How to Plant Red Rice
There are several varieties of red rice, some grown as ornamental plants, and others grown as food. Red rice is considered a weedy species because of its low production level and because it tends to spread. Rice belongs to the genus Oryza and is a grass-like plant. Rice can be grown almost anywhere, but is traditionally grown in regions with plenty of rainfall and very warm temperatures. Red rice is suitable as a garden plant, either as a marginal or a submerged species. Red rice is not a sturdy rice and will shatter easily, making it a food more suited for animals than humans. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Pond or large, waterproof trough
- Water
- Pots
- Compost
- Red rice seed
- Perforated water baskets
- Soil fabric
- Topsoil
- Sand
- Pencil
- Gravel
- Liquid fertilizer
- Insecticidal soap
- Hose
- Hose sprayer
Instructions
-
-
1
Plant red rice at the edge of a pond or in a large trough filled with water. Rice doesn't absolutely have to grow in water, but because it is tolerant of flooding, the practice minimizes weeds and keeps the plant well hydrated without much effort on your part.
-
2
Germinate the seeds indoors in a pot filled with compost. Place the seeds in the pot 1/2 inch apart and 1/4 inch deep. Put the pot in a warm place, at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit, for two weeks to two months.
-
-
3
Transplant the germinated rice sprouts to a water basket lined with fabric and filled with a half-and-half mixture of topsoil and sand. Use a pencil to make holes 1/2 inch deep, and gently place the rice starts into the holes. Space them 4 to 5 inches apart, and bury them slightly deeper than they were growing in the smaller pots, so they form side shoots.
-
4
Spread gravel in a thin layer gently around the planted seedlings to help hold the soil. Submerge the basket into the pond or trough at any depth, as long as the tops of the seedlings are out of water. The basket may either sit in a few inches of water or be submerged.
-
5
Mix a liquid fertilizer in the water at a rate of 1 tablespoon per gallon. Feed the rice weekly. Watch for insect pests. Either spray an insecticidal soap on the plants or blast the bugs off with short bursts of water. As the plants begin to form seed heads, diminish fertilizer and watering to force the seeds to ripen and dry.
-
1
