How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Rice

Most believe that rice plants only grow in a flooded rice paddy. But did you know there’s a method that doesn’t require flooding your backyard?

Upland rice flourishes as long as it has the right soil and receives enough water. With proper moisture, the right rice seed, and the right timing you’ll be growing rice in no time.

Whether you decide to fill your garden with upland or lowland varieties from seed, the experience is well worth the effort. 

What is Rice?

Rice, or Oryza sativa, is a member of the grass family.

Most people are aware of rice’s role in cooking across the world. Rice is a grain with thousands of cultivars. White rice, long grain rice, and brown rice are sold in every grocery store. But massively manufactured species are subject to pesticides that may be harmful to ingest, and some organically grown brown rice can be expensive at the store.  

Grains are hulled from tillers, collected, and then steamed into delicious dishes. White rice is a staple ingredient in multiple countries. It’s believed it was first selected and bred in China along the Yangtze River.

Characteristics

The rice life cycle has multiple stages. Rice seeds and the growth of initial seedling blades comprise the germination phase.

In the subsequent vegetative state, the tillers or main stems are developed in a process called tillering. A mature rice plant has anywhere from three to twelve tillers. Rice plants in poorer quality areas produce more tillers, but panicles are unevenly matured. Rice transforms from green to gold throughout its life. Flowers cluster together at the tops of the tillers.

Depending on the species, flower colors vary greatly. After rice flowers bloom and wilt, seed heads (or panicles) emerge and arch over tillers. 

You might consider growing a rice crop for eating, even ornamental kinds. Some of my favorite rice, like black rice, is considered ornamental. When you’re looking for rice seed, pick something that suits your needs. Because there are so many different types of rice, you’ll need a good game plan for maximum yield. 

Cultivars

Before you search for rice seeds to grow at home, consider the basic rice types. Long-grain rice has less starch content and is drier than short-grain, making it useful in pilafs or Indian cooking. Short-grain rice is better for recipes that require stickier grains, like sushi. Some species of rice, like brown rice, have both long and short-grain varieties. 

Lowland Rice

These varieties are what you probably picture when you think of people growing rice: long stretches of terraced rice paddies in rich tropical areas. Lowland rice, sometimes called paddy rice, enjoys hotter climates and is usually flooded with two inches of water to prevent weeds. 

‘Koshikari’ is a lowland short-grain used for sushi. This particular species originates from the old Koshi Province in Japan. It prefers a marshy wetland or rice paddy for cultivation. If you live in a tropical region, ‘Koshikari’ seeds may be a good choice if you want to grow rice at home. You can have an organically grown crop without flooding your backyard, too. Try planting them in five-gallon buckets with no drainage. 

Highland Rice

Highland or upland rice grows well on mountains and steep hillsides and does not require flooding for cultivation. Although upland rice seed can grow in droughts, they’ll produce much more with adequate water. 

‘Duborskian’ rice is a short-grain highland variety many gardeners love to grow. It originates in Russia and appreciates drier climes. ‘Duborskian’ does prefer moist soil and spacing of about ten inches between tiller groups. Panicles on this variety are green to gold as they grow. Some ‘Duborskian’ grains are light brown. 

Long-grain Rice

The most common type of rice grown is long-grain. This is the typical long oval shape of the rice found in stores worldwide, while short-grain tends to be round in shape and is not as popular.

One popular long-grain rice that has origins in Mayan cultures is ‘Blue Bonnet’ rice, cultivated to survive in the mountains of Belize. Mennonites brought seeds back to the United States for distribution. ‘Blue Bonnet’ grows well in regular garden soil.

Another popular long-grain variety is ‘Carolina Gold’ which prefers flooded areas. Successful cultivators of these seeds suggest using a kiddie pool. 

Ornamental Rice

‘Black Madras’ rice is great for gardeners who want to try growing grains but don’t necessarily need a high yield.

This ornamental attracts waterfowl to the growing area, which can offer support to your local ecosystem, and provide a small harvest as well. ‘Black Madras’ subsists in wetlands and has lovely purple blades that produce black panicles. 

