Applestar, why rice?

[tedln]

I noticed in some of your posts that you grow rice in a paddy. Out of nothing but curiosity, why? Is it a special variety of rice?

I spent many years in southern Louisiana and had many friends who were rice farmers. Because I have almost no knowledge of the propagation of rice, I asked one of my friends why rice farmers grow in water as opposed to growing wheat in irrigated or dry land farms. He told me two reasons exist in Louisiana. The water controls the germination and growth of competitive grasses and weeds. The water allows for a second crop each year of "Crawdads" crayfish in the spring and fall. the crayfish feed on the organic residue of the rice crop.

A comment from Wikipedia reads as follows.

"While with rice growing and cultivation the flooding is not mandatory, all other methods of irrigation require higher effort in weed and pest control during growth periods and a different approach for fertilizing the soil."

Do you harvest enough rice to actually consume it?

Just curious because I plan on learning something every day until I die.

Ted

[applestar]

WHY NOT?

No, seriously? I stumbled on the concept of Permaculture. It seemed to pull together all the different vague ideas I had rattling around in my head (except for placing greater value on native plants, but I've modified the concept to fit my own Since then, I've also learned that there's a sort of a boxed mind-set to Permaculture folks that doesn't fit with my personal philosophy, but that's besides the point. As usual, I learn from, and make use of, what works for me.)

ANYWAY, I read the book One Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka. He grew and selected for rice that grows well without the constant water -- upland rice I think he called it. Commercial rice in Japan is conventionally grown in water and the only varieties I could get were Japanese Koshihikari rice and Carolina Gold revived heirloom rice. Both needs water paddies to grow. Anyway, I wanted to experiment with the no-till, Permaculture techniques embraced by MF. AT THE SAME TIME, I had discovered the concept of Rain Gardens to sequester water runoff, and I had set my goal to minimize surface water runoff out of my property. Why not a rice paddy -- or two?

That's about it. I uttered my catch phrase and rally call: "NEW PROJECT!" ... and I was off !!

[tedln]

Thanks! Believe it or not, it makes sense to me. I'm growing some heirloom tomatoes this year that most folks told me are not worth growing. I'm growing them out of curiosity. I probably will not grow them next year, but I will know for sure why I shouldn't grow them. I also grew a lot of garlic this year because I was interested in plants that need to be planted in the fall in order to mature in the following spring/summer. We eat very little garlic. The next project is to learn how to braid garlic braids to give away.

Ted

[!potatoes!]

'The next project is to learn how to braid garlic braids to give away. '

then I hope you planted softneck.

[tedln]

'The next project is to learn how to braid garlic braids to give away. '

then I hope you planted softneck.

I think they are, they are bending to the ground.


Ted

[gixxerific]

That is why I love you guys Apple and Ted we and some others here like to do things out of the ordinary and things that should not be done or people say can't be done. We'll just see about that.

Try something new, live and learn that is what we are here for.

Much success to us all.

Dono

[tedln]

Awww shucks Dono! Now I am embarrassed. I find it hard to understand why my constant exhibition of ignorance should impress anyone.

Ted

[Ozark Lady]

I braided my garlic, and then I found out it was hard neck garlic, no wonder I couldn't get the bulbs to snuggle up pretty in my wreath, aw well, they still hung well, and they didn't spoil or anything.

We use garlic medicinally in addition to eating alot of it.
My husband gets bad rashes and poison ivy is really hard on him. I kept telling him, don't scratch. One day, I was peeling garlic and he wouldn't stop scratching, so I handed him a freshly peeled garlic clove and said, use that not your fingernails. He did, and it set him on fire. But it cleared his rash up pretty fast.

Now when he gets unknown rashes, we go to the produce aisle if I have no garlic in the house, and get him a bulb so he can use his clove scratcher.

Garlic was known as Russian Pennicillin during WWII when they ran out of medicines, they packed wounds with garlic... and it worked!

Bacteria can not build up immunity to natural substances like garlic.

Plant alot of garlic, you never know when a loved one might get sick with antibiotic resistant illness and you will need the garlic!