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Grain Full Sun Moderate water

Flax

Written by the GrowByCity Editorial Team · Updated April 2026
2 min read

Dual-purpose crop: seeds for omega-3 oil, stems for linen fiber. Hardy enough to withstand light frosts down to -5°C, flax performs best when daytime temperatures stay between 12°C and 22°C. Requires full sun (6-8 hours of direct light daily) with moderate, even watering throughout the growing season. Plan for about 90-110 days from planting to maturity. With straightforward growing requirements, it is accessible to gardeners of all experience levels.

Harvest 90-110 days
Temp Range -5°C — 28°C
Frost Tolerant ❄

Quick Answer: How to Grow Flax

Flax takes 90-110 days to harvest. It grows best in 12–22°C with full sun and moderate watering. Flax is frost tolerant and can handle temperatures down to -5°C. It can be grown in 350 cities worldwide.

Find the best time to plant Flax in your city →

Growing Requirements

☀️
Sun
Full Sun
💧
Water
Moderate
❄️
Frost
Tolerant
📅
Harvest
90-110 days

Temperature Range

12-22°C
-10°C 45°C
Optimal: 12–22°C Tolerates: -5–28°C
Tropical suitable: No
Cities growing: 350 of 350

Growing Tips

💡

Expert Tips

Direct sow. Beautiful blue flowers. Can be planted 2-3 weeks before the last expected frost, giving it a head start on the growing season. Water steadily but avoid soggy soil. A 5-cm layer of organic mulch helps balance moisture and suppress weeds.

Quick Facts

  • Grows in 350 of 350 cities
  • Available in 7 regions worldwide
  • Temperature range: -5°C to 28°C
  • Optimal growing: 12°C to 22°C
  • Harvest in 90-110 days

Did You Know?

  • 🌱 Flax is frost-tolerant, meaning it can survive light frosts and even thrive in cooler temperatures.
  • 🌱 Flax needs at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal growth.

Step-by-Step Growing Guide

Flax (Linum usitatissimum) is a cool-season annual that thrives in well-draining, moderately fertile loamy soil with a pH of 5.0–7.0. Overly rich soil produces excessive stem growth at the expense of seed yield. Direct sow in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked — flax tolerates light frost and performs best in cool weather. Broadcast or drill seeds shallowly (1–1.5 cm deep) at a high density of approximately 200 seeds per square metre for fibre production (close spacing prevents branching and encourages tall straight stems), or at 80–100 seeds per square metre for seed production (more branching increases seed yield). Water moderately during establishment and flowering; reduce once seeds are setting. Do not fertilise with nitrogen during the growing season — a base dressing of phosphorus and potassium at sowing is sufficient. The entire growing cycle completes in 90–110 days.

Common Pests & Problems

Flax wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lini) is the most serious soilborne disease, causing yellowing and wilting of plants at any stage; practice 5-year crop rotation away from flax and choose wilt-resistant varieties. Pasmo disease (Septoria linicola) creates brown spots with lighter centres on stems and leaves, causing premature ripening; rotate crops and avoid planting in areas with debris from previous flax crops. Flea beetles create small round holes in cotyledons and young leaves; row covers protect seedlings and plants quickly outgrow the damage. Thrips damage flowers, reducing seed set; populations are usually controlled by natural predators. Avoid growing flax after brassicas or legumes to reduce disease carryover.

Harvest & Storage

For seed harvest, flax is ready when 75% of the seed bolls have turned yellow-brown and the seeds rattle inside when the plant is shaken. Pull or cut plants at ground level and allow to dry further in windrows or sheaves for 1–2 weeks. Thresh by flailing or driving over with a tractor to separate seeds, then winnow. For fibre harvest, pull plants at the onset of early flowering before seeds develop — fibre quality peaks here. Store dry seeds in airtight containers; linseed oil in the seeds remains stable for 1 year at cool temperatures. Ground flaxseed oxidises rapidly — store in the refrigerator and use within 3 months.

