The flax seed has been weighed out for all the various plots that will be growing around the city.
Sounds like and easy thing to do, but at a sowing rate of 12-14g per sq. m., weighing out 13g packets of seed for the smaller plots was hard. None of us had a kitchen scale that could accurately measure such small amounts, and the consequences of being 5g out in the weighing would mean a 1 sq.m. plot that was either 50% too dense (so the flax grows too tall and falls over) or 50% too sparse (so the flax grows side branches and the fibre is no good).
I won't tell you who among us went to a marijuana supplier to borrow their very accurate scale for a few hours, but it was perfect for the job.
FYI, the following places will be growing flax this year:
Science World
Means of Production Garden
Capillano College
McLean Park
Aberthau Community Centre
and 6 local gardeners.
The Aberthau plot is the largest at 84 sq.m, but only a third of that will be flax this year. The other two-thirds will be down to dye plants or vegetables that produce dye as part of a 4 year crop rotation. The smallest plot, about 0.5sq.m.) will be on Pender St, near International Village.
Penny
PS Sowing won't happen for a few more weeks yet as there's still a high risk of frost and the soil isn't warm enough yet.
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