Rice - Oryza sativa

[Tucson Grower]

I'm planning an order to Fedco Seeds, which includes seed of Yukimochi Rice.


In order to grow it I plan to create a floodable raised bed using pressure treated lumber and a piece of plastic pond liner. 

[amyinowasso]

Or a kiddie pool?

[Tucson Grower]

I had about 1/2 dozen starting, I was thinking about where I wanted to locate the rice plantings, then, of course the solitary baby mouse attacked, digging up and eating all the newly sprouting seed. I guess, this time I'll need to sow it in place. Research says it doesn't need to grow submerged, they just do that because it can tolerate it and it helps keep weeds under control - low input weed control. It just needs to be kept moist. We will see.

Though a kiddie pool would probably work well, if they were available this time of year.

[amyinowasso]

I collect kiddie pools. New ones the grand kids can play in. I put fabric pots in them and bottom water. A hole, drilled an inch or two above the bottom will drain excess water. You might pass on this for rice. Husband wouldn't let me grow rice, lol.

[Tucson Grower]

Aha, I stopped by a convenience store yesterday for dark purple napkins to use when germinating, instead of paper towels, for obvious reasons. While there I noticed they had 2 sizes of the molded kiddie wading pools, the smaller was $10 - ouch.

I think I'll make a frame of treated lumber, then use a scrap of pond liner, that I already have. It will likely last longer and give me a use for the liner scrap.

[Tucson Grower]

I do, presently have a single rice seedling that germinated after its sisters were eaten by mice. I plan to plant it out, then plant other rice seed, in the original place where they are to grow aka in situ.

[Tucson Grower]

Well, after pre-sprouting six more rice seeds (five began to sprout), and planting each into a cell, where 4 now have little rice shoots - I decided to plant the solitary rice plant between my two barley plants, running east to west on the south side of the peanut beds, in the shallow sandy arroyo. They are about 3 - 4 feet apart. I did this at about 1:30 am - perfect time of day for gardening. It's actually 61F, with a mild breeze.

I did almost nothing to prep for the barley except add a little organic fertilizer, but for the rice I dug a hole about 8 inches in diameter, and about 10 inches deep, I then blended compost, arroyo sand, granular organic fertilizer, and some garden sulfur. I used this mixture as backfill, I then wet it down thoroughly, placed the rice seedling into a planting hole, then topped with plain arroyo sand. Afterwards I soaked the area, and soaked it again, and again. Hopefully the compost will help the sand remain moist enough between waterings. I couldn't see creating a floodable rice growing area, at least not until I have twenty rice plants, or more. Which should be possible if the ones I'm growing now, produce more viable seed.

[Tucson Grower]

Of the 6 pre-sprouted rice seed, I now have 5 vigorously growing rice seedlings, each in its own cell. I am contemplating, if I should plant them in a group, near each other, or in various locations in the arroyo, tens of feet apart. I'm leaning towards, no farther than 4 feet apart, making it easier for cross-pollination - and attending to the plants needs. I'm only waiting, now, for the plants to be large enough, that they shouldn't have trouble once planted out. I've killed various grasshoppers, lime green and lemon yellow ones, about 3 inches long. Various tan and grey ones, from 1/4 inch to 4 inches. When I water I sometimes see them flee the area. More frequently, I see 1/2 inch long praying mantis young, scurry away. I wish they were older/larger, so they could be of more help with the adult grasshoppers. Almost every day I see the affects of grasshoppers/crickets feeding on my one surviving sunflower plant and watermelon plants.

[heavyhitterokra]

Tucson,

Sounds like you need to invest in a Red Ryder Daisy BB gun. There's nothing more satisfying than drawing down on a winged grasshopper twenty feet away and turning him into chicken treats.

[Tucson Grower]

I managed to get 5 new seedlings from the six pre-sprouted seed, but none of those 5 survived being planted outside in the vicinity of their sole earlier sister. My last attempt will be to sow a few seed in the soil there, after pre-germinating them.