Organic Flax Seed (lb)

Organic Flax adds an upright, flowering broadleaf to cool-season cover crop rotations that are otherwise dominated by grasses and legumes. Linum usitatissimum develops slender stems, a short taproot system, and pale blue to pale pink flowers before forming seed capsules. The blooms add seasonal diversity and can provide forage for beneficial insects.

Flax performs best when most vegetative growth and flowering occur before temperatures reach approximately 90°F. In western regions and Texas, it can be planted in early fall; in colder climates, spring planting generally follows the local small-grain planting window. The crop prefers regular moisture and well-drained, medium- to heavy-textured soil. It has good cold tolerance between the seedling and flowering stages but is not intended as a hot-weather summer cover.

Successful establishment starts with a clean, prepared seedbed. Flax seedlings compete poorly with established weeds, so early weed pressure can substantially reduce the stand. Drilling is preferred because it provides more uniform depth and seed-to-soil contact. For green manure, mow or incorporate before mature seed develops unless seed production is the goal. Flax is a nonlegume and does not form nitrogen-fixing nodules, so Rhizobium inoculant is unnecessary.

• Scientific Name: Linum usitatissimum
• Certification: Certified organic seed
• Growth Cycle: Cool-season annual broadleaf
• Application Rate: 45 lb per acre or 1–2 lb per 1,000 sq ft, planted no deeper than approximately 1 inch; drilling is preferred
• Inoculant: Not required. This is a nonlegume cover crop and does not rely on Rhizobium bacteria for nitrogen fixation.
• Plant Height: Approximately 1–4 feet
• Uses: Erosion control, green manure, organic matter production, flowering diversity, and beneficial-insect habitat
• Site Preference: Regular moisture and well-drained, medium- to heavy-textured soil
• Establishment: Prepare a clean seedbed because young flax is a poor weed competitor
• Management: Schedule growth and flowering before extreme summer heat and terminate before mature seed develops when used as green manure