fiber arts business. (Mainly wool and fibers for spinning and weaving) I have access to flax and hemp fibers (and many others) that are processed and ready to use. I was just having a conversation about using flax for strings and backing the other day. I was planning on bringing some flax to the Marshall Primitive Shoot to share. I would be more than happy to look into this for anyone who is interested. Or any other fibers for that matter.

[gfugal]

Here are my results. I'm not sure if I harvested them at the right time (I think it was early June, but it looks like it has gone to seed). They got somewhere between 1-2 feet tall. So about what DC got. Maybe a little better. I planted them very close together, maybe a tbs per pot. However, it was in the sun so maybe they would have gotten taller in the shade because they would have to compete against each other to get the limited light.


The two pots to the right were the Canadian strain (brown), and the ones to the left were the Dakota (gold). Both reached similar heights, so I doubt it makes much of a difference. I figure anything over 12 inches is sufficient. Afterall Achilles tendons which we get sinew from is only around 12 inches too and you can still easily back bows, or make strings with it. I think my harvest is done drying so I am going to start the retting process soon.

[bushboy]

Just saying,where I live in southern Manitoba flax bales go for 3 bucks a piece,not sure what variety though?

[DC]

You might have gotten a little taller if you had grown it in the ground. Plants don't really like pots much. That said it would be worth it to hunt down some "tall" seed.