I have the pink (Carmencita??) that is a very slow grower with seedpods that I want to collect. The one I really want seeds from is a giant purplish burgundy one (and it JUST set a pod) - so I might be begging for seeds for the purple one this winter. We're thinking about putting it all along a white picket fence as a secondary barrier to the street.
Castor Bean contest?
I love this post! Rootdoctor just told me about and I've spent a good hour checking out all the posts and the pictures!
Man! You guys have some AWESOME Castor Beans here!!! I'm so impressed! And I'm not even in the RUNNING with my puney little 4' Carmencita! But I definitely want in on the contest next year!!!
My Red Castor Bean started producing blooms in late June, and was in full bloom a week or so later. I let the blooms dry on the plant and then harvested them later than I could have last week (got about 52 seeds).
Should I have pulled the blooms off to keep it growing? It seems that since I clipped off the seed pods, it's taken off again. When is the best time to let them go to seed and collect them? You guys seem to be just now getting yours.
I let someone mess me up with mine, telling me it needed LESS water and didn't like too much! Sheesh! No wonder mine was stunted!
datdog & llilyfan, I love that gorgeous purple you have! If you ever want to swap seeds..... LMK! ; )
Can't wait for next year's contest!
~ Carole
I also want the giant purple CB to make a row around fence lines here. We have moles so bad that they destroy everything, even the grass. (I had a bed with well over 300 bulbs in it and they ate all of them except 3 bulbs, wasn't that nice of them?) I just hate them. We've spent so much time and money trying to get rid of them, and I'm really tired of messing with moles! Debby is my saviour here!
sbarr....I just read email that you sent me over a week ago. I will be responding to it later today or tomorrow. Please forgive me, sometimes I overlook some email when I'm in a hurry.
cajun2, I'm just starting to harvest my seeds and should have enough to work out something with you.
lliyfan,I was just talking about you,and all my great friends I met up there!we might do a road trip to next Iowa round up!
Snag has a twin!
Cajun2 glad you found this thread!
Oh Yippee, Llilyfan!
What kinds of lilies do you grow?
Thanks for the welcome, Root!
Bob, can I harvest immature beans and will they go ahead and mature? I'm afraid we will get a freeze in a couple of nights and they aren't ready yet. Let me know, will ya?
Sure Shirley,I like to cut one open to see how well the pulp is developing,I have pulled a few already,and opened some from my storm damage,they seem to mature quickly,I'd say pop one off and inspect it to see what you have so far.
Well, I'll have to call the fire dept. out with the ladder truck to get to the top of the plant. No way can I reach it without just breaking the top out.
I guess what I wanted to know was, will the seeds be okay if they freeze or should I take my chances with them developing on a chunk of the stalk?
This message was edited Sep 29, 2003 10:01 PM
Shoot they reseed here,so the seeds must sit out all winter,don't worry too much on them,I'll make sure you get some seedlings in spring!or good seeds this winter,which ever you prefer.
Shirley, if you can't get seeds off yours, LMK. I can send you some too (Carmencita).
I have the seed from the Red and Green Spire and Dwarf Green, just waiting on the Royal Thai. Thanks...I'm going to take my chances with the frost/freeze and leave them up there.
Thanks everybody for your very generous offer of seeds. I greatly appreciate it.
But it turns out that even though Hurricane Isabel knocked over my Castor Bean Tree, it is STILL alive! It was saved from total destruction by our split rail fence, which broke its fall! When I checked tonight, the flowers were still there, plus, most of the leaves on the top and sides. The portion of the tree that struck the fence, those leaves have since wilted. That is one very hardy specimen! I'll be able to share the seeds from my tree too.
Here is a picture of it. It's really grown since the previous picture I posted in June. It just looks pathetic leaning against the fence rail.
Oops, I meant July.
This message was edited Sep 30, 2003 9:15 PM
WOW Shirley! That's amazing!
So you can get it back into the ground then?!
That's fantastic! And check out those seed pods!! whoohoo!
Did you measure it when it was down?
Ok now I gotta couple of questions for you seasoned expert Castor Bean growers here. I have been watering and feeding my Carmencita and it's getting quite a few leaves now (or again) and seems to be making a come-back.
1) There is a tiny cluster of leaves growing at the BASE of my plant. Should I leave these? Or do they need to go so that the nutrients can focus more on HEIGHT?!
2) I believe it's making a cluster of blooms (and future seeds) again. Is this normal for this time of year? I think we've only got another couple of months before it starts getting really cold.
Do you think I'll have another batch of seeds on mine?
Cajun2, forgot about this thread. I try orientals, asiatics, all their offspring and hybrids and of course dayLILIES. Email me your addy and I'll get a packet sent to you so I won't forget. We are supposed to get a hard freeze tonight so this may be the end of the season for me.
Cajun 2: Castor bean plants bloom up to the time it frosts and set seed too till then. We are to get a heavy frost tonight and Ours will be history.
If you want to cut off the leaves at the base then that would be okay.
