Castor bean, which is grown on personal plot loved by many fans exotic plants- an unusual flower for our latitudes. If this horticultural crop is provided comfortable conditions, then in as soon as possible you can decorate your garden with beautiful, palm-shaped, tall plants. With the help of castor beans, you can give the general atmosphere in the garden subtropical notes. Moreover, caring for a plant will not create any particular inconvenience even for a novice grower.
Common castor bean refers to many different types and varieties of plants that are unlike each other, not in shape, not in color. Such variety of subspecies castor beans was obtained due to the fact that over the years of cultivation, it was carried out in different climatic conditions and in different periods.
V last years castor bean has become very popular among modern flower growers in all corners of our planet, although initially it grew only in African latitudes, which are its homeland.
Under normal conditions, castor beans grow as perennial. However, in our climatic latitudes, this annual flower capable to rapid development, and having time to literally grow up to 5 meters in a season. To create a special flavor in your garden, it is not necessary to plant a lot of flowers. 3-5 plants are quite enough, which, growing rapidly, will create an interesting decorative composition.
The castor bean reproduces by seeds that resemble the oriental tick in their appearance. Growing a plant, subject to the rules of planting and proper care, does not cause any particular difficulties. In this case, it is worth starting with choosing a place for planting a flower.
Castor beans grow best on loose fertile soil which is normally hydrated. Ideally, a plot of black soil, which is constantly exposed to sunlight, is suitable.
I would like to emphasize that important point when growing castor beans, it is precisely the choice of a suitable place for planting that is considered, since the plant does not like drafts and sudden gusts of wind. And as soon as a place for planting is chosen, you can immediately start sowing seeds, which are not uncommon and are sold in any flower shop or harvested independently from flowers previously grown on the site. At the same time, it is best to plant seeds in the following periods:
- March and April are suitable for seedlings;
- v open ground from mid-May.
Most often experienced growers castor beans are planted with seedlings, motivated by the fact that already grown shoots can be planted directly into the ground as soon as the frosts pass and the plant has time to fully develop during the season.
Growing castor seedlings in an apartment or house
Castor bean seed for seedlings, planted in mid-March early April in separate containers, as the plant is fast-growing and seedlings are large.
To accelerate the germination of seeds and get strong, full-fledged seedlings, you need seed soak in water heated to 30 ° for approximately 24 hours. In this case, the water should change as it cools. Germinated seeds go deep into the soil to a depth of 6 cm - this will allow the root system to be well strengthened, which will hold a fast-growing flower.
V further care behind the plant is reduced to the simplest actions: the soil with planted castor beans is covered with a piece of cloth, and the container itself is planted on a well-lit windowsill. It is not necessary to water the soil either during or after planting the seeds until the first shoots appear. Transplantation of castor beans in open soil is carried out after stable warm weather has been established at night, and will pass spring frosts (Approximately end of May, beginning of June).
Since young seedlings are very tender, transplanting into open ground may adversely affect them in the future. Therefore, when transplanting seedlings, they are planted in the soil, together with a clod of earth from a container where castor oil was grown. Thanks to this method, the risk of damage to the root system of the plant is greatly reduced.
Preparation for sowing - site selection
When choosing a site for planting castor beans, it must be remembered that this is a southern heat-loving plant. The culture takes root well in sunny, wind-sheltered areas. Otherwise, the flower will stretch and break easily, and flowering period will come too late, because of which the seeds will not have time to ripen.
Due to the fact that the plant develops very rapidly and reaches up to 3 m in one season, the soil must be loose and rich in nutrients.
Heavy clay or sandy soil, with an excess of moisture, is not suitable for castor beans. In order to maintain a high growth rate of the plant, regular watering is very important, especially during the dry season. With a lack of water, castor beans can not only slow down growth, but also drop leaves and flowers.
This plant is quite sensitive to the presence of fertilizers, which are advisable to add to the soil before flowering. The use of organic top dressing is preferable, although the use of mineral-based fertilizers has the right to exist. Weeding and loosening the soil are necessary, only on initial stage growing season, in the future, powerful shoots of the flower themselves cope with weeds.
Seedling care and planting seedlings in open soil
Seedlings are growing at a fairly fast pace. Even before the formation of a full-fledged first leaf, the stems of seedlings quickly stretch in height and therefore you need to know some features of the care and planting of castor oil in open soil:
Sowing castor bean seeds in open soil
No less popular is the method of sowing castor seeds directly into open soil. This method is possible only after the weather has stabilized, when the daily temperature does not fall below 10 ° C.