Planting

Rice has a long growth period and a short harvest season of about four weeks. Most varieties prefer warm weather. For this reason, plant rice after the last frost has passed, in early spring or sometime in March. Search for a warm sunny spot in an area with rich well-draining soil. Or place a container in a space in the garden that meets these requirements. 

Plant rice from transplants started indoors or via seed. Start seeds indoors about six to eight weeks before your planting date. Once the seedlings are ready for transplant, place them in your garden bed in rows about eight inches apart.

You can grow rice in containers rather than in a garden bed, too. Upland varieties appreciate a large planter with consistently moist soil. Lowland varieties do well in five-gallon buckets that have soil at the bottom and standing water above. No drainage is necessary. Try starting rice seeds directly in your container indoors and place them outside when they’re ready. 

How to Grow

With at least two inches to four inches of standing water per week, growing rice and caring for grains is pretty easy. Here are the basics. 

Light

Rice plants need at least six to eight hours of sun per day. Less than six hours will be detrimental and not provide a good crop of grain. Choose a sunny location for planting. Enough light is one of the main planting requirements for rice, along with water. Get those two right and your plant will thrive.

Water

Rice plants enjoy wet feet and prefer moisture at their base. Lowland varieties need regular flooding, or at least two inches of water level above the earth for plants at least six inches tall. Flooding at two to six inches assists rice plants in providing moisture and weed control. 

An upland crop needs at least one inch of water soaking the soil per week. You’ll get the most out of your yield if you irrigate upland rice with a drip line. Drip irrigation gives higher yields, consistent water, and higher uptake of soil nutrients. If it is consistently rainy, your rice plants won’t need watering. 

Soil

Rice grows in different types of soil which is why it is one of the most cultivated crops in the world.

In lowland areas, it enjoys fertile growing media but can grow in loamy clay with a good flood. In the highlands, amend with well-rotted compost before planting. Upland variants still produce in poor soils with the right irrigation.

They tolerate a wide pH range, between 3.5 to 8.5. Lowland varieties need a slightly more acidic pH, while upland varieties need a more neutral pH. 

Temperature

Lowland varieties prefer zones 9a to 10b, but upland varieties can be grown down to zone 4a. Lowland varieties need a longer growing season, and upland rice can produce in a shorter time. 

The ideal temperature range for upland varieties is 55°F to 80°F (13-27°C). Lowland varieties handle cool weather at 50°F (10°C) and above. At 85°F (29°C), unestablished lowland rice struggles to survive.

Both varieties are sensitive to frost, and upland rice doesn’t do well in excessive heat. Use frost cloth to shield plants from frost damage. Shade cloth for rice gardening in hot lowland areas helps protect singed leaves, but should not be necessary.

Fertilizing

Since rice is a grain in the grass family, it thrives on nitrogen. Ammonia-based nitrogens are best for growing rice, so options like urea or even urine are viable. But do not neglect potassium or phosphorous in the soil prep prior to planting. Add an additional potassium and phosphorous top dressing just as the plants begin to tiller, and another top dressing of ammonium-based nitrogen as the panicles begin to form. 

If you’re growing a lowland variety, let your soil dry out for up to ten days before applying your top-dressed ammonia nitrogen and then flood it after application. This ensures you can work some of the urea or other ammonia nitrogen into the surface of the soil to slow the rate of nitrogen oxidizing off once diluted.

Maintenance

It’s not necessary to prune this grassy plant until it’s time to thresh seeds for harvesting. Pruning off dead leaves is detrimental to the growth cycle. Once you’ve threshed the grains, remove the foliage that’s left behind. Each plant produces an annual harvest. 

Propagation

Rice is propagated from unprocessed, intact seeds with hulls. Scatter seed in your pre-planting area in spring after the last frost to have something for harvesting again in fall. Cover the scattered seeds with compost, and flood them if needed.

If you’re container gardening, fill your bucket with four inches of soil amended with compost. Then sow seed. Transplant seedlings outdoors or move your container into a sunny spot when the seedlings are established. 

Harvesting

Harvesting rice is a labor-intensive process but it can be done at home. You’ll know it is ready for harvest when arched panicles have changed in color from green to gold.

