There is a new challenge for every new stage of farming that we enter, especially when it involves a crop like rice, which requires a lot of attention from planting to maturity.
The nursery might look like the safest way to plant rice rather than planting directly into the farm or broadcasting the seeds, but trust me, that's not really the case because even the nursery can sometimes be full of strange surprises that will affect the work we are doing. One of those surprises is the issue of pests in the nursery.
Some birds have an eye for spotting seeds while they are high up in the air, and that is why we have to come up with strategic ways or camouflage to make it look impossible to spot these seeds when it is on the ground.
That strategic plan is the use of dry grasses that we talked about in one of my previous posts.
Now, come to think of it, how long should the grasses actually stay before we finally take them off the seedlings and allow the seedlings to grow with freedom? Well, for me, it is not more than one week after planting; at least every single seed would have germinated already.
By this time, the grasses are no longer providing protection; now it is a weight and a primary disturbance to the seedlings that no longer needs its help.
Carefully taking it off the rice is now the next course of action, and that was the full focus of my work yesterday.
I'm grateful to see the nursery developing so well, and I'm looking forward to the next stage when these healthy seedlings will be transplanted into the prepared rice field. Each day brings me one step closer to a successful harvest.
Thank you for following my farming journey. I'll continue sharing updates as the season progresses.
What methods do you use to protect young rice seedlings from birds and other early threats? I'd love to hear about your experience in the comments. 馃尵馃殰
