I am making plans to grow rice. The current (2024) beds for wheat and maize I intend modifying as they can more easily collect water than other nearby areas.

I'm not sure rice really requires a 'paddy' field. It seems it may be down to being helpful in dry climates and early on it can keep pests and maybe some diseases away, the later which may not be a problem here.

So the first thing is to see if I can sprout some seeds and late autumn plant out a few varieties.
Long, Short and Red from Italy and Basmati from Pakistan.

• 31st March
  First I soaked some Basmati rice for some 36 hours, then I put them in a tissue in a small cup with a bit of water so that the rice could draw on the water without being submerged, as I was going away for a few days.
• 5th April I noticed what looked like sprouting seeds.
• 6th April Pretty sure some are sprouting :)
  

  

• 7th April Have put 20 that appear to be sprouting in a tray, the rest in some mud outside (April 11th. Which have been eaten). Soaking some red rice.
• 10th April Noticed a rice seed growing :)
  

  

• 11th April Sadly my single sprout died, the sprout broken, dropped or was bitten off ??
• 16th April None of the Red rice sprouted so was compsoted. I'm beginning to think the basmati was fragile and vulnerable and what did sprout died or was eaten. �
• 20th April ✘