{"product_id":"flax-harakeke","title":"Flax (Harakeke)","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere's a reason harakeke (Phormium tenax) turns up in gardens the length of the country. Its sword-like leaves give instant structure to a planting, and in season it sends up tall flower spikes in deep red that tūī find hard to resist. It's a genuinely tough plant too, coping with wet ground, dry ground, coastal exposure and frost without much complaint, which makes it useful in almost any New Zealand garden.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBeyond its garden presence, harakeke carries real cultural weight. Its long, fibrous leaves have been used in Māori weaving and traditional craft for generations, and growing your own is a way of connecting with that history as much as filling a gap in the border. It also does practical work in the landscape, helping to stabilise wet or boggy ground where many other plants would rot out.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHarakeke suits everything from a single architectural feature near the front door to mass plantings along a bank or waterway edge. Once established it needs very little from you, and it will keep rewarding you with height, structure and the occasional visit from a hungry tūī.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSowing and Growing Flax (Harakeke)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHarakeke seed germinates without any pretreatment, but 4 weeks of cold stratification beforehand will speed things up and give a more even result if you'd rather not wait.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSow between September and January, with germination best at a soil temperature of 15 to 20°C. Germination typically takes 14 to 30 days. Plants reach 1 to 3 metres in height and generally take 3 to 5 years from transplanting to become well established.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eGermination Capacity: Seed has been sustainably foraged and has not undergone commercial seed cleaning or grading. Natives can be erratic germinators and \u003cspan lang=\"EN-NZ\" style=\"mso-ansi-language: EN-NZ;\"\u003enaturally low in germination capacity. Check expected germination rate under Product Information.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStratification is not necessary but can help to speed up and create a more even germination. Stratify by chilling seeds in the fridge for 3-4 weeks prior to sowing will promote germination by breaking seed dormancy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kings Seeds NZ","offers":[{"title":"100 seeds","offer_id":49194565927220,"sku":"L4057.pkt","price":6.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500 seeds","offer_id":49194565959988,"sku":"L4057.500sdsW","price":10.9,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000 seeds","offer_id":49194565992756,"sku":"L4057.1000sdsW","price":19.6,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2500 seeds","offer_id":49194566025524,"sku":"L4057.2500sdsW","price":41.7,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5000 seeds","offer_id":49194566058292,"sku":"L4057.5000sdsW","price":66.7,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0729\/0555\/6276\/files\/L4057-W.png?v=1784374900","url":"https:\/\/www.kingsseeds.co.nz\/products\/flax-harakeke","provider":"Kings Seeds NZ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}