Rice comes in long-grain, medium-grain and short-grain textures. It grows easily in your backyard, in a garden bed or in buckets, given the right amount soil, water and other nutrients. Short-grain, medium-grain and long-grain rice thrive in wet conditions, specifically standing puddles of water or swamp-like conditions. Before you harvest and mill the crop, the water in which they grow must drain. After the harvesting and milling process, you can eat the rice. But before that, the paddy/rice seedlings should be grown.
1. Select your seed. You can buy rice seeds from any reputable gardening/farmers supply store or seek help from the local agriculture field officer. Gather at least 28-57g rice seeds to sow. Soak the seeds in water for at least 12 hours but not longer than 36 hours, to prepare them for planting. Remove the seeds from the water afterward.
2. Choose your planting location. Make sure the soil in that area consists of slightly acidic clay for the best sprouting results. You may also plant your rice seeds in buckets with the same type of soil. Pick a location that receives full sunlight, as rice grows best with plenty of sunlight and warmth of at least 70 degrees F (approximately 21 degrees C).
3. Plant the rice seeds. Sprinkle the rice seeds throughout the soil, starting when temp is still warm during the spring or the fall season. If you are using buckets, fill them with at least 6 inches (about 15 cm) of moist soil; then add rice seeds and add compost or mulch to the soil, slightly covering the rice grains. However, it is OK to expose the rice grains.
4. Irrigate your planted rice seeds. Slowly pour at least 2 inches (about 5 cm) of water into the buckets or the garden space you have chosen. Observe the water levels of the planting area. Keep at least 2 inches of water for the rice growing. After about 1 week, you can see shoots from the grains
5. Thin or space out the rice seeds to prevent crowding. For the best growing results, thin out the seedlings no more than 4 inches (about 10cm) apart in rows that range between 9-12 inches (about 23-30 cm) apart. Allow the seeds to grow up to 7 inches (about 18 cm) tall, which takes on average of about 1 month.
6. Timely weeding and pest prevention ar necessary.
After the rice seedlings are ready, you can transfer them to a large paddy environment with manual work or with a paddy transplanter. It should take about 3-4 months for rice plants to reach maturity. Let the water dry out or drain any excess water before harvesting rice.