Rice Terraces

[Manolitus]

All,

I am sorta of surprised that rice terraces have not been mentioned much on any of these forums. I did a quick search and the only thing that popped up was in the travel logs.

Few things say tropical as much as much as rice terraces. But what does it take for someone to incorporate this look for their private garden ( besides a lot of space ! ) ?

What are the zones where this can work ? What are the soil needs ? Obviously lots of water is necessary.....

Can anyone enlighten us ???

Manny

[_Keith]

Rice terraces don't work in Louisiana because we are so flat, but we do use a similar technique with our rice fields here.

[Manolitus]

Rice terraces don't work in Louisiana because we are so flat, but we do use a similar technique with our rice fields here.

Wow, pretty cool. So I am assuming that there are rice plants that don't have to be located in tropical environments to survive.

Not if you gottem in the big Boyou !

Manny

[bahia]

Rice is a big crop here in the Sacramento Valley of northern California as well, you just need access to lots of water and warm summer weather. It is mostly grown in areas where there is hardpan soil that slows down water percolation, otherwise in our summer dry climate it wouldn't be financially viable. I've also seen the rice paddy terraces used as a visual device for ornamental gardens, the Valentine Garden in Montecito near Santa Barbara is an example that comes to mind. In this garden, succulents were used at the different levels. I love the look of rice paddy terraces in the tropics, the area surrounding Ubud in Bali is particularly beautiful, but they exist in similar fashion throughout SE Asia.

[Walter John]

[Manolitus]

Rice is a big crop here in the Sacramento Valley of northern California as well, you just need access to lots of water and warm summer weather. It is mostly grown in areas where there is hardpan soil that slows down water percolation, otherwise in our summer dry climate it wouldn't be financially viable. I've also seen the rice paddy terraces used as a visual device for ornamental gardens, the Valentine Garden in Montecito near Santa Barbara is an example that comes to mind. In this garden, succulents were used at the different levels. I love the look of rice paddy terraces in the tropics, the area surrounding Ubud in Bali is particularly beautiful, but they exist in similar fashion throughout SE Asia.

Bahia,

Thanks for the post. But my question is can those rice paddys be replicated in sub tropical environments outside of where they are normally seen for purposes of an ornamental garden ? Are those type of "rice plants" tropical in nature or can they thrive elsewhere ?

I guess that is where I am heading at.

Thanks.

manny

[paulgila]

i like your idea but dont you need some relief in the terrain for terraces by definition? from what ive seen florida is F-L-A-T.

i do think terraces with lawn & some interspersed palms would look cool,however.

[daxin]

Rice terraces were built out of necessity with very little consideration for aesthetics. But they are extremely beutiful, especially in spring right after the farmers fill the terraces with water but before the planting of rice plugs. The reason you see them mostly in tropical regions is that they need adequate rainfall to keep the water level up. There are lots of these in subtropical China, and here are links for two of the most famous.

Google Image of Dragon Backbone Terrace Near Guilin

Close to 30,000 acres of rice terraces in Hong He county in Yunnan

In BBC's Wild China documentary there is one episode showing how Chinese village farmers cultivate a rice terrace. Neighbors help each other out and they time their planting by observing the returns of migrating swallows that nest under the eaves of their homes. In return, the swallows get to feed on the insects from the rice field. It's a great symbiotic relationship.

[iwan]

A while back I inquired about more drought tolerant alternatives to mimic rice plants, but so far I have not found any similar grasses. The California farmers are using much less water intensive growing methods, but still unrealistic in a landscape without free or subsidized water (or deep pockets).

[Manolitus]

Thanks for the posts.

So in summary, you need lots of water and you don't necessarily have to be in a tropical climate. It's just more common in those regions because it rains a lot more. Makes sense.

Manny