In general, the practice of retting jute plants in the jute growing regions is to immerse the jute bundles in clear slow flowing water, in canals, rivulets, tanks, ponds or ditches. The minimum ratio of plant material to water in stagnant water should be 1:20. The important conditions for good retting are:
 

Retting has been used for a long time in case of extraction of fibres from jute and allied vegetable fibre plants. Since the fibres are contained in the bark or the outer skins of stems, either stems or the outer skins called ribbons are retted for extracting the fibres. If the stems are retted, it is called stem retting. If ribbons are retted it is called ribbon retting. Retting is an important step in the production of good quality fibre. The existing practices of retting in the major producing countries are described below.