Popular Varieties

Omega is a Canadian bred linseed variety with very high omega-3 (ALA) content — among the highest tested — and good resistance to rust and wilt. Flanders is a dual-purpose variety producing both high-quality fibre and good seed yield, useful for small-scale growers wanting both products. Norlin is a high-yielding Canadian variety bred for oil production with good standability (resistance to lodging) in windy conditions. Norman is an older variety with excellent adaptability to a wide range of climates and moderate disease resistance, still widely grown by small-scale organic producers in northern Europe and Canada.

Where to Grow Flax

Flax can be grown in 350 cities across 7 regions worldwide

🌍 Europe (80 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Aarhus, DK medium
Amsterdam, NL medium
Ankara, TR medium
Antalya, TR medium
Athens, GR medium
Barcelona, ES medium
Bari, IT medium
Belgrade, RS medium
Bergen, NO medium
Berlin, DE medium
Bilbao, ES medium
Bologna, IT medium
Bordeaux, FR medium
Bratislava, SK medium
Brussels, BE medium
Bucharest, RO medium
Budapest, HU medium
Catania, IT medium
Cologne, DE medium
Copenhagen, DK medium
Corfu, GR medium
Cork, IE medium
Dublin, IE medium
Dubrovnik, HR medium
Edinburgh, GB medium
Florence, IT medium
Frankfurt, DE medium
Gdansk, PL medium
Genoa, IT medium
Glasgow, GB medium
Gothenburg, SE medium
Hamburg, DE medium
Helsinki, FI medium
Heraklion, GR medium
Istanbul, TR medium
Izmir, TR medium
Krakow, PL medium
Kyiv, UA medium
Limassol, CY medium
Lisbon, PT medium
Ljubljana, SI medium
London, GB medium
Lyon, FR medium
Madrid, ES medium
Malaga, ES medium
Marseille, FR medium
Milan, IT medium
Munich, DE medium
Naples, IT medium
Nice, FR medium
Nicosia, CY medium
Oslo, NO medium
Palermo, IT medium
Paris, FR medium
Porto, PT medium
Poznan, PL medium
Prague, CZ medium
Reykjavik, IS medium
Riga, LV medium
Rome, IT medium
Seville, ES medium
Sofia, BG medium
Split, HR medium
Stockholm, SE medium
Strasbourg, FR medium
Stuttgart, DE medium
Tallinn, EE medium
Thessaloniki, GR medium
Tirana, AL medium
Toulouse, FR medium
Turin, IT medium
Turku, FI medium
Valencia, ES medium
Valletta, MT medium
Verona, IT medium
Vienna, AT medium
Vilnius, LT medium
Warsaw, PL medium
Zagreb, HR medium
Zurich, CH medium

🌏 Asia (79 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Ahmedabad, IN medium
Almaty, KZ medium
Bali, ID medium
Bandung, ID medium
Bangalore, IN medium
Bangkok, TH medium
Beijing, CN medium
Busan, KR medium
Cebu, PH medium
Chandigarh, IN medium
Chengdu, CN medium
Chennai, IN medium
Chiang Mai, TH medium
Chittagong, BD medium
Chongqing, CN medium
Coimbatore, IN medium
Colombo, LK medium
Da Nang, VN medium
Dalian, CN medium
Davao, PH medium
Delhi, IN medium
Dhaka, BD medium
Dharan, NP medium
Fukuoka, JP medium
Galle, LK medium
Guangzhou, CN medium
Hangzhou, CN medium
Hanoi, VN medium
Harbin, CN medium
Ho Chi Minh City, VN medium
Hong Kong, HK medium
Hyderabad, IN medium
Incheon, KR medium
Indore, IN medium
Islamabad, PK medium
Jaipur, IN medium
Jakarta, ID medium
Jeju, KR medium
Johor Bahru, MY medium
Karachi, PK medium
Kathmandu, NP medium
Kochi, IN medium
Kolkata, IN medium
Kuala Lumpur, MY medium
Kunming, CN medium
Kyoto, JP medium
Lahore, PK medium
Lucknow, IN medium
Manila, PH medium
Mumbai, IN medium
Nagoya, JP medium
Nanjing, CN medium
Nha Trang, VN medium
Okinawa, JP medium
Osaka, JP medium
Pattaya, TH medium
Penang, MY medium
Phnom Penh, KH medium
Pune, IN medium
Sapporo, JP medium
Seoul, KR medium
Shanghai, CN medium
Shenzhen, CN medium
Siem Reap, KH medium
Singapore, SG medium
Surabaya, ID medium
Surat, IN medium
Taipei, TW medium
Tashkent, UZ medium
Tbilisi, GE medium
Tokyo, JP medium
Ulaanbaatar, MN medium
Varanasi, IN medium
Vientiane, LA medium
Visakhapatnam, IN medium
Wuhan, CN medium
Xi'an, CN medium
Xiamen, CN medium
Yangon, MM medium

