The Castor bean plants

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:53 am

I can only imagine what these would have done with our normal rainfall-

I think they saw 2 rainfalls over an inch April-Sept,the growth
was visible from each rain event in these and the Bananas.

In spite of this- the warmest March in history and a lot of hot
weather made for the biggest Castors I have ever grown-

I think they were already the biggest in July!

sorry about the sunlight in back of them--but if you look close you can
see a 12' pole that I put 6" of a yard in-so,the pole is 14' 6" tall.

This puts the Castor bean plants at 14 feet 7 inches,maybe more..

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12005.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12005.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

2 weeks ago-Sept 4

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12013.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12013.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Saba

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12004.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -12004.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 9:59 am

Haven't ever heard they could get that tall, Jim.
Fabulous!
What was their max growth last year?

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 10:43 am

usually no more than 12' although I had a different variety that was pretty tall too.

heres a pic of the same variety in the same place on Sept 27,2009

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -09086.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -09086.jpg" border="0" alt="12' Castors"></a>

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 12:17 pm

Incredible...can only imagine what nutrients they need to take OUT OF the soil to get that large.

Passerby good for scale

Jubaea · Post by **Jubaea** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 1:32 pm

Those are some nice big healthy looking plants you have there. Caster Beans are quite tough and can survive on very little water although they are sparsely foliated and don't look that good. They are weedy here and survive on 10-20 inches of rainfall just fine.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 1:37 pm

Jubaea wrote:Those are some nice big healthy looking plants you have there. Caster Beans are quite tough and can survive on very little water although they are sparsely foliated and don't look that good. They are weedy here and survive on 10-20 inches of rainfall just fine.

But they will grow slooooooooooooow

thanks Barb

they are a lot of fun to watch grow-all that from a little seed in one growing season.

My poor Washy is getting shaded out but has grown 17 leaves anyway-LOL

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 2:14 pm

17 leaves on your Washy

Barb

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 1:57 am

lucky1 wrote:17 leaves on your Washy Barb

In once season?

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 8:07 am

Yep-you know,I had read about that like all of us have......
you know,the stories of a foot of trunk growth a year and such.

Really cool to see it-the trunk has grown a foot at least and the
base is so fat that even if I slid the same cover over it,there is no
room for the x-mas lights in between the trunk and protection

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Mon Jan 07, 2013 11:58 am

Cool stuff! I just ordered Purple New Zealand Castor Bean seeds to plant in the spring.....I can;t wait. never had them before

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Jan 07, 2013 3:22 pm

The purple one are really gorgeous-if photobucket was working I would post some pics from a few years ago

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Mon Jan 07, 2013 5:49 pm

hardyjim wrote:The purple one are really gorgeous-if photobucket was working I would post some pics from a few years ago

Thanks....I saw soem of your pics on another garden forum I think and on flickr???? Have you got an account there?

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Mon Jan 07, 2013 6:26 pm

Great looking yard Jim! I want spring NOW!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Jan 07, 2013 9:15 pm

On their way to the second floor, Jim.

I'm with Tim...spring NOW.

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 7:14 am

Mike-just photobucket and webshots and now image shack in case photobucket is down again.

Heres a decent shot(s) showing the coloration of the New Zealand purple.

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10002.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10002.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10044.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10044.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 8:06 am

Excellent! Thankls for the pics.....I'm home with the flu and bored as hell.....UGH!

I have my seeds soaking now before i pot them up. The seeds are really cool looking too, I also have some sanguinae seeds. I have no idea where to put them all!?? SPRING!!!!!!!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 10:18 am

home with the flu and bored as hell.

Poor ducky, get well soon.

You should have 100 or so palm seeds to start.
That'd occupy your time.
And get your nose to finish dripping.

Barb

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 10:26 am

lucky1 wrote:
home with the flu and bored as hell.
Poor ducky, get well soon.

You should have 100 or so palm seeds to start.
That'd occupy your time.
And get your nose to finish dripping.

Barb

Thanks Barb! At least the weather has been decent and supposed to reach 60 by weekend!! Still havent covered my trachies this year, insane

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 10:48 am

You're so fortunate to have a non-winter

Send some of that GW to the NW.

Yesterday, I saw a fellow wearing shorts to shovel snow.

Barb

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 7:38 pm

sidpook wrote:I'm home with the flu and bored as hell.....UGH!

Hey, Mike! You pay the price for having no winter in your area... Sorry for that. Take care anyway. Hope your flu will fly away in a few days.

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 6:49 am

igor.glukhovtsev wrote:
sidpook wrote:I'm home with the flu and bored as hell.....UGH!
Hey, Mike! You pay the price for having no winter in your area... Sorry for that. Take care anyway. Hope your flu will fly away in a few days.

Thanks Igor. It is supposed to go back to the 30's F next week and 20's at night....UGH!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:00 am

Mike

You may want to try the large leaved variety in your yard this year too.

Some serious yard bling with these growing massive leaves!

They would probably take off there with you heat and length of growing season.

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 9:51 am

hardyjim wrote:Mike

You may want to try the large leaved variety in your yard this year too.

Some serious yard bling with these growing massive leaves!

They would probably take off there with you heat and length of growing season.

I definitely am trying 2 varietes this year: new Zealand Purple and Sanguinae , psyched....

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Sat Mar 09, 2013 4:05 pm

My castor seedlings (18 of them) are all about 8 inches tall and leafing out. Can't wait to get them in the ground first week of April! I'm psyched! Happy Spring everyone.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Mar 09, 2013 4:22 pm

Maybe even earlier, Mike.
All it takes is 8 buckets to invert.

Happy Spring to you too!

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Sun Mar 17, 2013 2:58 pm

I do have a question Jim about your castors. Have you ever had trouble with pets or kids and the poison issue? I have two dogs, but should think they would stay away from them for the most part, no kids to worry about either except for any passersby...Just wondering.
Thanks
Mike

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 6:38 am

Nope never had a problem there.....what?
It only took 3 years to answer

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 8:51 am

HAHAHAHAH

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 5:10 am

Nice to know people are looking in...not a lot of traffic here these days....

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 6:04 am

hardyjim wrote:Nice to know people are looking in...not a lot of traffic here these days....

Video killed the radio star and Facebook killed the Palm Boards...I think most of us are on face book's "Zone Pusher Group"

905palms · Post by **905palms** » Mon Jun 13, 2016 6:16 pm

sidpook wrote:
hardyjim wrote:Nice to know people are looking in...not a lot of traffic here these days....
Video killed the radio star and Facebook killed the Palm Boards...I think most of us are on face book's "Zone Pusher Group"

I check once in awhile, but I'm with Sidman on the other side...

Pineapple Dan Richard....