Take a small sickle and cut the stalks close to ground level. Then gather them and place them on a porous paper in a warm dry place for two weeks to dry out. If you have a large harvest, place the grain between two tarps in a layer and trample them to remove the hulls from panicles. Alternatively, try pounding a smaller harvest on a countertop between two sheets of parchment or in a plastic bag. 

You can winnow, or remove the hull residue by hand by pouring the grain over a cookie sheet with a fan blowing. The air will whisk away the crushed hulls leaving nothing behind but your grains.

Right after harvesting, you will have brown rice. White versions are polished to remove most of the brown outer seed coating left behind after hulling.

Storage

Begin this process during harvest by only selecting healthy grains. This prevents spoilage. Store the grains in an airtight container. A mason jar or airtight container works here. These grains keep for the same amount of time as store-bought rice does.

Common Problems

While this plant is hardy, many issues don’t present themselves until harvest time. If you’re growing a lowland variety, search your garden or buckets daily for fungal disease. 

Irregular Growth

Rice with an uneven water level grows irregular panicles. Therefore, starting in buckets may be better than attempting in-ground methods. Rice farmers recommend consistent standing water at two inches.

Fluctuating Temperatures

Gardening when it’s too warm or cold can also affect seed production. If it’s excessively warm, cover rice stalks with shade cloth or provide additional moisture. If there’s a snap freeze, cover them with frost cloth. Other than that, rice will do well in almost any space. 

Pests

Termites and rice water weevils feed on the roots of rice plants. If they have their way, rice stalks may lose their ability to produce fruit, making harvesting your crop a disappointment. Pyrethrin is effective against both, although termites may be hard to combat.

Fall armyworms and rice stem borers are both larval forms of moths. These respond well to treatment with Bacillus thuringiensis, but can also be treated with pyrethrin or spinosad.

Some leafhoppers may also become an issue, but insecticidal soaps or pyrethrin will effectively control them as well. Grasshoppers may be an opportunistic pest on your stalks, too, but Bt is effective against most species.

Raising ducks with lowland rice is a cultural method of insect control. Ducks search food crops for insects and prey on them to survive. Fish also feed on insects in flooded rice paddies.

Diseases

Some fungal diseases and blights may become a problem when growing rice. These are some of the common diseases and how to control or get rid of them.

Sheath Blight

Sheath blight is a fungus (Rhizoctonia solani) that produces oval lesions on rice stalks just above the water level. This fungus lives in soil and can cause plant death.

To prevent sheath blight, grow blight-resistant seeds. Treat with copper fungicide, either preventatively or acutely. Spray established plants on the land or in a bucket in the morning or at dusk when it’s not too warm. Space repeated applications at least seven days apart. 

Rice Blast

Rice blast, caused by the fungus Pyricularia grisea, loves warm wet weather. It causes rotting between stalk nodes in its first stage. As it grows, it makes its way up to the panicle.

Treat rice blast with copper fungicide. Spray established plants on the land or in a bucket in the morning or at dusk when it’s not too warm. Repeat as directed. 

Straighthead Disease

Straighthead disease occurs when panicles do not form adequate fruit and maintain a straight-up appearance often when rice is planted in a floodplain year after year. In this case, water is filled with arsenic.

Rotate crops in and out of the area frequently to prevent straighthead disease. In extreme cases allow the water level in your paddy to dry up and then fill it again next year. Keep your rice container or bucket well cleaned between rice plants. Refill only when it’s time to begin growing rice seeds again. 

False Smut

Ustilaginoidea virens is a fungus that causes false smut. False smut colonizes the tillers of rice through small lesions in the stalks. The mycelium causes tissue damage that attaches small balls that must be removed. After removing them, treat plants with copper fungicide.

Kernel Smut

Kernel smut is another fungus caused by a cocktail of resting spores known as chlamydospores. They cause irregular panicle formation that discolors grains. Treat kernel smut culturally because early detection isn’t possible.

Bacterial Panicle Blight

Bacterial panicle blight is another disease that forms right at the end of the rice plant life cycle. It causes deformation and discoloration of fruit. And you won’t even know it’s a problem until harvesting your rice. The best way to prevent this seed-transmitted disease is to grow disease-resistant strains. 

Frequently Asked Questions