retting

thumb|Flax being laid out in a field for dew retting,

Retting is a textile process for separating the bast fibre in plants from the non-fibrous materials to create fibers that can be spun into yarn. The separation is primarily achieved through either a microbial or chemical action degradating the cementing compounds that bind the bast fibres to other plant tissues, allowing the fibers to be isolated. Retting can be used to create fibers from plants such as flax, hemp, nettles, ramie, bamboo, and jute.