At the first stage prepare the seed. This is due to the fact that the oily film on castor seeds has a fairly dense structure and the sprout cannot always break through to the surface. Therefore, experienced flower growers treat the surface of the castor bean seed with sandpaper. Thanks to this simple action, the first shoots will appear in 3-4 weeks. Seeds are buried in the soil from 3 to 7 cm, while up to 3 grains are planted in one hole.
exotic flower care
Both planting and care are very important for an exotic, heat-loving plant, which is a castor bean. Therefore, it is worth giving Special attention the quality of the maintenance of the plant during its flowering period.
Although the castor bean can hardly be called a capricious or whimsical plant, it will bloom only if the grower provides in full good watering. In this case, special attention should be paid to the volume of watering during the period of the ovary of peduncles. Throughout the growing season of the plant, it is possible to water with regularity 1 time every 5 days, in a volume of 10 liters, for one flower. Do not neglect the feeding of castor beans:
- before the start of the flowering period, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are used for top dressing;
- at the time of laying the brush of flowers, apply a recharge based on potassium and phosphorus.
Support is important for castor bean shoots. Even despite the fact that such a flower is powerful with a developed root system, during intensive growth it lags behind the ground. For this reason, especially at a young age, supports are built for plants.
The period of flowering and fruiting castor beans
Pollination of the plant occurs due to the wind, and the flowers do not grow quite normally. Along the length of the vertical inflorescence there are groups of flowers - female on top of the stem and male on the lower part of the plant. Castor oil, which is grown by seedlings, will turn out not only powerful, but also will bring a lot of seeds.
After the flowers have faded, they are replaced by prickly balls, which are the fruits of the castor bean. At the same time, a sufficiently large number of seeds ripen inside each fruit. If the summer period is not too rainy and warm enough, then the plant will bloom until the first frost.
If there are constant rains in summer, then castor bean fruits start to rot and expect to collect own seeds do not have to. Castor bean, which blooms, has a very beautiful and unusual view. To obtain high-quality seed, leave a few of the most powerful upper inflorescences, it is advisable to cut off the rest.
How to collect castor bean seeds?
Seed maturation occurs in seed pods. The process begins as soon as the castor has faded. If the summer is hot, then, as mentioned earlier, flowering occurs before the onset of autumn cold weather, so there will be a lot of seeds. In the case of a cold summer, the plant blooms less often and therefore the time of collecting the seed should not be missed.
seeds, removed from boxes, hidden under a prickly shell, and dried for 2 weeks. On this preparation, sowing material, for the next season can be considered complete. It is very important to keep the seeds out of the reach of children, as they are poisonous and very dangerous in large quantities. human health. At the same time, if you do not neglect the minimum security measures, then there is nothing to be afraid of when growing flowers.
Toxic properties of castor bean seeds
Castor oil, like most other plants belonging to the euphorbia family, contains poison. All parts of the flower, and especially the inoculum, which contains ricin proteins and ricinin alkaloids, highly poisonous. This should never be forgotten when growing this exotic flower.
That is why the collection of seed material is best done with gloves. After any direct contact with the plant, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and running water.
Castor oil is produced from castor beans medicinal properties which are used in medicine. Production takes place at specialized pharmacological enterprises, by pressing. In this case, toxic substances do not enter the oil, but remain in the compressed waste. At the next stage, castor oil is processed using a special technology in order to finally get rid of toxic residues.
Each grower must understand that it is possible to remove poison from castor seeds only in industrial environment. Therefore, under no circumstances should you try to produce castor oil in an apartment or house - after all, its use can be fatal to humans.
If there are often small children on the plot, then it is better to refuse to grow castor beans, at least until they grow up. If you follow the safety rules, then growing castor beans will bring only aesthetic pleasure to the eyes of the grower. Grow an exotic flower in your garden throughout the season and enjoy the beauty of this giant plant with beautiful flowers.
Huge tropical palm trees can grow not only in Africa, but also in the yard of every grower. We are talking about huge castor bean bushes, the cultivation of which from seeds we will discuss below.
Castor oil: description
Castor oil is a member of the milkweed plant family. She migrated to us from Africa and was cultivated in the form of many decorative annual varieties. Among flower growers, this plant is valued for its unusual appearance, attractive shape and color of very large leaves, similar to palm leaves. The leaves and stem of castor beans can be green or red, although there are other equally attractive shades.
