Above, sowing flax seed. Flax typically requires about two bushels per acre with soil that has been well limed and manured. Flax is typically sown early enough in a season to get a head start on weeds.                 

Right, pulling flax at harvest time. Keeping the entire stalk is   important to maintain the fullest possible length of the flax fiber. Fiber flax is typically harvested when only the lower third of the plant is turning yellow and the lower leaves are falling off. A handful of flax is tied together with a few additional stalks in a special “flax knot” that can easily be undone. Then 30 to 40 bundles are put together into a shock so the plants can dry out and the seed can harden up. Then the seed pods are taken off the stalk by pulling the plants through a wooden or metal comb called a rippler. The pods are crushed and the chaff is blown away so only the seed is left. It needs to be stored indoors over winter.                                        

Below, retting or rotting the flax by laying it back on the field, a process called dew retting and gives the flax a silver color. This was typically done in America by German settlers. This process can take three to six weeks. Submerging the flax under water, in a pond, canal or stream, gives the flax a beautiful golden color but also causes pollution problems and has been forbidden by the European Union.