How to Grow Castor Bean

Castor bean plants thrive in a wide range of conditions, making them an easy plant to care for in the garden. Gardeners grow Castor bean plants for their large, exotic and multicolored foliage and graceful tall stalks (10 feet or taller) that provide shade and dappled lighting for lower growing vegetation. For little work, Castor bean plants bring many positives to a landscape.

Things You'll Need

• One gallon pots Potting soil Shovel Compost Multipurpose granular fertilizer Water Garden pruners

Instructions

1. Plant Castor bean seeds in potting soil in one gallon pots. Fill the pot with unpacked soil. Water the soil so it absorbs water and becomes moist and naturally settles. Push one Castor bean seed about 1 inch deep into the soil in the middle of the pot. Gently water the seed with a quick splash of water to cover the hole with soil. Castor bean seeds can also be sown in the ground in open soil. Till the soil and sow the seed beneath about an inch of soil.

2. Water freshly sown seed thoroughly and keep the soil moist until the seed sprouts. Decrease the frequency of watering as the seedling grows, allowing the soil to partially dry between watering. Castor bean plants thrive in dry conditions, but can also take a lot of water. In drier conditions, maintain a regular watering schedule after planting so it develops an extensive root system. After a few months the plant will require much less water, and you can scale back to watering once per month.

3. Fertilize Castor bean plants lightly starting after the plants are one month old. Disperse a light amount of general purpose granular fertilizer around the root zone of the plants and water in thoroughly. Apply fertilizer according to product directions on package. Castor bean plants draw a sufficient amount of nutrients from most soils, so feeding them should be done sparingly.

4. Prune the flower spikes that grow from the stalks to encourage more leaf growth and the plant to grow taller. Leave the flowers intact if you wish and prune after they begin to wither. Allow a few select flowers to remain intact and complete their blooming cycle to produce seed for new plants. Regular pruning of spent flowers and withering leaves will result in a more attractive looking plant and encourage growth.

5. Prune Castor bean plants yearly or remove their root balls from the ground. Planting new plants every season or every other season in spring will keep plants less woody and more lush and attractive. After a few seasons, Castor bean plants become woody and ratty looking, losing their exotic appeal.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid pruning Castor bean plants in an effort to shape the plants or encourage them to grow bushier. They grow naturally in an airy manner although they may sprout many stalks from the same plant. Heavy pruning will result in a disfigured plant.