The (100 PLANT) Ricinus Jungle! (Updated 29 June)

[Kyle]

Kyle, I have had seedlings of ricinus sprout out of the soil in spring so they must have fallen out of the pods and stayed dormant over the winter. When you take into account that it was the winter of 2010, with all that snow and low temps that's no mean feat!

On removing the straw from one of my wrapped bananas this afternoon, I found a ricinus seed in amongst a layer of straw and it had a White root emerging from it. The warmth and the small amount of moisture must have started it off. I had forgot all about it til now!

So on that basis I would say that your own saved seed should be viable!

Well that's very encouraging. Thank you.

[Springy]

I have just gone out with a torch and found the previously mentioned seed. As you can see it was still in its "husk" and shooting away.I'll pot it up and see how it does.

I did collect a few ricinus seed for sowing this year so I'll see how they turn out too!

Keep up the good work Kyle and I am loving the progress with your project!

[Kristen]

Will Ricinus cross pollinate? (or need hand-pollination / isolation etc?)

[Alexander]

Last trip to India I also went to Gujarat, the most westerly state of India. They grow Ricinus there as a crop. Just endless fields with Ricinus for miles and miles and miles...

And otherwise you always see them as weeds at dirty places. They love a nitrogin ridge soil.

Strange that its such a populair plant here then.

Alexander

[Kyle]

Will Ricinus cross pollinate? (or need hand-pollination / isolation etc?)

That's a good question. One I'd really like to know the answer to?

Last trip to India I also went to Gujarat, the most westerly state of India. They grow Ricinus there as a crop. Just endless fields with Ricinus for miles and miles and miles...

And otherwise you always see them as weeds at dirty places. They love a nitrogin ridge soil.

Strange that its such a populair plant here then.

Alexander

Luckily for us, we have the frosts to look forward to so they can stop them in their tracks.

[Libby]

I didn't realize you could keep the flower/seed heads silly really it obvious, will remember to do so this year!!!

[JoelR]

Theres always one party pooper

Sorry to be negative. Just speaking from experience of Ricinus living near Kyle.

Joel. Have you tried drying out the entire seedheads over the winter months?

I've read that if you do so they will ripen and pop out when they're ready. I was looking at gathering as many seedheads as possible by variety and hanging them upside down in hessian sacks to catch the exploding pods.

Has anyone else in the UK successfully harvested their own seeds and germinated them the following spring? If so, I'd be interested to know.

I must give that a go

[call]

i sowed mine last week
ive got an evil rip off plan to grow on the spares and then sell them for a tenner each i would make a killing

[Kyle]

i sowed mine last week
ive got an evil rip off plan to grow on the spares and then sell them for a tenner each i would make a killing

If this project comes off as planned and each variety is a success then I was looking at harvesting as much seed as possible. I was thinking, as there are going to be nine varieties, putting a collection of 5 seeds of each (45 seeds) in seperate sealer bags and selling the collections for a £5 a pop next winter/spring.

It would be a good option for anyone wanting to try a wider selection without the cost of going down the separate packs of seed route.

I'll also look at offering a few freebie selection packs to HTUK members on a first come first serve basis.

[Libby]

i sowed mine last week
ive got an evil rip off plan to grow on the spares and then sell them for a tenner each i would make a killing

If this project comes off as planned and each variety is a success then I was looking at harvesting as much seed as possible. I was thinking, as there are going to be nine varieties, putting a collection of 5 seeds of each (45 seeds) in seperate sealer bags and selling the collections for a £5 a pop next winter/spring.

It would be a good option for anyone wanting to try a wider selection without the cost of going down the separate packs of seed route.

I'll also look at offering a few freebie selection packs to HTUK members on a first come first serve basis.

Now that sounds like a very good plan to me. I would quite happily pay for a selection of seeds

[Exotic Life]

I put 5 species in pots as well yesterday to grow a little bigger in the greenhouse before they going outside. I'm curious about that blue one of yours. I use them every year and normally seeds production is no problem over here. Of course there is more heat over here during the growing season so that is not a surprize at all.

Good luck with your Ricinus project!

[Dave Brown]

Looks like I might not need to sow mine. This looks like NZ Purple, self sown in the Arid bed

[Libby]

to Dave Brown

[Dim]

quick question .... I bought 2 seedlings of Ricinus Communis 'carmencita red' .... they are approx 200mm high

I potted them in 9cm pots a few weeks ago, and have them on my bathroom windowsill (gets full morning sun) .... they seem happy and have formed new leaves

I'm hoping to plant them out in a clients garden on sunday (weather forecast looks good from next week)

mine have green leaves .... when are the leaves supposed to turn red? .... (it's the 1st time I have ever bought these)

[Kyle]

I'm hoping to plant them out in a clients garden on sunday (weather forecast looks good from next week)

Is that a bit too early in case of late frosts? The recommended time to plant out seems to be late May/early June. I'm not sure what temperatures would prove fatal.