Blue Bonnet Rice cultivation - Page 2

steev · 04-27-2010, 05:10 PM

Rice....................
Aommmm......................
I expect to be setting out my rice seedlings in the next couple of weeks; the rice farmers out in the Central Valley have their fields worked up and flooded, but they've been out of frost danger a month; I found new frost damage on my potatoes last weekend, while I was working in 80 degree heat.

sandyhays · 04-28-2010, 05:47 PM

Mine are still in the greenhouse too, and are 3"~4" high. We are having unseasonably cold spells too. Days in the 70's nights in the 30's. Is this a result of climate change, I wonder?

steev · 04-29-2010, 03:48 PM

Don't know about climate change. Where I garden, it just acts like high desert: killing frost at night with t-shirt days often. I started setting out my squashes last weekend, but I've been told of tomatoes being killed by frost one June 20th. Life is uncertain. Give peas a chance.

steev · 05-02-2010, 07:41 PM

Yesterday I found that frost had burned my arbor grapes back about two weeks and all the squash I'd set out was kaput. Today I set out my Blue Bonnet and Early 3 Nepal rice plants, as well as another flat of squash and two of tomatoes. Optimism persists.

sandyhays · 05-03-2010, 05:52 PM

Last week we had temps in the 30's, this past weekend in the upper 80s. My plants are looking so well

, in the garden, but are still hangin' in there. I got my Blue Bonnet plants in the ground Saturday, they are looking kinda yellow so I am hopin' and prayin' they'll make it. Good luck to all!!

groundcherry · 05-10-2010, 04:03 PM

What do they look like?

steev · 05-11-2010, 06:30 PM

My rice plants look like the grasses they are, but finer, more delicate than wheat, oats, or barley.

sandyhays · 05-16-2010, 05:35 AM

Mine are growing a bit, but still on the yellow side. I bought "worm tea" at the farmer's market yesterday and am hoping that will perk mine up.
steev - did you plant yours in clumps, or by single plants?

steev · 05-18-2010, 07:12 PM

I planted by clumps, but it may make no difference since my irrigation is on the fritz, and they may all be fried rice before I can get it pumping. I'd quit while I'm ahead, but I haven't been for years. As soon as I get this tenderized, I'll have chow.

almamaya · 06-04-2010, 04:48 PM

I am wondering about the history of this rice, they explain that it comes from an Amish community in Mexico who originally obtained it from the Mayans. I am very surprised there is a rice native to North America. Wild rice is not in the same genus as Asian rice, though related, it obviously looks quite different.

I pulled the husk off one to see what the seed would look like, to me it looks like a medium grain Asian rice, though exceptionally white.

I wonder if it is actually native to Mexico or if it was brought from Spain, as varieites of rice are grown there, long grain i believe, or perhaps it came from Asia! Wouldn't be surprised, the 2 continents share a lot of plants.

Also, does anyone have an idea where other upland rice, particularly the colder mountain varieites can be found? I got this as it was the only one i could find!

It may not be the best for my climate as it is from Mexico, i am thinking the mountainous ones would do better.

Weird weather this year, snowed just over a week ago, i think i will put a hoop house over them.

spacecase0 · 06-04-2010, 08:10 PM

almamaya there is some evidence that people came from china to the americas long ago,
to bad we don't know what they brought with them.
I wonder if anyone had done DNA analysis on this type of rice to see what is going on with it's relations to other rice ?