🌎 North America (78 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Albuquerque, US medium
Anchorage, US medium
Atlanta, US medium
Austin, US medium
Baltimore, US medium
Baton Rouge, US medium
Boise, US medium
Boston, US medium
Bridgetown, BB medium
Buffalo, US medium
Calgary, CA medium
Cancun, MX medium
Charleston, US medium
Charlotte, US medium
Chattanooga, US medium
Chicago, US medium
Denver, US medium
Des Moines, US medium
Detroit, US medium
Edmonton, CA medium
El Paso, US medium
Fargo, US medium
Fresno, US medium
Guadalajara, MX medium
Halifax, CA medium
Hartford, US medium
Havana, CU medium
Honolulu, US medium
Houston, US medium
Jacksonville, US medium
Kansas City, US medium
Kingston, JM medium
Knoxville, US medium
Las Vegas, US medium
Little Rock, US medium
Los Angeles, US medium
Louisville, US medium
Lubbock, US medium
Madison, US medium
Memphis, US medium
Mexico City, MX medium
Miami, US medium
Milwaukee, US medium
Minneapolis, US medium
Monterrey, MX medium
Montreal, CA medium
Nashville, US medium
New Orleans, US medium
New York, US medium
Oaxaca, MX medium
Oklahoma City, US medium
Omaha, US medium
Ottawa, CA medium
Panama City, PA medium
Phoenix, US medium
Pittsburgh, US medium
Portland, US medium
Puebla, MX medium
Quebec City, CA medium
Raleigh, US medium
Richmond, US medium
Sacramento, US medium
Salt Lake City, US medium
San Diego, US medium
San Francisco, US medium
San Jose, CR medium
Santo Domingo, DO medium
Saskatoon, CA medium
Savannah, US medium
Seattle, US medium
Spokane, US medium
St. Louis, US medium
Tampa, US medium
Toronto, CA medium
Tucson, US medium
Vancouver, CA medium
Victoria, CA medium
Winnipeg, CA medium

🌍 Africa (39 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Abidjan, CI medium
Accra, GH medium
Addis Ababa, ET medium
Algiers, DZ medium
Antananarivo, MG medium
Arusha, TZ medium
Bamako, ML medium
Bloemfontein, ZA medium
Cairo, EG medium
Cape Town, ZA medium
Casablanca, MA medium
Dakar, SN medium
Dar es Salaam, TZ medium
Douala, CM medium
Durban, ZA medium
Entebbe, UG medium
Fez, MA medium
Freetown, SL medium
Harare, ZW medium
Johannesburg, ZA medium
Kampala, UG medium
Kigali, RW medium
Kinshasa, CD medium
Lagos, NG medium
Libreville, GA medium
Lilongwe, MW medium
Lome, TG medium
Luanda, AO medium
Lusaka, ZM medium
Maputo, MZ medium
Marrakech, MA medium
Mombasa, KE medium
Nairobi, KE medium
Ouagadougou, BF medium
Port Louis, MU medium
Pretoria, ZA medium
Tunis, TN medium
Windhoek, NA medium
Zanzibar, TZ medium

