Going with the grain

Yes, paddy is cultivated in flooded fields and yes, it is possible to grow paddy in a small garden as well.

On an ordinary day, carrots, rice, and coriander would remind you of biryani. But on Independence day, they transform into the colours of our national flag. What if we could grow carrots, coriander and paddy in the garden? Paddy? Are you wondering if it can be grown in a garden? Well, the answer is yes.

My experience with growing rice happened by chance. I presented some of my artwork at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath gallery a few years ago. Outside, on the grounds, there were artisan booths selling their crafts. One among them was selling a knotted hanging bundle of rice called baththada kuchchu. In South Indian villages, it is customary to suspend a bundle of grains in the front yard. This is done to provide food for birds during the scarce winter and rainy seasons. I purchased a bunch and hung them on the porch at home with the hope of attracting new birds. My garden birds are not grain eaters but nectar-consuming and insect-eating ones. My previous attempts to attract birds using millets and sunflower seeds were unsuccessful. So I assumed the rice grains would bring in new ones. It brought a hungry mouse instead. The mouse shredded and devoured the bunch within a few days, scattering several grains throughout the ground. A few days later, paddy seedlings appeared. I wondered why I should not attempt to cultivate paddy as there were so many saplings. It might be a fascinating experiment. I gathered them and transferred them to a large cement pot with drainage holes plugged to hold water.

Paddy is cultivated in flooded fields in order to maintain humidity and optimal temperature. It also prevents weeds, pests, and vulnerability due to uneven watering. So, I ensured that the paddy in the pot remains submerged in an inch of water through rain and shine. Once a week the pot was replenished with fresh water. A month later, when the crops were strong enough, I added compost and NPK. It took around three months for the spikelets to appear and bloom. I subsequently watered only when the soil was completely dry. We collected the rice grains after the stalks went yellow. Holding the grains in our hands seemed like a major accomplishment.

Carrots are cultivated from seeds. August, September, and October are optimal sowing months. Carrots are susceptible to attack by flies, so it is advisable to cultivate them with a companion plant such as onions. When the seedlings emerge, the weaker ones must be eliminated to create room for the healthier ones to flourish. Once carrots are formed, they begin to emerge from the ground and become apparent. If the carrot is not harvested at the proper time, the plant will begin to blossom and produce seeds.

In India, coriander is the preferred garnishing green. A teaspoon of home-grown seeds is adequate to grow a plant. It is preferable to purchase seeds from a nursery because seeds bought at grocery stores are often kept in cold storage and may not fully develop. Roll a pin over the seeds to break them into halves.

Spread it evenly across the soil, leaving an adequate distance between each seed. There are numerous misleading videos on the Internet that instruct you to scatter the split seeds in a container densely. Sufficient spacing permits the roots to become more robust. Coriander can be harvested in a month. Like carrots, mature coriander will also flower, giving out coriander seeds.

The satisfaction derived from growing and harvesting our own vegetables is enormous. The vegetables are also tasty due to their freshness. Carrot greens, which we rarely find in the store, are excellent when picked fresh from the garden and cooked.

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The author believes that gardening is not just about plants and how to nurture them. It is also about bees, butterflies, insects, flies, and bugs that make it their home. She is on social media as @neelavanam