Growing Our Linseed (Flaxseed)
The linseed (flaxseed) you find in The Linseed Farm products is English-grown, and the majority is locally grown on our farm just outside Horsham and across Sussex.
We are proud of our products and our Farm Fresh ethos.
Here, we've tried to answer some of the more common questions about growing linseed and the harvesting process.
How big is your farm, and how much would you expect to harvest?
This year, we are growing in the region of 100 acres. We can produce approximately ½ to 1 ton of linseed (flaxseed) to the acre.
How do you prepare the soil?
Ploughing in the autumn is always best, as winter frosts do a lot of the work of breaking down the soil so it is ready for planting. Contractors are used to assist in the planting, husbandry and harvesting of the linseed (flaxseed).
What type of soil works best?
Light, well-drained, but moisture-retentive soils are best with a recommended pH of 6-7.
How long is the growing season?
The growing season is 4 to 5 months.
What are the best growing conditions?
Springtime growing conditions are best cool and wet, interspersed with periods of sunshine. Harvest conditions are best hot and dry.
How do you harvest the crop, and is it a manual process?
The crop is harvested with a combine harvester - there is too much for it to be harvested manually!
How much time is there to harvest?
Harvesting is a critical time as we want to bring the seed in undercover in the best condition. The crop needs to be combined in full sunshine as this makes for easier cutting. The linseed is vulnerable to bad weather conditions such as rain and wind at harvest. Excessive rain can encourage the seeds to sprout in the pod whilst still in the field, and if this occurs, the crop is lost. Wetness also makes combining difficult if the terrain is waterlogged.
What happens to the parts of the plants that are not used in production?
The straw left behind after combining will be baled and processed for animal bedding this year.
What are the worst things for the crop? Animals? Disease?
Linseed does not suffer too badly from birds or rabbits, although some damage can occur. We reduce the disease burden by rotating the crops and planting complementary crops after the linseed.
How do you dry the seed?
In ideal combining conditions, the linseed (flaxseed) will come into the barn and not need drying. Linseed (Flaxseed) must be kept at about 8% moisture content to be stored safely and the same for pressing.
In practice, most years, the linseed (flaxseed) will need some drying at harvest time, so it is passed through a large drier at low heat.
The linseed (flaxseed) is stored in bulk in a clean, dry store.
Clean trailers transport the crop to the store, which is monitored regularly.
Monitoring the stored crop is a manual process where the ambient temperature is recorded.
The crop temperature is recorded via a probe thermometer, and the crop's moisture content is also recorded. If recordings exceed the recommended safe storage readings, the linseed (flaxseed) is passed through the Ventacrop (drier).
If the seed is only slightly above the recommended readings (which is usually the case), we pick fine days to pass the linseed (flaxseed) through the Ventacrop and air it in fresh external conditions.
The linseed (flaxseed) is protected from vermin and birds in a sealed store, and pitfall taps are used to monitor any unwanted insect activity.