🌎 South America (39 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Arequipa, PE medium
Asuncion, PY medium
Barranquilla, CO medium
Belem, BR medium
Bogota, CO medium
Brasilia, BR medium
Buenos Aires, AR medium
Cali, CO medium
Campinas, BR medium
Caracas, VE medium
Cartagena, CO medium
Concepcion, CL medium
Cordoba, AR medium
Curitiba, BR medium
Cusco, PE medium
Fortaleza, BR medium
Georgetown, GY medium
Goiania, BR medium
Guayaquil, EC medium
La Paz, BO medium
Lima, PE medium
Manaus, BR medium
Medellin, CO medium
Mendoza, AR medium
Montevideo, UY medium
Paramaribo, SR medium
Port of Spain, TT medium
Porto Alegre, BR medium
Quito, EC medium
Recife, BR medium
Rio de Janeiro, BR medium
Rosario, AR medium
Salvador, BR medium
Santa Cruz, BO medium
Santiago, CL medium
Sao Paulo, BR medium
Sucre, BO medium
Trujillo, PE medium
Valparaiso, CL medium

🌊 Oceania (19 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Adelaide, AU medium
Alice Springs, AU medium
Auckland, NZ medium
Brisbane, AU medium
Cairns, AU medium
Canberra, AU medium
Christchurch, NZ medium
Darwin, AU medium
Dunedin, NZ medium
Gold Coast, AU medium
Hamilton, NZ medium
Hobart, AU medium
Melbourne, AU medium
Noumea, NC medium
Perth, AU medium
Suva, FJ medium
Sydney, AU medium
Townsville, AU medium
Wellington, NZ medium

🕌 Middle East (16 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Abu Dhabi, AE medium
Amman, JO medium
Baghdad, IQ medium
Beirut, LB medium
Doha, QA medium
Dubai, AE medium
Erbil, IQ medium
Jeddah, SA medium
Kuwait City, KW medium
Manama, BH medium
Muscat, OM medium
Riyadh, SA medium
Sana'a, YE medium
Tabriz, IR medium
Tehran, IR medium
Tel Aviv, IL medium

When should I plant flax in my city?

The best time to plant flax depends on your local climate zone. It thrives in temperatures between 12°C and 22°C. Since flax is frost tolerant, you can plant it before the last frost date. Check your city's planting calendar on GrowByCity for exact dates.

Can I grow flax in winter?

Yes, flax is frost tolerant and can handle temperatures down to -5°C. In many climates, it can be grown through winter with some protection.

Get Flax Seeds & Plants

Ready to start growing? Find Flax seeds and starter plants online.

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Similar Growing Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions about Flax

When should I plant flax?

The best time to plant flax depends on your local climate. Flax grows best in temperatures between 12°C and 22°C (can tolerate -5°C to 28°C). Flax is frost tolerant, so it can be planted earlier in spring or later in fall. Check your city's planting calendar on GrowByCity for exact planting months.

Can flax grow in tropical climates?

Flax is not well-suited for tropical climates. It prefers cooler conditions with temperatures between 12°C and 22°C. In tropical areas, it may bolt, fail to fruit, or suffer from heat stress. Consider growing it in cooler seasons or at higher elevations.

How long does flax take to grow?

Flax typically takes 90-110 days from planting to harvest. It requires full sun and moderate watering. Direct sow. Beautiful blue flowers. Can be planted 2-3 weeks before the last expected frost, giving it a head start on the growing season. Water steadily but avoid soggy soil. A 5-cm layer of organic mulch helps balance moisture and suppress weeds.

Find the Best Time to Plant Flax

See the planting calendar for Flax in these popular cities:

Last updated: March 2026 · Climate data from NOAA, FAO, USDA

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