sandyhays · 06-06-2010, 05:28 AM

The worm tea helped my little rice plants quite a bit, they are now about 6 inches tall. We now have temps in the 90's so my challenge will be to keep them from completely drying out. Hope to have some pictures to post soon, they look like grass that is getting ready to go to seed :-)

almamaya · 06-07-2010, 12:27 AM

I would suspect they could have arrived more recently, there is some evidence that people have been trading or had some interaction more recently than the proposed migration. It's possible, there are a lot of plants in common, corn beans and squash for example, though i understand some of them have been introduced to Asia in modern times, some are possibly older.
Although the region rice is supposed to have originated is Manchuria in the north of China, near Siberia and the land bridge, it could have come over, but i wonder why it was not more popular with other cultures. This is why i think it could have come from the Spanish or from pre-Columbian trade with Asia, because it is just in one area.
Anyway, sorry to speculate so much, can't seem ot find much elsewhere on the internet, this forum has proved the best resource yet. I should probably write baker Creek but they are probably really busy at this time of year.
Look forward to photos, good idea, documenting what it's supposed to look like so we know!
I've tried growing rice so many times since i was a kid but have never succeeded in encountering a real rice plant. It will be exciting this summer.

almamaya · 06-07-2010, 12:28 AM

Heh, also i don't suppose it would have survived ice age Siberia and Alaska!

Hristo · 06-07-2010, 04:50 PM

I do not grow rices, but I was intrigued by this "upland rice" that "does not need to be flooded and can be grown in regular garden soil". Well, after some googling it turnet out that there is one such rice variety, a commercial variety - Bluebonnet (aka Blue Bonnet) and it belongs to Oryza sativa L. indica. After reading more carefully the Baker Creek's description it's clear for me that this is nothing else but Oryza sativa "A traditional rice" = Oryza sativa; "grown by native Mayan people" - "native" not ancient, this means to me the present day people living in Armenia, Belize. And finally Belize is in the tropics. So this is Oryza sativa and is not some forgotten ancient crop. And it may even be the well known commercial variety.

Though it will be interesting if it really can be grown without flooding. I doubt it will succeed in cool temperate climates.

04-28-2010, 05:47 PM	#17
sandyhays Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Pelham, NC USDA 7a Posts: 19	Mine are still in the greenhouse too, and are 3"~4" high. We are having unseasonably cold spells too. Days in the 70's nights in the 30's. Is this a result of climate change, I wonder? __________________ Give Peace a Chance!

05-03-2010, 05:52 PM	#20
sandyhays Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Pelham, NC USDA 7a Posts: 19	Last week we had temps in the 30's, this past weekend in the upper 80s. My plants are looking so well , in the garden, but are still hangin' in there. I got my Blue Bonnet plants in the ground Saturday, they are looking kinda yellow so I am hopin' and prayin' they'll make it. Good luck to all!! __________________ Give Peace a Chance!

05-16-2010, 05:35 AM	#23
sandyhays Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Pelham, NC USDA 7a Posts: 19	Mine are growing a bit, but still on the yellow side. I bought "worm tea" at the farmer's market yesterday and am hoping that will perk mine up. steev - did you plant yours in clumps, or by single plants? __________________ Give Peace a Chance!

06-06-2010, 05:28 AM	#27
sandyhays Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Pelham, NC USDA 7a Posts: 19	The worm tea helped my little rice plants quite a bit, they are now about 6 inches tall. We now have temps in the 90's so my challenge will be to keep them from completely drying out. Hope to have some pictures to post soon, they look like grass that is getting ready to go to seed :-) __________________ Give Peace a Chance!

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04-27-2010, 05:10 PM	#16
steev Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Oakland, CA Posts: 438	Rice.................... Aommmm...................... I expect to be setting out my rice seedlings in the next couple of weeks; the rice farmers out in the Central Valley have their fields worked up and flooded, but they've been out of frost danger a month; I found new frost damage on my potatoes last weekend, while I was working in 80 degree heat.

04-29-2010, 03:48 PM	#18
steev Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Oakland, CA Posts: 438	Don't know about climate change. Where I garden, it just acts like high desert: killing frost at night with t-shirt days often. I started setting out my squashes last weekend, but I've been told of tomatoes being killed by frost one June 20th. Life is uncertain. Give peas a chance.

05-02-2010, 07:41 PM	#19
steev Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Oakland, CA Posts: 438	Yesterday I found that frost had burned my arbor grapes back about two weeks and all the squash I'd set out was kaput. Today I set out my Blue Bonnet and Early 3 Nepal rice plants, as well as another flat of squash and two of tomatoes. Optimism persists.

