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[<eureka AT hctc.net>]

Bev thanks for all the typing! Whew! Some more good info.

Well, I checked out Southern Exposure, but the only rice 
seed they offer now is sticky rice. I did end up ordering 
some sorghum, hulless oat, and clover seed from them. 
Polit Farms looks like they just sell bags for eating. If 
it can indeed be planted from a bag for consumption, I 
might do better to search out Lowell's brown rice from our 
local grocery because it is grown in Alvin, TX  (gulf 
coast) so might be better acclimatized to us.

We have plenty of clean water and days above 70 degrees. 
We have all winter to muck it up with sheep poop and 
composting in place, although maybe it would be better to 
haul some dirt and plant a cover crop. I'll document my 
rice experiment on my blog once it gets going. First, I 
need to make sure this thing does hold water. Besides the 
side drain holes we will plug, there's a drain at the 
bottom and we have no idea how that works or where that 
goes...

--Sage
Way Out in Texas

On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 23:36:56 -0500
 EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net> wrote:
> Lynda wrote:
> > In the valley, in California, where tons of rice is 
> > grown, they seed
> > in March.
>
> Not to be too picky, Lynda, but the Calrice website says 
> they plant in
> April-they prep the fields in March. ;)
>
>
> They are done and harvest in September.  The average 
> temps run
> > between 75 and 100 during those months.  Hitting 90s 
> > regularly in
> > July, August and September.
> >
> > Of course, one of the characteristics of that northern 
> > end of what is
> > known as "The Valley" in California is that it is quite 
> > humid.  So
> > that 90 feels like 110!
>
> I think the humidity is a necessary factor with rice.
>
> Thanks for the Carla Emery heads up.  I have her book 
> and always forget
> that it is such a good resource...the rest of this post 
> is from the book.
> OK, so Carla says...
>
> Rice can send up as many as 12 tillers, so it can 
> produce 2 to 3 times
> as much grain as the same sized field of wheat.
>
> Two requirements are
> 1. clean water
> 2. At least 40 days of temps above 70 degrees.
>
> Upland and Lowland rice available from
> Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
> POB 158
> North Garden VA 22959
> They offer a 120 day variety that is easy, requires less 
> water than
> corn, and has no insect or disease problems.
>
> Polit Farms
> POB 625
> Maxwell CA 95955
>
> Chok-Ammuay Co
> 89/19 Phya Thai Rd
> Ratchatewi, Bangkok 10400
> Thailand
>
> Nam-Thai Chiang Co
> 120 Soi Taklang
> Chakpet RD
> Bangkok, Thailand
>
>
> The last two companies also sell hullers and milling 
> equipment.
>
>
> Lowland rice will not tolerate dry ground.
> Upland rice can be grown like other grains, but yields 
> on dry land are
> 30-70% less than flooded field types.
> In 1850 upland rice was grown in Missouri, Iowa, and 
> Illinois.
>
> Less irrigation water is needed in more humid areas than 
> in drier areas.
>
> In rotation, to avoid pests, try rice, oats, then 
> potatoes on the same
> ground in suceeding years...or rice, soybeans, 
> lespedeza, or rice
> soybean, then a winter cover crop that can be a green 
> manure
>
> The most common fish raised in swampy patties are 
> buffalo, bass, and
> catfish.  Mosquito fish can be stocked at 100/acre
> Excess fertility causes the rice stalks to grow long and 
> fall over.
> Irrigation/flood water should be warm, at least 70 
> degrees, not cold
> well water.  Lower water temps delay harvest, sometimes 
> by 30 days or more.
>
> Rice grows well in 1 inch of water, but 4 inches is 
> needed to thwart
> weeds.  More than 6.4 inches is bad because depth 
> inhibits tillering.
>
> In paddy environment, cultivate and prep paddy by 
> driving animals
> through the paddy to trample weeds and work the mud.
>
> Rice can be planted on dry ground or onto ground covered 
> with water.  It
> can be broadcast by hand or machine or drilled on dry 
> ground that is
> then flooded, or the see can be sprayed from an 
> airplane.
>
> If seed is planted dry, depth should be 1.5-2 inches. 
> Rice needs a lot
> of water or rain to germinate, but will not germinate if 
> water is
> standing on the soil.
>
> A family sized nursery bed is a mini-paddy about 2x4 ft. 
> Place in a
> warm, sunny area.  Bed should be rich in compost. 
> Pre-flood and drain
> to make mud. Broadcast sprouted seeds or press 
> unsprouted seeds into the
> mud, but do not cover them entirely.  Scatter a light 
> sand layer over
> them, followed by a light mulch layer.  As soon as 
> germination occurs,
> flood the soil.  Once primary leaves appear, slowly 
> drain the bed.  When
> the seedlings are 4-5 inches tall, 30-40 days of 
> maturity, they must be
> transplanted.  Seedlings can be pulled and clumped 
> together for easier
> handling.  Once in the field, pull off 2-6 plants and 
> push them into the
> mud to root (see separate post about the art of doing 
> this) common
> spacing is 4-17", usually 6". It is best to allow enough 
> space for a
> person to walk through so that the paddy can later be 
> weeded.(water
> weeds may grow were land weeds will not) In an 
> artificial paddy, I
> believe that spacing could be much closer-no weeds.
>
> To transplant with soil, dig/pickup plant with soil 
> attached.  It may
> take two weeks for the plants to become established 
> after transplant.
>
> If the rice has been transplanted and spaced uniformly, 
> it can be hand
> weeded.  Pull weeds and turn upside down-stick back into 
> mud.
>
> Use a painted stake to gauge depth of field.
> Always drain the paddy slowly to prevent lodging(falling 
> over)
>
> Once the rice begins to head, do not enter the paddy. 
> Keep the paddy
> flooded with at least one inch of water.
>
> Mature rice is 3-5 feet tall, turning yellow, with heavy 
> heads drooping
> downward.  Some heads mature early, some later.  General 
> rule is that
> when 1/10 of the rice has headed out, harvest is 35-45 
> days away, unless
> it is a heavy crop, and then maybe 55 days away.  Two to 
> Three weeks
> before harvest, drain the field.
>
> To harvest, cut the stalk 6-18 inches above ground. 
> Spread rice out to
> allow it to dry.  Dry for at least 24 hours before 
> binding. Shock up the
> bound rice for one week up to 3 months.  Protect from 
> rain and moisture.
>  Rice threshes most easily when fully mature and dry.
>
> Thresh rice on a hard surface with a flail or bat or 
> human feet.<g>
> Remove straw and use for livestock feed, mulch, 
> stuffing, or fuel.
> Sweep up grain, winnow chaff.  Rice will still have 
> greenish brown husk
> or hull.  Store rice in the hull for longevity.  To 
> remove hulls, pound
> them, roll, or grind them, but expect to break at least 
> 20% of the
> kernels.  Kernels can be pounded with a wooden pestle in 
> a large
> mortar.(I plan to make one out of a tree truck) Winnow 
> the husks.  The
> pounding of rice will also polish/whiten it, removing 
> all the husk and
> bran.  White rice is thereby less nutritious than brown, 
> unpolished rice.
> Rice should be kept in airtight container.
>
> To answer an earlier question, the wild rice in 
> Minnesota lakes is a
> 'water oat' Zizania species.
>
> Whew!  That was a workout!
>
> Bev
>
>
> --
> “Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. 
> Anger leads to
> hate. Hate leads to suffering.”        Yoda
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