I am looking for some seeds of Zizania Aquatica or wild rice to try growing in my lake. From what I read, I think that the lake could potentially be quite good for it: slow moving water, fertile matter at the bottom, shallow, water relatively transparent, enough sun as well as enough winter... I have maybe a maximum of 1 hectare available for that - which is where the lake is shallow enough and deep enough. The rest would be too deep. 1 hectare is plenty anyway as I plant to do all by hand, like it is done traditionally, including the post harvest processing. Should be loads of fun harvesting from canoes and roasting over open fire. If I manage to get some seeds or plants and if they thrive, this could be a bed of highly nutritious food produced without any fossil fuel, fertilisers or chemicals. The water comes into the lake from the fish farm, so fish will do the fertilising and the wild rice will do the water purification as well as provide food for humans and wildlife alike. But, but; but... need seeds or plants. Does anybody know of an aquatic garden in Europe that may have a few plants to give away or sell? Or somebody within EU who has some viable seeds that they could share, sell, exchange or similar.
Once established wild rice seeds itself and thus beds maintain themselves without any interaction by humans, so when I manage to get some seeds/plants I will be thinking of people and wildlife who will live here a hundred years for now and who will have this readily available source of food as a gift from centuries past... nice, no?
Please let me know if you know of anywhere in EU that stocks it or grows it.
I have tried to contact companies in US and Canada, but due to complicated procedures that export of seeds involves, or maybe due to other reasons, they were not able to help me.
As I received no answers, I assume that nobody knows where to find these seeds or plants other than in their native countries of US and Canada.
I have contacted three European universities who may be interested in getting some seeds too, and that gave me an idea of setting up a kind of 'association' of people who want some of these seeds. Once we have a certain amount of interest, we may pool the funds to pay for necessary paperwork and a person to fly over the ocean and get some seeds for all of us. Or we pay for helicopter delivery; or whatever.
So - this is to ask all of you: are you interested in obtaining some Zizania aquatica seeds from US or Canada and are you based in EU? (I am specifying EU because there are common rules and regulations for seed imports throughout the EU and I don't think I would like to take it upon myself to be sending these sensitive seeds all over the world as that would involve many many complications).
Thank you for the links. I have already contacted Mr Ludwig in Germany, and will see what his reply says when it arrives. The stuff that you buy in shops will not germinate as it is necessary to keep the seeds moist at all times for it to remain viable. Am making enquiries with Water Police in France, studying the requirements for phytosanitary certificates and so on, to see if it would actually be doable to import some seeds or not. The thing is, if the procedures are complicated and expensive, it may not be worth the seller's while to bother with my request as I am thinking about small quantities... But we shall see. Maybe somebody will bother...
I can't get over the company Indianrizs.hu who grow it on 4000 hectares (I read in the brochure) and they refuse to sell or gift me a handful of seeds. That is the kind of attitude that lead us all to the point of near destruction of the planet, and some people still pursue it. I don't know why they wouldn't... They seed by airplanes, and harvest by combine harvesters whereas <i would do everything by hand. cannot ever be their competition, but still, their answer is no.
What a shame. We could seed all suitable ponds and lakes with it and provide ourselves and animals with some yummy food... but alas... didn't find the way yet. But I will. It is a simple thing, therefore it cannot be impossible and it is a good thing therefore worth continuing...
Have a good evening, all.
Ivana
Hi, I visited the facebook weblink and it appears broken...
Anyway, I was just curious why you chose Zizania Aquatica
over the other variety of wild rice Zizania Palustris.
I have been reading about wild rice on the web and it
appears most of the Canadian and US wild rice is Zizania Palustris.
The Hungarian company that you write about also grows
Zizania aquatica.
I don't mind Zizania Palustris either; but the story with seeds in Europe is the same.
I did speak to somebody today; though; who said they sell plants of Zizania aquatica in their plant nursery, and they propagate them from rhizomes not seeds. She also said that this plant does not produce grains, because it needs a lot of heat... So I am not sure if she is really talking about Zizania aquatica which is a plant from Northern US and Canada, or maybe she didn't know this plant produced grain because she only ever sees it as a young plant of a few leaves? Or it could be something else??? Anyway on the picture of their catalogue it looks right, so I will order a few plants and see what happens. Fingers crossed.
Hi,
I'm also interested in getting Zizania aquatica seeds, I'm in Poland. Please note that dry seeds do not germinate, so the ones from ebay link will probably do not sprout.
I wonder if you managed to get the seeds?
Did anything come of this? The dried seed is heated (parched) as part of its processing -- so I fear it's not alive. Zizania palustris, the one I know from Minnesota is an annual... I'm not sure about the one grown from root shoots -- that sounds like it might be the Manchurian species (Z. latifolia) which is a perennial, grown as a vegetable (for its fungus-infected stems) according to Wikipedia. Anyhw: if anyone found a European supplier for Z palustris or Z aquatica, I'm interested...
Nothing came out of this in terms of getting seeds from someone in Europe. I have managed to get some freshly collected seeds from the US though. Out of approx. 200 seeds, less than 10 germinated and reached maturity. Their seeds were way smaller and less ripe at the first autumn frost date, so I am not sure if I will get the next generation of wild rice, but I have planted them anyway. Next year will show whether it is success or failure.
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