05-10-2010, 04:03 PM	#21
groundcherry Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Longmont Colorado, Zone 5a-b Posts: 110	What do they look like?

05-11-2010, 06:30 PM	#22
steev Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Oakland, CA Posts: 438	My rice plants look like the grasses they are, but finer, more delicate than wheat, oats, or barley.

05-18-2010, 07:12 PM	#24
steev Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Oakland, CA Posts: 438	I planted by clumps, but it may make no difference since my irrigation is on the fritz, and they may all be fried rice before I can get it pumping. I'd quit while I'm ahead, but I haven't been for years. As soon as I get this tenderized, I'll have chow.

06-04-2010, 04:48 PM	#25
almamaya Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: California Posts: 19	I am wondering about the history of this rice, they explain that it comes from an Amish community in Mexico who originally obtained it from the Mayans. I am very surprised there is a rice native to North America. Wild rice is not in the same genus as Asian rice, though related, it obviously looks quite different. I pulled the husk off one to see what the seed would look like, to me it looks like a medium grain Asian rice, though exceptionally white. I wonder if it is actually native to Mexico or if it was brought from Spain, as varieites of rice are grown there, long grain i believe, or perhaps it came from Asia! Wouldn't be surprised, the 2 continents share a lot of plants. Also, does anyone have an idea where other upland rice, particularly the colder mountain varieites can be found? I got this as it was the only one i could find! It may not be the best for my climate as it is from Mexico, i am thinking the mountainous ones would do better. Weird weather this year, snowed just over a week ago, i think i will put a hoop house over them.

06-04-2010, 08:10 PM	#26
spacecase0 earth human Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: california, east of the central valley Posts: 389	almamaya there is some evidence that people came from china to the americas long ago, to bad we don't know what they brought with them. I wonder if anyone had done DNA analysis on this type of rice to see what is going on with it's relations to other rice ?

06-07-2010, 12:27 AM	#28
almamaya Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: California Posts: 19	I would suspect they could have arrived more recently, there is some evidence that people have been trading or had some interaction more recently than the proposed migration. It's possible, there are a lot of plants in common, corn beans and squash for example, though i understand some of them have been introduced to Asia in modern times, some are possibly older. Although the region rice is supposed to have originated is Manchuria in the north of China, near Siberia and the land bridge, it could have come over, but i wonder why it was not more popular with other cultures. This is why i think it could have come from the Spanish or from pre-Columbian trade with Asia, because it is just in one area. Anyway, sorry to speculate so much, can't seem ot find much elsewhere on the internet, this forum has proved the best resource yet. I should probably write baker Creek but they are probably really busy at this time of year. Look forward to photos, good idea, documenting what it's supposed to look like so we know! I've tried growing rice so many times since i was a kid but have never succeeded in encountering a real rice plant. It will be exciting this summer.

06-07-2010, 12:28 AM	#29
almamaya Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: California Posts: 19	Heh, also i don't suppose it would have survived ice age Siberia and Alaska!

06-07-2010, 04:50 PM	#30
Hristo Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Bulgaria z6 Posts: 16	I do not grow rices, but I was intrigued by this "upland rice" that "does not need to be flooded and can be grown in regular garden soil". Well, after some googling it turnet out that there is one such rice variety, a commercial variety - Bluebonnet (aka Blue Bonnet) and it belongs to Oryza sativa L. indica. After reading more carefully the Baker Creek's description it's clear for me that this is nothing else but Oryza sativa "A traditional rice" = Oryza sativa; "grown by native Mayan people" - "native" not ancient, this means to me the present day people living in Armenia, Belize. And finally Belize is in the tropics. So this is Oryza sativa and is not some forgotten ancient crop. And it may even be the well known commercial variety. Though it will be interesting if it really can be grown without flooding. I doubt it will succeed in cool temperate climates.