Ricinus communis
Re: Ricinus communis
You can over winter in a GH: it tends to be the wet weather than gets them if frost does not. Poor light can make them really leggy though. There are a few purple ones near Edinburgh Castle that is still going this year, all of mine got frosted and looked terrible back in November so I just pulled them up and dug them in the ground. I wonder if a few folk on here still has them growing?
Re: Ricinus communis
Got a few still hanging on, a bit battered by all the wind, but they are giving the Elephant hawk moth caterpillars something to eat on
Leigh
Re: Ricinus communis
They are an invasive weed out here & grow into small trees, I make sure I do not have my mouth open as I walk under some growing locally just incase any seeds drop into my mouth
Re: Ricinus communis
And when you eat chilli con carne under the same tree.....
I've also overwintered late sown ones with relative ease.
I've also overwintered late sown ones with relative ease.
Re: Ricinus communis
Are they monsters by the time it comes to plant out or manageable? I imagine you get a bigger plant earlier ... although mine seem to get to 8' - 10' in a season without much bother - perhaps I might try with the purple leaved ones as they are a bit slower.GREVILLE wrote:I've also overwintered late sown ones with relative ease.
When do you "late sow" for overwintering?
Re: Ricinus communis
I found some old seed among some late summer sowings and rather than wait till the following Spring and risk them not taking I tried them out with five out of six germinated plants coming through winter and growing well the following summer. I'm sure the variety was zanzibarensis.Kristen wrote:
When do you "late sow" for overwintering?
This year I used up New Zealand purple and to date I have two plants out of four. They are about 25 cms high from a September sowing.
I never feed the late sowings and give very little water mid winter to make sure they slow down in the low season, Extra watering in April sees them take off.
A conscious effort to try some very stunted spring sown ones that stayed in their 9cm pot all the following summer didn't work at all.