If you want to multiply the castor oil plant, the sowing is spot on! This method of propagation has proven itself above all because of its speed: Within 2 weeks, a seed has grown into a small plant. But how does sowing work?

Castor bean seeds are highly toxic

Warning: highly toxic seeds!

Caution: The seeds are highly toxic! You should never leave them unattended if you have pets or children! They can eat the seeds and get poisoned. Even one seed can be fatal to a child. You should also wear gloves to be on the safe side.

In case you misplaced the seeds or can't tell them apart from other seeds - this is what they look like:

  • 1 to 2 cm tall
  • oval to ovate
  • smooth shell
  • black-brown to brown
  • marbled
  • vaguely reminiscent of oversized watermelon seeds

Harvest and store the seeds in the fall

Fall is harvest time for the seeds, assuming you already have a castor bean plant. The seeds are in the conspicuous capsule fruits. When ripe, the fruits open and you can remove the seeds. They are best kept in a sealable container until sowing. They are well germinable for about 3 years.

Sow indoors in spring

Castor bean seeds can be sown as early as January. If you start sowing so early, you will get really big plants in summer. Castor bean is usually sown from March to May. The seeds should be in the ground by July at the latest.

This is how the sowing works up to the propagation:

  • Soak seeds in water for 24 hours
  • Prepare pots with seed compost
  • Sow seeds 0.5 to 1 cm deep
  • keep soil moistured
  • at room temperature germination within 1 to 2 weeks

Out into the open: after the ice saints

From the middle/end of May (after the ice saints), the young plants of the miracle tree can be planted outdoors. Alternatively, they come first in about 15 cm large pots. From now on, regular watering and fertilizing is crucial for healthy growth.

tips

It takes just 2 weeks from sowing to planting outdoors, as the castor bean grows so quickly!

Category:

Vegetable garden