Here is my good-bye picture of my Impala Castor Beans. Taken today, notice all the seedpods and it is blooming still. The seedpods have not matured, so they will be lost. Tomorrow morning it might be mush.
Good Bye to Red Spire Castor Bean--Such a great joy to watch these grow. These and the impala's were only to get to be around 5 to 6 ft. tall. They have not been fertilized and we have been in a drought.
You all have really made an impression on me with these beautiful plants. Castor Beans have been added to my new tropical garden look next season.
............I've spent the last 2 months digging my iris & daylily Friendship Garden.
.........Now I can start thinking about tropicals,I already have a few cannas and some brugs....got all winter to search for others.
.........BTW....Everything has been killed off here already,just waiting for a little warmer weather to start cleaning up the gardens and yard.
......This is so strange to see all this dead stuff and the tree's leaves have not really started to color or fall yet.
..........I was hanging linens out today ,sunny and very strong windy temps in the 40's,,,,my fingers got numb....brrrrr.
Beautiful Debby!
Debby ~ your Castor Beans are really so pretty. I know it's hard to say goodbye. There's always next year though!
Thanks for the advice on mine.
I'm happy to share seeds with other Castor Bean lovers too. Mine are Carmencitas (Red). I have a few plain green ones too (like one trade).
I think I'm going to put at least one in my front flower bed near my front door. The DH oughta LOVE that one!! LOL
Hi Cajun2,
Welcome to Dave's. Do you have a picture of your carmencitas? Thanks
wellllll yes..... but.... let's just say I KNOW I'm not in the running here (this year anyway):
(and thanks for asking ; )
Cajun2,My favorite saying from my father.
Our past is not our potential.
That is such a nice thought.
Wish my mother might have heard that at least once in her life (ahem).
We'll save that for another thread (lol).
How are carmencitas different from Red Spire?
TLC: I found my photo of Carmencita Red on the PDB. They are a short variety growing about 6 ft. tall. This photo will tell the rest. I believe the photo was from last year. As I didn't grow the red this year. I like Red Spire much better.
http://plantsdatabase.com/showpicture/771/
But how is that different from the Thai? They look the same to me. I agree the Red Spire is much prettier.
The season is over for me. It is history. They look so sad and sickly. We got a really good frost last night. Wanted to take a pic. tonight, but got busy with household chores. This thread will be nice to look at this winter and dream for next spring.
This was from Kyle,Thai I believe,just took this no buds or pods:0(
My Royal Thai doesn't have red on the leaves. The seed stalk is covered with green pods. The stalk, and stems/veins of the leaves are deep red. I got my seeds from Kyle and am sure I don't have them mixed up. I only had four kinds this year. This one and both red and green spire and dwarf green. Maybe this is another of those cases where temps and soil makes the difference. My Royal Thai is quite tall, but I doubt that it would be over ten foot. Very pretty castor though.
Deb, my castors look fine after the frost. I've already collected seed except from the RT, so if you need any, let me know.
I'm trying to eek more out mine before it gets really cold. Then I'll try to snip the pods and hope they have ripened enough. I was very pleased to get about 7-8 feet with no special treatment and a VERY late start.
Hi, this is my first time posting a question.
I have long since loved the tropical look. My intention is to have castors all along a long fence and also I plan to clump them in some large corners. I'm wondering if there is a recommendation as to how far apart to plant them. Do they become more full if planted farther apart/do they crowd each other out if planted too close together? I don't need to go for record height, but would like a full look hopefully at least 6 feet tall.
Also, I am wondering if it is possible, or if anyone has tryed, to dry these plants to be used as indoor decor. I have some tropical decorating going on indoors too, and would love to use the castor bean as a dryed floral arrangement if possible.
By the way, I live in Minnesota, zone 4-5.
Thank you for any suggestions.
Well Wlecome to Daves!!! Glad to have you here!
I just started soaking my seeds,I like to soak them for a day and let the end swell,I plant them right in the ground,I have found the ones that do the best,are the ones that have reseeded,they seem to like being direct sown,I do not think they like to have their taproot cramped.
I would plant them about 2ft apart for a hedge effect,they should fill in nice for you.
As far as a dried flower,I am not sure how they would work for this,they get ugly as they dry.
I have seen the leaves used in concretee,as stepping stones and birdbaths,with stunning effect!.
Root.
Hey root can I enter a pic of the same plant from last year or do I have to grow a new one....
I keep meaning to ask about entering some from down here(they are trees here, they don't die in the winter)
Hey Cala!! How about if you or irish start a new thread!! It can be this years contest,I notice this one loaded slow even on my cable,so lets get a new one going,you start it!
I'm gonna have to read through this one to see who the Unofficial winner was of this unofficial contest!
See,I could not claim myself as winner of my own contest,and this year I have a really good feelin about my Castors,I could be a contender!!LOL
this is last years plant this year.....
What's the name of that one Pete?
Is the contest happening again this year?? Cool! Does the winner get a monkey?