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Post by steev on Mar 18, 2013 21:04:21 GMT -5
Got the rices into the hot-box today;must get to finish threshing last year's, in hopes any actually made seed, not just husks. Why am I doing this? I'm hoping that if I grow rice, my farm will magically grow terraces; fat chance, it's as flat as piss on a plate; so much for picturesque.
Well, somebody has to tilt against the windmills; if not me, then who?
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Post by olddog on Mar 18, 2013 23:20:36 GMT -5
That's funny, so many of those terrace farmers would love your flat land! They just spend so much of their time repairing those darn terraces!
More power to you, in your quest for upland rice!
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Post by steev on Mar 18, 2013 23:41:45 GMT -5
Druther have more rice, than power.
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Post by steev on Jul 29, 2013 0:13:48 GMT -5
Yee-ha! Saturday, I found that the first of this year's rices, Hayayuki, is heading up prolifically.
I am encouraged that all the transplants I set out this year are growing well. Last year there were issues of later planting and weed competition. I look forward to assuring the NCGR that I haven't just blown them off, even though some of their centers have blown me off. One must be forgiving.
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Post by steev on Jul 30, 2013 17:25:30 GMT -5
I note that Hayayuki is heading up six weeks earlier than last year; I'm encouraged.
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Post by cesarz on Aug 6, 2013 4:25:27 GMT -5
Do you guys know which one of these upland rice varieties are perrennial?
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Post by steev on Aug 6, 2013 10:11:27 GMT -5
No; are there any?
Yukimochi is setting seed four weeks earlier than last year.
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Post by cesarz on Aug 7, 2013 1:43:53 GMT -5
Apparently, the one being trialed in NZ has perennial characteristics not sure if it is the right name but says it is a Yukihikari rice.
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Post by steev on Aug 7, 2013 10:26:12 GMT -5
I looked that up, very interesting.
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Post by plantbunny on Aug 14, 2013 22:48:30 GMT -5
I'm growing the Hmong sticky from SESE. It's about 5ft tall, blooming liberally and smells wonderful. Smells like cooking Jasmine rice. Each plant has between 15 and 20 little tiller thingies with a pannicle or bloom thingie on it. If it were smaller it'd make a great ornamental in the front flower bed.
It's not being grown in a paddy. I started the seeds in a cup of warm water and when the root started to emerge planted them in a 128 divot tray with organic seed starting mix. I planted them out at 3w (later than I wanted by about a week or 10 days) and put 15" square between single plants. Spread decomposed chicken poop around and then mulched it all with hay and paper. Essentially the SRI method.
So far I've done nothing but just keep it watered. Nothing really massive either and we've gotten a good amount of rain for here during summer.
I've never grown rice before so I have no clue what to expect. I'm very happy so far though. My oldest saw the seeds in the sese catalog and always circles her 'favorite foods' to plant.
Will it be a total nightmare to dehull?
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Post by steev on Aug 15, 2013 1:06:05 GMT -5
Probably only a semi-nightmare to dehull. I think it helps to have a young, motivated person and a large wooden mortar and pestle.
5' tall! The tallest of my rices are less than 3' tall. Hmong Sticky isn't heading yet. I think rice isn't really an arid garden crop; not that I'll stop trying to grow it. Somebody has to fight off the damned windmills!
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Post by plantbunny on Aug 15, 2013 1:47:28 GMT -5
I'm wondering if my clever and mechanically inclined husband can work something out between a dehuller of some sort and my exercise bike. THAT would be the best of both world. Ride my bike and start dinner prep at the same time! Yes, 5ft tall! I was surprised. It's ginormous. And a haven for ladybugs, dragonflies and some weird little wasp thingies that hide under the leaf segments. I'm still surprised at the lovely aroma every time I venture that direction. I get hungry just walking by. I think next year we'll mulch first, then poke holes in that and plant the presprouted rice seeds. I'm into as much labor saving as I can get. Which assumes I'm able to get this years crop dehulled
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Post by steev on Aug 18, 2013 19:43:20 GMT -5
I found that gophers are dragging my rice plants into their netherworld; time to deploy the piss-jugs!
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Post by plantbunny on Aug 18, 2013 20:39:02 GMT -5
Cute little birdies are roosting on my tomato trellis (and pooping on my maters) whilst enjoying tempting rice treats.
I'm pondering what to do. They're cute little birdies. But they're eating my rice and pooping on my maters.
*sigh*
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Post by steev on Aug 19, 2013 1:03:07 GMT -5
Yesss. Our cousins can be a pain. The poop is good and washable. They're working on my grapes (Yeah, yeah, bird tape; they aren't that impressed; actually, the hummers are attracted, not a bad thing). I've been bagging my Tunisian sorghum (they totally cleaned it out last year), and am thinking of putting tissue-paper collars on my grapes next year. I'm thinking a tunnel for rice. I'm on a major fly-way for migratory birds, and it can be irritating, given that virtually nobody else in the valley provides the smorgasbord that I do. I think I'm about the only salad bar in about a hundred miles of fly-way. I'm sure the birds appreciate me, but jeese, Louise! You'd think they'd intuitively understand the "golden goose" thing.
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