Castor Bean seeds
 

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:

Re: Castor Bean seeds
 

congrats congrats:hiddenbanana: :hiddenbanana: :hiddenbanana: :hiddenbanana:

Re: Castor Bean seeds
 

Did you get the seeds from your own plants last year ?:0490:

Re: Castor Bean seeds
 

Congrats!

I should have some red castor bean seeds out there... if anyone wants to trade, hit me up.

Re: Castor Bean seeds
 

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

Re: Castor Bean seeds
 

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.

Re: Castor Bean seeds
 

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....

Re: Castor Bean seeds
 

yep full of ants too

Re: Castor Bean seeds
 

Perhaps they feed the ants and the (ants) provide protection in return.

Re: Castor Bean seeds
 

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.

Re: Castor Bean seeds
 

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

Re: Castor Bean seeds
 

Hey BGreen,
I just remembered I had a pic in my photobucket account of them...

The plants are on the left hand side of the bed...


Here is a closer shot of a leaf...

Re: Castor Bean seeds
 

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.

Re: Castor Bean seeds
 

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

Re: Castor Bean seeds
 

Great shots!
Thanks for sharing!!!

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Here is some else's back yard I just love....
keithcscott's home

Re: Castor Bean seeds
 

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...

Re: Castor Bean seeds
 

I have know idea, but I have a picture as my computer background right now.