At home, some varieties can reach 2 meters in height and about 1 meter in diameter. However, most varieties are still undersized and rarely stretch more than 1.5 meters. 
Important! Castor oil is very poisonous plant. Its seeds contain the substance ricin, which, if ingested, can cause severe poisoning. For this reason, children and animals should not be allowed to come into contact with this plant, and should not be planted near the road and garden plants. When dusting, even strawberries or zucchini can be poisoned.
Castor beans give flowers that are not very attractive, although most ornamental varieties during the flowering period, several large panicles can be produced on top of the leaves at once. The flowers themselves are very small, mostly red, but collected in large inflorescences. They are not suitable for cutting, however, after flowering, they allow you to collect seeds for subsequent crops of the plant.
Castor bean is quite unpretentious in cultivation, but when planting it, it is important to remember a number of mandatory rules that will allow you to get a really beautiful and large plant.
Choosing a place for planting castor beans
In the question of how to plant castor beans from seeds, the most important thing is to choose the most comfortable place for this plant. Keep in mind that with group plantings of castor plants, plants will turn your flower bed into tropical thickets, which does not look very attractive. For this reason, each plant is best planted at a sufficiently large distance from each other, or used as a center for multi-species plantings.
Lighting, humidity and temperature
As a tropical representative, castor bean prefers to grow in lighted areas where there are no drafts. Keep in mind that this plant is very tall, but it is not resistant, so it can even break due to strong winds.
For good growth, it is important for castor bean seedlings to provide enough moisture. Not less than importance also has an air temperature, since at low temperatures castor beans may stop growing and lose their decorative appeal. Therefore, it is worth planting it in open ground as late as possible, and with the advent of autumn cold weather, it should be immediately removed from the flower bed, since the plant will begin to fade very quickly, and only a brown skeleton will remain of it.
Did you know? Among a large variety of varieties of castor beans, undersized (up to 2 meters) and tall (about 4-6 meters) are distinguished. Among the former are Zanzipalma with purple-red leaves, Gibson with metallic red, and Cambodian with dark stems. Among the tall popular varieties are the green Nordic palm, Impala Bronze with bronze leaves and red flowers, and Cossack with a red stem and dark green leaves.
Soil for planting seeds
Castor oil, when grown from seeds at home, requires the presence of nutritious soil. Most of all, she likes to grow on loose black soil, which is able to provide a large plant with enough nutrients. If the soil on your site is not particularly fertile, then this must be corrected manually - in the fall, prepare a large pit for planting castor beans, which must be filled with humus and imported black soil.
How to grow castor beans from seeds
The question of how and when to plant castor beans depends on the climatic region of your residence, as well as on what period you want to get flowering. It should be noted that in the middle climatic zone, castor beans are recommended to be sown for seedlings, because due to the short summer period the flower does not always have time to survive the full growing season when sown in open ground.
Planting dates: when is the best time to plant seeds
When it comes to castor beans and growing them from seeds, main question is when to plant those seeds. When grown for seedlings, they are recommended to be sown from March to April. But it is more rational to do this all the same in April, especially if the seeds are properly prepared, thereby ensuring rapid germination. The fact is that if planted too early, castor seedlings can begin to stretch even in pots, which will ruin all the decorativeness of the plant.
Seed scarification process: how to prepare planting material for planting
In order for castor beans to quickly sprout, it is not enough to know how to plant seeds, it is very important to prepare them in advance and subject them to the scarification procedure. The fact is that around each castor seed there is a very dense oil shell, due to which the germination period can be delayed for 3-4 weeks. To speed up this process as much as possible, it is recommended to carefully comb this layer with ordinary sandpaper (preferably with the smallest grains, so as not to accidentally damage the core of the seeds). 
After scarification, castor seeds will also need to be soaked for one day in warm water, changing it regularly to maintain a stable temperature. Instead of water, you can also use special growth stimulants, which include Epin and Heteroauxin.
The process of planting seeds
It's time to figure out how to plant castor beans from seeds. To do this, prepare sufficiently large pots, about 20 cm in diameter. Castor oil can grow very quickly even at the stage of a small seedling, so each seed will have to be placed in a separate container.
