Today we have planned to visit the farm much earlier to start the transplanting process of our rice plant. Having gotten to the farm I started with removing the mulching I had made over the rice I have planted in nursery about some 2 weeks ago or there about. It is important to take out thess grasses from the seedlings in order for them to grow well.
If this is not done the grasses will continue to cover the seedlings underneath and from here they will get rotten and not useful again.
Mulching is important for when rice seedlings have just been planted, they protect the planted grains from rodents and birds but as soon as the seedlings have germinated and spend about a two weeks in the ground, it becomes equally important to take off the cover over the plants.
The grains have germinated pretty well having spent two weeks now.
They can be transplanted like this but most times I prefer that the seedlings would grow to be at least 3 weeks and their height be a bit taller than this before they can be transplanted so that they can at least be able to stay rooted in the ground enough to withstand any current of flowing water.
The school vacation gave me a farm partner. My nephew here would hardly allow me to visit the farm without accompanying me. My boy is not lazy at all, he is very strong and his strength often amazes me, even when I thought that He won't make it to the rice farm since we have to cross a couple of small river by the way he showed up with so much strength navigating the swamp water bravely. He doesn't look scared of falling down in the farm and was ready to assist with anything, the only challenge is that you have to keep watching him before he becomes mischievous damage anything.
We were meant to start transplanting our other seedlings that have reached the stage if transplanting but when we got to farm today the herbicides has worked on some of the grasses while there are still other grasses in the farm that are yet to die off.
With the field like this one cannot do any transplanting work here as the green grasses will over shadow the rice as soon as they are planted. Due to this we will be purchasing additional herbicides to spray on this field and ensure that all the grasses wither off before we can start and continue planting/transplanting work here.
