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Re: Ricinus seeds have started

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 12:39 pm
by Adrian
boybeck wrote:Hi Adrian

Have you put your Ensete Maurelli out yet? Are we likely to get any more frost here in south Hampshire? I have them in pots outside and was wondering when to stick them in the ground.

No mate, lost them all so its going to be a trip down to Architectural Plants for me this year

Re: Ricinus seeds have started

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 12:41 pm
by Adrian
simon wrote:last year I only sowed half the packs of ricinus (NZP and Red Stem giant) and have sowed the other half this year. They have been in the fridge for a year and all 5 NZP have germinated so it doesn't sound like a freshness problem.
No idea why they havent worked out Simon, Ive never had a problem in the past.

Re: Ricinus seeds have started

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 3:23 pm
by JoelR
8 out of 10 NZ Purple have germinated for me. 12 inch plants potted on last night. I understand some people soak their seed, in some cases until they germinate. I've never done this but never had 100% germination either. They definitely need to be moist and 26C or slightly warmer. By the end of week two, they had either rotted or germinated.

Re: Ricinus seeds have started

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 6:10 pm
by derrick
The red and blue seem ok not sure about the zanzi they all floated I have 2 seeds in 1 pot dont no how 1 red 1 blue .I have about 8 that are shooting now I only need a couple realy Some of mine rotted i dont no if its to much water

Re: Ricinus seeds have started

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 8:28 pm
by brendan
i had 6 out of 8 new zealand purple from chiltern seeds germinate and 2 out of 2 of my zanzi but one germinated about two weeks before the other both in the same pot on windowseal. I didnt soak them or give them heat just left in moist compost in a pots by window then put cut in half pepsi bottles over the pots germinated in less than two weeks.

Re: Ricinus seeds have started

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 8:00 am
by Dave Brown
What are you all sowing your seed in :?:

I have found that straight mp compost should be renamed mk compost (multi kill) as you name it and it is not suitable to grow it. I find it much too stodgy and moisture retentive for most seed. I had a complete failure of 100% from a batch of home grown Ricinus seed in 2009 and I'm sure it was the compost was too wet.

Generically, most seed needs equal parts air and water to germinate, so a stodgy compost does not have enough air to give a high germination percentage.

Also high concentrations of feed can inhibit germination, so moss peat is better than mp, but you would have to transplant to give nutrients.

As I have said I will sow my this week, but will be trying a mixture of about 50/50 mp/perlite in small cells to be potted on soon after germination. I might also try the baggy method which allows tumbling to get air in. :wink:

Re: Ricinus seeds have started

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 9:54 am
by DiCasS
I've got one or two Zanzibarensis and another one which I can't think of the name right now, just showing at the minute sown probably 7 - 10 days ago, placed in my conservatory. This year, for the first time, I thought I'd have a change and I've tried using quite a lot of coir mixed in with mp and perlite. So far, so good.

Di