Rice is a starchy grain used as stable food in various countries worldwide. Some people prefer to take some side dishes along with the rice in their lunch or dinner. You can get brown rice, white rice, and long grain rice in almost every store nearby. But most of the rice varieties on the market are exposed to insecticides and are harmful to eat.
Fortunately, You can grow rice even in your yard or in a container. But can you grow rice from store-bought rice? Unfortunately, you cannot grow rice from store-bought rice because of the removal of husk. You can grow rice in your yard or pot by purchasing proper rice seeds from the market.
The article discusses step-by-step methods to grow rice at home. So, keep reading it know about the procedure involved in growing rice.
Can You Grow Rice From Store Bough Rice?
You may have plans to grow rice and produce it in high quantities, so you don’t have to buy from the market. Some people may think of growing rice in their fields so that they can produce rice in large numbers and sell it in the market. But unfortunately, you cannot grow rice by bringing store-bought rice.
Every whole grain consists of bran, endosperm, and germ. But unfortunately, the white rice you purchase from the market has been milled to make it smoother. The process removes the germ and bran part of the grain, which has quite an essential role in germination. So, it’s impossible to grow plants from store-bought white rice.
Now, if we talk about brown rice available on the market, it has lost its outer covering. The kernel has been dried and is no longer suitable for germination. You must buy proper rice seeds from the market and grow rice in your yard or a pot.
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How Can You Grow Rice At Home?
1. Buy Rice Seeds
You need to purchase rice seeds from a supply store or any nursery available near your location. You can even take help from an Agricultural Officer in getting rice seeds.
Various types of rice seeds are available in the market, and some are listed below.
- Aromatic rice seeds: – They have a nice flavor compared to other rice seeds like Basmati.
- Long grain rice seeds: – They become fluffy and light after cooking
- Medium grain rice seeds:- They become moist and creamy after cooking.
- Short grain rice seeds:- They become sticky and soft after cooking.
2. Choose The Location Where You Will Plant The Seeds
Choose an area in your yard with slightly acidic clay soil. You can even grow rice seeds in a pot. But make sure the pot also contains slightly acidic clay soil. Additionally, you need to keep a few things in mind while planting rice seeds which are described below.
- You must choose where the plant will receive a good amount of sunlight. The best temperature for growing rice seeds is 700 F.
- Various species of rice are available on the market, and most of the species grow well in the warm season. The Rice plant takes almost six months to develop fully. So, plant them after the frost passes away, i.e., in early spring, for good results.
- The place chosen should have a good amount of water source and a way for draining the water during harvesting.
3. Soak Rice Seeds
You must soak a few grams of rice seeds in water for almost 12 hours. In the meantime, choose the best location in your yard. Additionally, make trenches and block its ends so that the water will stay inside it.
4. Start Planting
Remove any possible weeds or grass from where you have chosen to plant rice seeds. Then plant the rice seeds in a row so that it will be easier for you to harvest.
If you have decided to plant rice seeds in a pot, then fill it should first be filled with a few inches of moist soil, and then add the rice seeds.
5. Add Water
You must fill the trenches with a minimum of 2 inches of water. The soil must be constantly wet for the proper growth of the rice plant, but you don’t need to flood the soil with water.
If you add rice seeds to a pot, you must fill at least 2 inches of the soil with water.
You will observe the shoots within one week. You can add some compost within a few weeks for proper rice plant growth.
You need to add water at least 4 inches high on the trenches or bucket once you observe the stems of the rice plant have grown 6 inches long.
6. Add Space
Whenever you see your rice plants have grown 6 inches in height, add space of 4 inches from one plant to another to avoid crowding and improve growth. It will even be easier for you at the time of harvesting.
7. Wait For The Rice Seeds To Mature
Your rice plants will ultimately develop and become almost 3-4 feet in height. Some rice plats will also become above 4 feet in height. When you observe the rice grain change from green to golden, you will understand that it has become fully matured and ready to harvest. Remember to drain out all the water before harvesting.
8. Cut The Stems And Allow It To Dry
The rice seeds usually change their color just two weeks after draining all the water from the soil. Now cut the stems and allow them to dry in the sun for almost two weeks.
9. Bake The Rice Seeds
You must remove the rice seeds and bake them at 1800 F for 60 minutes. Remember, very high temperatures can burn the rice seeds.
10. Allow The Rice Seeds To Cool
Now your next and last step is to allow the rice seeds to cool and separate the rice hulls from the kernel using your hand or mortar and pestle. You will be left with rice grown at home and ready to cook and eat.
Conclusion
Rice is quite a popular cereal grain. But you cannot grow them at home simply by bringing some rice to your store as they are polished and have lost the husk, germ, and bran.
The embryo of any seed is reasonably necessary for germination. In our case, the germ is the embryo of the rice plant, and it’s removed during polishing. So, you cannot grow a plant from it.
But you can grow by purchasing rice seeds from a local nursery and plant on your yard according to the steps described above.
Thank you for reading this article, and please post some pictures after following the above steps and growing rice in your yard or bucket at home. We will be happy to see these pictures.
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Thanks for the nice post on growing rice plant from store-bought!