809 days ago

Growing Your Own Linen

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean (The Curtain Store)

Linen has been used for thousands of years for clothes, beding and furnishings. It is loved for its soft and cool feel. It is a very strong and durable material which will last much longer than other alternatives, like cotton. Growing your own linen may see overwhelming, but it helps to break it down into manageable steps. 
 
Plant 1 kg. fibre flax seed in a 6m x 6m plot
One plot will give you enough fibre to make a shirt from line (long linen fibres) and tow to weave a couple of towels.  Your actual yield will depend on growing conditions, how well you weed the plot and how perfect your retting and hackling techniques are.
Broadcast the seed thickly, over well tilled ground and then walk on it to firm the seed in.

Weed it well about 4 weeks after planting.
Your flax will take about 2 weeks to germinate in a cool, wet spring.  When it reaches just over 5cm in height you should walk into the plot and weed it well.  You can step on the plants without damaging them when they are between 5cm and 30cm tall.

Admire the blue flax flowers as the linen grows
Once the bed has been weeded well, you can just admire it as it grows.  About 60 days from planting the flowers start to open.  It is very beautiful watching the blue flowers swaying in the breeze.  Each flower is open for only one day. Each stock produces several flowers and each flower turns into a seed boll with 6 to 8 seeds.


100 days after planting, harvest the flax
The stocks of flax will be 2/3rds yellow and 1/3rd still green when it is ready to harvest.  The flowering will be finished and each slender flax plant will have 4 to 6 seed bolls.  You harvest the flax by hand, by pulling each plant out by the roots.  Toss the weeds and place the stems of flax in order.  Tie into bundles (shooks) about 30cm across, using strong twine.

See the whole method here: www.curtainclean.co.nz...

More messages from your neighbours
4 days ago

We're talking new year resolutions...

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Tidying the house before going to bed each night, meditating upon waking or taking the stairs at work.

What’s something quick, or easy, that you started doing that made a major positive change in your life?

Image
18 days ago

Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.

If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?

Image
Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
  • 63.1% Summer
    63.1% Complete
  • 35.5% Winter
    35.5% Complete
  • 1.4% Other - I'll share below
    1.4% Complete
2494 votes
4 hours ago

WHY ANNIVERSARY DAY?????

John from Hutt Central

SPOT QUIZ: WELLINGTON’S ANNIVERSARY DAY IS JANUARY 22ND WHY?
ANSWER…..

It is the building which was erected by the first organized group of settlers to come to NZ, who fetched up on Petone Beach on January 22nd 1840, where they .were welcomed and fed and sheltered by the local te Atiawa people

12 years later they built this edifice and IT IS STILL AVAILABLE TO VIEW!
AT 73 Eastern Hutt Taita – Follow the Motorway signs.
What’s more fascinating than to see history come alive before your very eyes.
This is the experience which awaits for you when you visit the OLDEST CHURCH (indeed the oldest BUILDING)IN THE ENTIRE WELLINGTON REGION.



SEE THE HISTORY…OUR HISTORY…AND TOUR THE CHURCH AND GRAVEYARD. Descendents of the Tangata Whenua and of the Settlers themselves will pass on some of the extraordinary stories of that time, at the very beginning of our common Treaty of Waitangi Journey.

HERITAGE NZ has commended this initiative, the HUTT CITY COUNCIL describes it as playing an important role in Lower Hutt’s identity and culture and the Lotteries Heritage Fund has donated $100,000 to the project.

COME AND SEE !!! RING 0274440081 FOR A TOUR.