The rice cycle in May

May is the most spectacular month because we fill all our crops with water and start planting rice. Thanks to the flooded fields, Delta colours, lights and shadows intensify.

Once we flooded the ground, planting the rice seed follows a meticulous process. The rice is distributed evenly and sinking to the bottom of the field, germinating and rooting, to get in a few days an impressive green cover.

Rice cultivation has undergone a great technological advance. Formerly it was planted (was not sowed) and the planters grew the rice manually. Today, mechanization has allowed this task to be streamlined and it is no longer that hard.

Therefore, during the spring and with the arrival of the heat the plants begin to grow and develop according to their biological cycle until reaching maturity, which for rice is between 120 and 150 days, depending on the cultivated variety. 

Why do we flood the fields? 

Rice must always grow on wet land and continues to be cultivated in waterlogged fields because it is its natural habitat. Taking advantage of the flooded fields, migratory birds arrive that settle and breed for a long period and the Ebro Delta becomes a spectacular scene and full of life.

So far our tour through the Delta rice fields. If you want to know one of the leading activities in Montsià, you can tour the rice fields of the Delta. There you can see the evolution of the rice fields and how we work to offer you quality rice. In addition, after taking a long walk through the Delta you will surely want to savour a good paella.