2012 Rice Planting

I know I said I would switch to "Mostly Flowers" but I can't help but grow vegetables!!!! And grains!!!

That being said, the 2012 rice planting has begun.
As I outlined in a previous post, I am using last year's paddy as a warming pond, and made the new paddy over the winter. The new paddy is also 5x5 meters, so I can compare the results easily.

Yesterday I dumped in about half a cubic meter of clay in the flooded paddy and stirred it around with my kuwa (Japanese long bladed hoe). I mixed the top 10cm or so of sand with the clay, and it made a nice texture. Of course, most of the  clay was in suspension in the water. The sand settled first, and the clay made a nice even seal of about 3cm over the whole paddy. Then today I added about 12 wheelbarrows full of composted steer manure and spread that around in the water as well. That came to about about 5cm. Add that to the roughly 15cm of clay and loosened sand, and I have a 20cm depth to work with. A lot  better than last year's 2-3 cm.

The neighbor gave me a flat of organic rice seedlings, and I will plant them just as soon as possible.
And of course, I will have the results tested at city hall for Cesium, but around here, that goes without saying.