Spring 2026 – Southern Hemisphere
Stubble management and natural farming:
The flowering of the natural organic apple tree
Hello everyone and welcome back to the blog! How are you all doing? 🌾✨
Today I want to share with you the progress and second attempt at growing rice (Oryza sativa)
for
the 2026-2027 spring-summer season.
As some of you may remember from a few months ago, I started germinating seeds during the colder
season. Unfortunately, as spring arrived, those early seedlings didn't make it and died. However,
gardening is all about trial and error, so I decided to start over. If you check the fourth and
fifth photos in this post, you can see the small, bright green seedlings emerging through the soil!
Hello everyone and welcome back to the blog! How are you all doing? 🌾✨
Today I want to share with you the progress and second attempt at growing rice (Oryza sativa)
for
the 2026-2027 spring-summer season.
As some of you may remember from a few months ago, I started germinating seeds during the colder
season. Unfortunately, as spring arrived, those early seedlings didn't make it and died. However,
gardening is all about trial and error, so I decided to start over. If you check the fourth and
fifth photos in this post, you can see the small, bright green seedlings emerging through the soil!
I started working on a rectangular planter that had unwanted grasses and weeds. I manually cleared all weeds, making sure to pull out the dense root system at the bottom of the planter to prevent nutrient competition.
I loosened the dry, compacted soil using a trowel. To improve soil structure and fertility, I added organic fertilizer and vermicompost (earthworm castings) produced by Red Wiggler worms (Eisenia foetida). I mixed everything thoroughly to enhance moisture retention and micro-nutrient availability.
I carefully placed the pre-soaked rice grains—showing visible radicles and cotyledons—into the
enriched substrate.
After planting, I watered the substrate and covered the container with clear plastic trays to trap heat and speed up sprout emergence.
The seeds sprouted within the first day, but snails managed to get past the cover and ate the young shoots. Learning from this, I collected fresh rainwater during today's downpour to water the rice container in the greenhouse, along with vegetable seedlings sown yesterday. To safeguard them against night-active snails, I am bringing the trays indoors at night. Tomorrow I will plant more germinated seeds and move another soaked batch into a warm, bright germination tray. Wish me luck!
Temperature Needs: Rice is a tropical/subtropical crop requiring optimal temperatures between 20°C
and 35°C (68°F - 95°F) for germination and growth. Cold spells during early stages cause severe
seedling mortality.
Vermicompost Benefits: High-quality worm castings provide slow-release nitrogen, humic acids, and
beneficial microbes vital for early root establishment.
Rainwater Irrigation: Using collected rainwater prevents chlorine buildup and helps maintain an
optimal soil pH (5.5 – 6.5).
Thank you for reading! See you tomorrow with updates on the vegetable garden.
📌 P.S.: If you love flowers, don't forget to check out my latest post on the Floriculture blog about
transplanting Streptosolen jamesonii (Marmalade Bush), published in both Spanish and English!
Álbum de Floración y Brotes
Haz clic en las hojas o usa las flechas para pasar las páginas del libro.
Jardín de Primavera
Colección Botánica
Interactive Quiz: Rice Cultivation 2026–2027
How much did you learn about growing Oryza sativa in pots and caring for it?
Test your knowledge of substrate preparation using vermicompost, germination, watering with rainwater, and nocturnal pest control.