Take a nutritious soil for sowing castor beans for seedlings, preferably black soil. It doesn't need to be watered. Place each seed in the middle of the pot and deepen it by about 2-6 cm. After planting, we also do not water the soil, but we tighten the pots with transparent polyethylene and put them on a well-lit windowsill. If the room temperature is kept at +20 ° C, and the seeds have undergone a scarification procedure before, seedlings should appear after 4 days. As soon as they begin to "hatch", it is advisable to carefully water the soil. 
Important! When sowing seeds, do not fill the pot with soil to the brim. It is better if the land in it is only half or two-thirds. This will allow in the process of seedling growth to periodically top up the soil, thereby making the plant stronger and its stem thicker. Such a trick will not allow the plant to stretch much.
How to care for castor seedlings
Castor seedlings will require regular watering as well as adequate light. However, it is recommended to limit it in heat so that the plants do not grow up, but gain strength in the stems and leaves. Therefore, as soon as the first true leaves appear on the seedlings, transfer it to a room where the temperature is at +15 ° C (but not lower).
Picking seedlings in open ground
When planting castor beans for seedlings, it is very important to correctly implement pick. Firstly, it is necessary to do this only when the temperature is stable (it is important that at night it does not fall below +12 ° C). Secondly, you should not take the plant out of the pot, as this can damage its roots. To prevent this from happening, when picking, it is recommended to transfer the soil from the pot into a hole in the flower bed. This procedure will ensure the fastest survival of castor beans on open space. Also keep in mind that there should be enough free space between the plants - at least 1 meter. 
After planting, it is very important to water the plant abundantly. The larger it gets, the more water it will need to provide. mature plant it is recommended to water every 4-5 days, pouring 2-3 buckets of water into its root circle.
Castor oil is an ornamental and medicinal plant, which is characterized by a large height and large needle-lobed leaves. By appearance the culture resembles an exotic palm tree. Castor oil is suitable for those who wish to create a subtropical atmosphere. Just 2-3 copies are enough to create a palm composition in different parts of the garden.
What do the seeds look like
In castor beans, the seeds have an oval shape, a smooth, glossy, variegated and mosaic surface. Depending on the variety of culture, the color of the planting material may be different: gray-blue, gray, dark red.
In the photo - castor bean seeds:
How and when to plant
It is worth planting castor bean seeds in March-April, when the snow has already melted and the soil has warmed up.
Seed preparation
Castor seeds have a rather thick and rough shell. So before planting them in the ground, it is necessary to carry out a series preparatory activities. Otherwise, you will not be able to wait for shoots. First of all, scarification is necessary. This is damage to the shell of the planting material. To do this, take a seed and rub it on sandpaper. In this case, it is not necessary to wipe the layer through.
It is necessary to achieve a slight roughness so that moisture can penetrate the seed and activate it to germinate.
After such treatment, the seeds are sent to the stimulant solution. To do this, you should use Epin. Adhere to the exact dosage and duration of soaking indicated in the instructions.
If you have an unnecessary and old thermos, then you can not carry out scarification. To do this, you need to soak the planting material overnight in boiling water. Only then it is forbidden to use the thermos for food purposes, since the seeds contain poison.
On the video - growing castor beans from seeds:
Soil preparation
Sowing seeds for seedlings
Need to fill peat pots soil mixture 2/3 volume. The place that remains in the container, cover with seeds. Then add soil again. Tamp the soil on top and pour water from a spray bottle. Sowing castor beans is worth a margin. Send 2-3 seeds to each container. soil layer above planting material should not be very thin. But how it happens is described in great detail in this article.
Otherwise, the seedlings will not be able to get rid of the seed coats. The seed coat will not be in the ground, but on the cotyledon leaves. Then she, along with the seedling, will appear on the surface and will not allow seedlings to develop normally. Seedlings will need to be watered abundantly.
Be sure to check the depth of planting seeds. If necessary, add earth to the container. Walls peat pot prone to rapid evaporation of moisture. To root system seedlings did not dry, it is worth monitoring the normal level of humidity. To do this, place the pot in plastic bag and put in a warm room where temperature regime 20-25 degrees.
In the photo - castor oil:
It is worth expecting the appearance of seedlings 3-5 days after planting the seeds. At this time, the seedlings will be installed in a bright place. So that the seedlings do not stretch out from lack of light, the temperature should be lowered to 15 degrees. And when the seedlings are already strong, they can be sent to the open area. To do this, dig a hole of small depth, install a sprout and sprinkle with earth. Pour over the top and pour over. But how it happens will help to understand the information from this article.
