Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Planting your rice
• Part 2 of 3: Taking care of your seedlings
• Part 3 of 3: Harvesting and cooking your rice

There are long grain rice, medium grain rice and short grain rice. It grows easily in your backyard, a plot or in buckets as long as you provide it with the right soil, water and other nutrients. Short, medium, or long grain rice grows well in humid climates, especially permanent pools or swampy conditions. Once the rice develops, the water in which it grows must be drained so that you can harvest and mash it. After harvesting and mashing, you can eat the rice.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Planting your rice

1. Buy rice seeds from a garden center or agricultural store. You can also buy rice seeds from a reputable store or ask for help from the city council. There are five types of rice to choose from:
   • Long grain. This type of rice produces grains that are light and soft. It is often a bit drier than other varieties.
   • Medium grain. This kind is moist, tender, a bit sticky and creamy when you cook it. It has the same texture as long grains.
   • Short grain. When cooked, this short grain is soft and sticky. It's also a bit sweeter - this is the rice used for sushi.
   • Sweet. Also called sticky rice, this rice is sticky when you cook it. It is often used for frozen products.
   • Aromatic. This type of rice has more flavor and aroma than other types. This category includes Basmati, Jasmine, red and black Japanese rice.
   • Arborio. Cooked this kind is creamy with a chewy center. It is mainly used for risotto and other Italian dishes.
2. Choose the place where you are going to grow it. Make sure the soil you are growing it in is made of acidic clay to get the best results. Wherever you grow it, make sure you have a good water source and a way to drain the water when you need to harvest.
   • Choose a location with enough sunlight, as rice grows best in sunlight and warm temperatures of at least 21 ° Celsius.
   • Think about the season - you should be able to grow the rice in your location for 3-6 months. Rice needs a long warm season to grow, so a climate in Southern Europe is best. If you don't have long warm spells where you live, it may be better to let the rice grow indoors.
3. Collect at least 28 to 57 grams of rice seeds for sowing. Soak the seeds in water to prepare them for planting. Let them soak for at least 12 hours, but no longer than 36 hours. Then remove the seeds from the water.
   • While your seeds are soaking, make a plan for where and how you want to plant. Most people plant the seeds in rows to make it easier to water and get rid of weeds. Consider digging trenches and blocking the ends to keep the water in place (roadsides can also be used). That said, the area doesn't have to necessarily to be flooded, it just needs to be wet.
4. Plant the rice seeds in the soil during the fall or spring. Remove the weeds, work the plots and level the ground. If you are using buckets, fill them with at least 6 inches (15 cm) of moist soil. Then add the rice seeds.
   • Keep in mind that the area must be flooded with water. It is much easier to flood a few smaller areas than a larger area. If you plant outside, using different plots is easier to manage and keep track of.
   • If you plant in the fall, make sure to remove the weeds before spring. The rice seeds need all the nutrients and space they can get.

Part 2 of 3: Taking care of your seedlings

1. Fill the buckets or the garden with at least 1 cm of water. However, this is just old-fashioned advice. Enough people feel that keeping the earth consistently moist is enough - it doesn't necessarily have to be submerged. This stage is up to you - just make sure it is wet.
   • Add compost or bark to the soil, lightly covering the rice grains. This automatically pushes the seeds into the soil. Organic compost is moist, so this is a good plan - especially in a drier climate.
2. Observe the water level of the planting area, and keep the soil constantly wet. You can keep 5 cm of water for the rice to grow in. At the very least, make sure the soil is consistently wet, if not underwater. After about 1 week you can expect shoots to grow from the seeds.
   • If your plants are in buckets, you may want to move them at night (when it is cooler) to a warmer place. Rice grows well in a warm environment and if the temperature drops, its growth can be stunted.
   • To emphasize that water management differs per person: commercial rice growers sometimes leave the rice until 20 cm flooded. You can increase the water when your plants grow taller than 18 cm. What you do is up to you.
3. Dilute or make room for the rice seeds to avoid oppression. For best results, you can space the shoots 10 cm apart in rows that vary between 22 and 30 cm. Let the shoots grow up to 18 cm, which takes about a month on average.
   • Some people choose to put their plants in a nursery bed as there is a lot of movement in the process. If using this way, move them when they are 13-18cm tall. Then they should be planted 30 cm apart in a muddy soil.
4. Wait until the rice grains are ripe. This takes about 3 to 4 months; during this time they can grow up to 45 cm. Let the water dry or drain the remaining water before harvesting the rice. Over the next two weeks, they turn green to gold - that's when you know they're ripe.
   • If you are growing your rice, you can drain the water when they are about 38cm tall, flood it again and then drain it again. Then continue as above, and let the rice dry and turn golden.

Part 3 of 3: Harvesting and cooking your rice

1. Cut the stems and let them dry. When the rice is golden (about 2 weeks after you drain the water), it is ripe. Cut the stems just below the cups, where the rice grains are. You can see small bags, which are the rice husks.
   • Let them dry for 2-3 weeks. When you've cut the stems, wrap them in newspaper and keep them in a dry, sunny spot for 2-3 weeks. The moisture must have dried completely in order to remove the granules properly.
2. Bake them for an hour at 82 ° C. Take the cups and put them in the oven to roast. It should not be too hot or the grains will burn. During this time they should turn a dark color of gold.
3. Separate the seeds from the membranes. Then let them cool down. Rub with your hands (or use a mortar and pestle) to separate the seeds from the husks. Now you work with rice grains that you too for real recognizes. This will give you grains of rice that are ready to cook and eat.
   • For the record, this last section can be a bit tedious - after a handful or two, you'll be thankful for the modern technology. Be patient - you're doing it right, it just takes a while. When you are done, you will have a great supply of food that you have produced all by yourself.