View Full Version : Castor Bean seeds
BGreen
06-23-2007, 08:00 AM
Woo Hoo, My first castor bean seeds are starting to sprout! Now I just have to wait for the Southern Catalpa bignonioides and Musa sikkimensis seeds!:weightliftingnaner:
the flying dutchman
06-23-2007, 09:00 AM
congrats congrats:hiddenbanana: :hiddenbanana: :hiddenbanana: :hiddenbanana:
Lagniappe
06-23-2007, 09:14 AM
Did you get the seeds from your own plants last year ?:0490:
MediaHound
06-23-2007, 02:03 PM
Congrats!
I should have some red castor bean seeds out there... if anyone wants to trade, hit me up.
Lagniappe
06-23-2007, 02:57 PM
Do you have a high germination rate with these ? I had a lot of seeds last year , stratified some , left some to the elements ......and had no sprouts .
There were 5 plants blooming together here and I thought that there would be some viable seed.
Also, have you noticed a symbiotic relationship with these plants and ants ?
When I saw the ants moving up and down the stems I thought they were herding aphids . Upon closer examination , I noticed nodes beneath each leaf and the ants were paying alot of attenion to these .
Pete
MediaHound
06-23-2007, 06:25 PM
I'll go check and see about the ants.
My germination rate on these isn't anything to write home about.
I crack the pods and sew seeds not with a spreader but with my hand.
Forget about them for a few months, and little sprouts appear a few months later. Not the most scientific of data, but I don't care much for these, to be honest. Maybe 15% at best grow to be little sprouts.The green ones are a nuisance here (they grow wild along riverbanks, roads, and highways) and they're very invasive. I would much rather grow something edible in it's place and also save the sunlight for the other plants.
They flower within their first year and the blooms are wild looking, gotta give them that, though.
Randy4ut
06-23-2007, 08:12 PM
It is not often that I get the opportunity to pipe in on a plant, but I have had GREAT success with Castor's... As a matter of fact, I potted a few up this past early spring using some seeds I had in the garage from 2 summers ago and almost all sprouted... I planted 4 seedlings out in my new "tropical" bed this spring and they are currently standing about 6' in overall height right now... They sure do add to the tropical effect.... If anyone is interested in some seeds from this year's plants, let me know and I will harvest some... Otherwise, I keep the flowers cut off except one or two for seeds for myself... Bees and little girls around pools makes for a bad combo and with the flowers removed, I don't have the bees around....
MediaHound
06-23-2007, 08:20 PM
yep full of ants too
Lagniappe
06-23-2007, 09:43 PM
Perhaps they feed the ants and the (ants) provide protection in return.
BGreen
06-24-2007, 07:47 AM
So far I have 2 of 27 sprouting. I purchased these off ebay about a month ago, and had to get the red form. This is my first try with them.
Randy do you have the red or green form? If you have red I would like a few seeds at harvest time.
Randy4ut
06-24-2007, 11:39 PM
BGreen,
I have the red type. I will try and post a pic of them in the next couple of days... I am on night shift for a couple more days and then off, so I will try and take a snap or two. I will do my best to remember to save you a handful this fall, but you may want to remind me, say in September....
Randy
Randy4ut
06-25-2007, 04:35 AM
Hey BGreen,
I just remembered I had a pic in my photobucket account of them...
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n225/randy4ut/100_1892.jpg
The plants are on the left hand side of the bed...
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n225/randy4ut/100_1893.jpg
Here is a closer shot of a leaf...
BGreen
06-25-2007, 04:44 PM
Very nice! I will send you a reminder in Sept!
Love the back yard, What type of palms are those?
One looks like a California or Mexican Fan palm.
Randy4ut
06-25-2007, 07:13 PM
Thanks for the compliment BGreen.... The palm more to the left is a hurricane cut palmetto I planted in May of this year and the one on the right of it is a potted Queen Palm I overwintered in my unheated garage... If you would like to take a look at some of my other plantings go to my photobucket account @ http://s113.photobucket.com/albums/n225/randy4ut/
Don't forget to remind me this fall...
Randy
BGreen
06-27-2007, 09:32 PM
Great shots!
Thanks for sharing!!!
BGreen
06-27-2007, 09:41 PM
Here is some else's back yard I just love....
keithcscott's home (http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2495330290048914238TDJigf)
Randy4ut
06-28-2007, 05:16 AM
WOW, that garden is AWESOME!!! Where is it located? I am in zone 7 a/b in southeastern TN... Would love to know where this garden is located...
BGreen
06-28-2007, 09:29 PM
I have know idea, but I have a picture as my computer background right now.
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