If you live in a warm region, then there is no need to grow seedlings. You can already prepared castor bean seeds planted immediately in open ground.
How to care
For normal growth and development of castor beans, it is necessary to choose the right planting site and carry out quality care. In this case, it is worth watering, loosening the soil, fertilizing and preventive actions to fight disease.
Watering and fertilizing
It is worth irrigating castor beans often. The plant does not like drought, and especially when it blooms. During this period, you will have to water every day, but only in the morning. One bush will take 1-2 buckets.
Before planting a plant in the ground, it is worth adding to it organic fertilizers. To do this, dig a recess up to 40 cm, lay manure on the bottom, and plant a plant on top. Before the formation of inflorescences, it is worth fertilizing with nitrogen. When laying the brush, the flower is fertilized with potassium-phosphorus top dressing. It is also useful for castor beans to fertilize the earth with ash. During the summer, once every 14 days, you can use fertilizer for flowering crops. But how to use, the information from the article will help you understand.
On the video - how to care for Kleshchevina:
Soil care
The development of castor beans is very fast. In a year, its height can reach 2 m. At the same time, such results can be achieved only if the soil is of high quality. It must be carefully processed, loose and have a sufficient amount of nutrients. Use the soil, which contains sand and clay, is not worth it.
Castor bean - exotic ornamental plant, varieties of which outwardly resemble a palm tree. Landing and further cultivation of this culture in the open field are quite simple. It does not cause any particular difficulties and caring for the plant. All this is within the power of even inexperienced gardeners.
Description: varieties and varieties of castor beans
“Paradise tree”, “Turkish hemp” and even “castor oil” - the people have come up with many names for ricin (it is also castor bean). Africa is considered its homeland, so the culture itself is inevitably associated with exoticism and palm trees. In the tropics and subtropics, castor bean is considered a perennial. In our conditions, it is planted in open ground as an annual shrub, so in the fall, castor bean roots are often uprooted.
Plant varieties differ from each other in the size and color of the leaves: they can be purple, red, burgundy, bronze, green. Such a "palm tree" grows on average up to 1.5-3 m, sometimes up to 5 m, and in hot countries up to 10 m.
Popular varieties of castor beans:
- "Cossack";
- "Carmencita";
- "Zanzibar";
- "Impala".
Advice. Look at the photo different varieties castor beans and choose the one you like best.
Planting a plant in a summer cottage
There are two ways to plant castor beans in open ground: seed and seedlings. For the plant, you need to choose a sunny, wind-free place. The soil should be loose, flavored with humus. This will make it even easier to care for castor beans.
castor bean bush
In open ground, seeds are sown in spring (April-May). In one hole up to 10 cm deep, 2-3 pieces are placed. Planting sprouts is planned for late spring or early summer, when the threat of frost has passed. By this time, seedlings can have "growth" up to 1 m.
Attention! Seeds when planting should be dry, but the soil needs watering with hot water.
Castor bean care
In their homeland, the varieties of this crop grow quietly without much care, but in a different climate they require at least a little attention. Caring for castor beans is easy. She needs to provide:
- Draft protection.
- Lots of light.
- Abundant watering - about 1 time in 5 days. Volume - a bucket of water for each bush.
- Freedom from weeds.
- Support installation.
Attention! All parts of the castor bean are poisonous, so contact with the plant only with gloves. And if you have small children, then it is better to admire this "palm tree" only in the photo.
Fertilizer and crop nutrition
Good care is hard to imagine without fertilization. The rules for their use are simple:
- Before flowering crops need to use nitrogen top dressing.
- During the laying of flower brushes, potash-phosphorus fertilizers will not be superfluous.
Advice. For fertilizing ricina, you can use bird droppings or horse manure.
Plant propagation: features
Seeds are the only breeding option for exotic castor beans. In prickly boxes, resembling "hedgehogs" of chestnuts, they are contained in several pieces. Harvest fruits in autumn. They are dried to easily remove all the seeds. Germination lasts up to 5 years. This is convenient if you want to delay the propagation of ricina in your area.
Attention! If there are heavy rains in summer, this negatively affects the castor beans, even if good care. They bloom worse than in dry and warm weather, and seeds in boxes sometimes rot. Under such conditions, it makes no sense to collect material for further reproduction of the "palm tree".
