Growing Wild Rice

[Max Nix]

I have tried several times to grow wild rice without success. If anyone has grown and harvested wild rice, I'd like to know your methods.

I built some rice paddies into the side of the embankment on the north side of the pond so that I can channel pond water to flood them. I purchased wild rice seeds three years in a row and planted them in the paddies the first year. The next year, I tried sprouting them in the greenhouse for transplanting but nothing came up. The third year, I tried planting directly in the paddies again. All I get are weeds.

I have a large garden and grow all sorts of vegetables successfully up there, but the wild rice just doesn't grow for me. I'm buying the seeds from a garden supply place specifically for planting, not planting wild rice from the grocery store that's probably been baked or treated to prevent sprouting. Maybe the source sells bad seed? If you have a good seed source, please let me know.

 

[Dani]

We flood our fields down south but I hear you have dry rice where you are from and supposedly a higher yield since the roots can get oxygen, but it was with white rice. Sorry I am no help with your cause.

 

[DrHenley]

Some info on planting wild rice. It needs a long cold dormancy period underwater.
https://www.richters.com/show.cgi?page=InfoSheets/d8620.html

 

[Max Nix]

Some info on planting wild rice. It needs a long cold dormancy period underwater.
https://www.richters.com/show.cgi?page=InfoSheets/d8620.html

Thanks for posting. I just received some wild rice seeds that I bought on Amazon. The instructions say to keep them in the refrigerator for thirty days before planting.