Castor seeds germinate poorly, so before planting they can be rubbed with sandpaper a little (scarification), and then soaked in a growth stimulator. For reliability, it is still better to use seedlings. The nuances of its cultivation:
- planting each seed in a separate container;
- abundant watering;
- sufficient amount of sunlight;
- no need to fertilize.
castor seeds
Diseases and pests of castor beans
The plant is considered quite resistant to insect attacks, but still some of them annoy ricina. This:
- meadow moths;
- caterpillars of the winter scoop;
- wireworms;
- meadow bugs.
Usually they harm young shoots, therefore, before planting seedlings in open ground, the holes are watered with potassium permanganate. To protect castor beans from insects, some summer residents practice growing onions, garlic, coriander, mint and other spices near it. Bitter wormwood will help in the fight against caterpillars: the grass is crushed, a bucket is filled with it by 1/3 and the container is filled with water. They insist for several days.
Castor oil can pick up such diseases:
- bacteriosis;
- various types of rot;
- powdery mildew;
- late blight;
- fungal diseases, etc.
The reproduction of pathogens of these ailments is prevented by the Bordeaux mixture and other similar preparations. To make the plant hurt less, you should remember about prevention and the importance proper care behind him.
Castor bean in the landscape
Landscaping. Combination with other plants
Castor oil gets along well with representatives of its own species. They don't have to be the same variety. Optimal combination due not only to aesthetics, but also to the same growing conditions, which greatly facilitates the care of such a site. If you want to create a picturesque composition on your site, then choose a mallow, gerbera, daylily, marigold or monard in a pair of exotic castor beans.
Attention! Castor oil is not grown in the same area with tall flowers, bushes and trees, as well as with crops that absorb a lot of nutrients from the soil.
The combination of castor beans with flowering clematis looks colorful, sweet peas, Kobe. If they grow near the net, then ricin can be planted there too, passing its shoots through the cells.
Exotic shrub is good as a hedge or a bright accent in single or group plantings. In a flower bed, along a fence or paths - regardless of the place of "residence" castor bean constantly collects admiring glances and looks like a real queen of the garden.
Sowing castor: video
Cultivation of castor beans: photo
This plant causes a strange feeling in those who first saw it. Reminiscent of an exotic palm tree in structure. The leaves are chic, palmately lobed, similar in shape to the leaves of a giant maple. The bush is tall, impressive, up to four meters. The color of the leaves is unusual. Castor oil, despite the dissonant name, gives the garden a spectacular subtropical flavor and oriental charm.
Castor bean in our latitudes grows as an annual. The plant belongs to the euphorbiaceae family. It has many varietal species that are used as ornamentals in modern gardening. Homeland - subtropics. Africa. V wild nature grows up to ten meters and grows for many years.
As a subtropical resident, he loves humidity, light and warmth. The soil prefers loose, highly nutritious. Not suitable for pot growing. It is a poisonous plant.
In Russian castor bean - (translated from the Latin "ricinus"), which means tick. The seeds of the plant are similar in appearance to a tropical tick. These "pincer" seeds were found during excavations of the tombs of the pharaohs ancient egypt archaeologists.
Castor bean varieties
| Variety | Peculiarities |
|---|---|
| Short (no more than two meters). The leaves are a bright blood-purple color. |
| Up to four meters high. The color of the leaves is metallic red. |
| Tall, up to six meters. It has dark leaves and an almost black barrel. |
| The most cold-resistant variety. The leaves are deep dark green. |
| Medium variety. Bright red leaves with a hint of bronze. |
| Medium-sized variety with dark green leaves on dark red stems. |
In our country, castor bean is grown during the spring-autumn season, because it does not tolerate even the slightest cold. This heat-loving annual is quite unpretentious and simple in agricultural technology.
- Loves the sun. You need to grow in areas open to the sun's rays, otherwise you will not get the varietal color of the leaves.
- It does not endure not only frost, but even the usual cold snap, if it lasts more than a few days. Therefore, it is better to sow in open ground late than early. And it is better to prefer the seedling method of growing.
- Of the soils, it prefers nutritious chernozem. The soil should be cultivated, increased friability, not heavy.
- Humidity is constantly needed increased. With drought, the leaves wither, lose their decorative effect.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
In view of the fact that the threat of cold weather can destroy the plant, in order to make the growing season safe, castor bean seedlings are grown.
The plant reproduces only by seeds, which are in spherical seed pods covered with sharp spikes, several pieces each.
It's time to sow the seeds already in March, but you can wish it all April and even May. Optimally - the middle of spring. The seeds sown at this time give friendly healthy shoots, rapidly gaining growth, do not outgrow and do not stretch. Seedlings during the season quite manage to develop into a full-fledged powerful plant with all varietal characteristics. On a plant that is fully ripe by the end of the growing season, seeds suitable for subsequent sowing are formed.
Castor seeds germinate for a long time. Germination is also not one hundred percent - out of ten, at best, 2/3 hatch. Seeds need to be prepared for sowing. All methods are suitable - soaking, germination. But the most important preparatory moment, without which it will be difficult for castor seeds to sprout, is scarification.
For scarification, the seed must be rubbed with sandpaper to reduce hardness. This will break the shell and give the sprout more chances to be born sooner. After scarification, be sure to soak the seed. First, for a day in clean warm water, and then for another night - in a growth stimulator. Any stimulant can be used. The most effective in this case is heteroauxin.
It is only necessary to sow castor beans individually in separate plastic containers, quite voluminous and deep. More than half of the containers are filled with earth. Seeds fall into holes two centimeters deep. Fall asleep. Crops are sent to a warm place. They can be covered with a film, or you can not cover them.
Seeds germinate quickly after complete treatment - sprouts appear within 5-7 days. It can be difficult for them to shed the oily shell. So that it does not cause rot in the pot, the shell is removed by hand, trying not to damage the sprout.
Cotyledon leaves are also formed quickly. It is important at this time to maintain humidity and heat at the level of + 20 ° С ... + 22 ° С.
But as soon as the first true leaf is planned on the seedlings, it needs to be moved to coolness - about + 16 ° C.
Important! Bright and long-lasting light is needed for seedlings at all stages, starting with germination.
Castor bean grows quite intensively and it may happen that the pot nutrition area will not be enough for it. At first, you can simply add to the pot to the top of the nutrient soil. Then - transplant the plant into a larger container.
Planting castor beans in the garden
to plant before the onset summer does not make sense - any cold will destroy a seemingly powerful and large plant. When June begins, seedlings, after hardening, can be sent to the garden.
Before planting, you need to water the plants in pots well several times so that the whole clod of earth gets wet. It's hard to believe, but castor beans are afraid of transplanting - the roots are easily damaged and then recover for a very long time and are poorly restored.
The soaked soil, along with the roots, must be removed from the pot without breaking up the coma, and moved to the prepared garden hole.
Sowing in the ground
If there is no desire to grow seedlings at home, but you want to have exotic on the site, you can sow the seeds in the ground. But this is done not earlier than May, closer to the middle. Since seedlings and young seedlings will not withstand even short and weak return frosts. For sowing in unprotected soil, the same seed preparation methods are used as for growing seedlings.
Holes are made in the soil. 2-3 seeds are sown in each hole. If all three or two sprout, weak shoots can be removed later.
Crops must be covered at least at the first stage at night with a film.
Castor bean care
An adult plant is so unpretentious that it practically does not need care. Occasionally loosen the soil at the roots and weed the weeds. And if you mulch it with bark or pebbles to preserve moisture, then you don’t need to loosen and weed.
The only condition is regular watering. This should be monitored so as not to destroy the plant. The whole season, and especially in hot weather, castor beans are watered abundantly, large quantity water at least twice a week. Up to 10 liters of water is consumed per plant.
Castor beans will not be offended if they do not feed them anything but water. But nitrogen-containing dressings, which allow the leaves to acquire the maximum size and high decorative effect, respond with gratitude. The plant especially needs nitrogen during the formation of inflorescences, so that the seeds then ripen.
Important! The castor bean is poisonous. And not only the seeds, which contain enough poison so that the use of 5-6 leads to poisoning with a fatal outcome in a child. For adults, the dose is three times more.
But not only seeds are deadly to consume. Castor beans are also poisonous on the stem. Despite the fact that plant cake is used as a fertilizer, it is also used to control pests living in the soil.
Valuable castor oil is obtained from castor oil and used as a component in Vishnevsky's ointment, but only with appropriate processing, which can only be carried out at the enterprise.
castor oil for a long time was not in demand decorative element landscape design. Today, the plant is increasingly used for Oriental and African-style gardens. It can be used to decorate walls, plant along a fence, or be used in solitary plantings.
Castor bean - garden decoration
Video - Castor oil
Video - How to grow castor beans