Bunny2:

Castor beans keep moles away? Really?!?!!?

So, how many would you have to plant? To be "effective" ?

Hi, I don't have any moles here, so I don't know for sure if they will keep them away. I grow the castor beans from seed. I've started them in my green house in very early spring and planted them right into the soil. These ones get about 8-10 feet tall. I've had some other dark ones alot shorter, and I've grown the green ones. I got my seeds from a seed trade, and then just harvested seeds at the end of each year now. I would imagine you could order some from ebay or an american seed seller. They're very easy and really have a pretty impact .
Cindy

kllinger:

I had some that came with the house. These "stalks" started rising. It took me some asking to find out what these very strange plants were that had shoots that came out of the ground the size of my wrist! (grin)

They're very interesting plants - very tropical looking. There is another thread here where someone gave the name of a much larger kind - and no - I don't have any idea where it is (grin)

I would very much like to grow those again next year because they were so unusual. And if they keep moles away - so much the better!

Ricinus Castor Bean Zanzibariensis are the mammoth ones.
The red tinged ones are called Ricinus Castor Bean Carmencita
I buy them here:
William Dam Seeds
In my Zone , I have had them self seed in a mild winter so you may want to watch for that and remember, the seeds are where they get the poison "Ricin' from so if you have children or pets watch out that the seeds are carefully disposed of or save carefully too.
The nice thing about these is that they are a fast growing annual and can be used to shade your Brugs a little if you don't have trees to do that.
This was my Zanzibariensis after being fed along with the nearby Brugs all summer, after it was touched by frost. You can see it reached up to the second story on my house!
{{gwi:577653}}

WHOA!

Ruth Ann - yer killin' me! LOL. . . .ok Klinger - there ya go!

Thank you Ruth Ann - believe it or not - you JUST solved a problem for me! Seriously. . . .

I was thinking about something to give earlier shade to the new brug planting area (since my paulownia is in recovery) - and you just came up with it!

Thank you so much!

Wow, those are huge. Ruth Ann you are amazing in everything you grow! I have a few seeds I got in a trade of the red castor bean. I will start them inside and plant them this year.

Thanks dweeb. Sorry I forgot to thank you when my mouth fell open from seeing those castor bean plants. I have my big one in a large terracota pot and I can't lift that thing even if its dry, lol. I need to run a new water line to the other side of the house for my new planting I am going to make for the little brugs. They need so much water and I hate dragging the hose from one side of house all the way to the other. Whoever designed this house needs to be shot. NO electric outlets outside and both water faucets are at the same end of the house one in front and one in back. None on the south end where you need it the most. Frown, lol. I want a water feature eventually too and will have to get outdoor electric outlets put in.

F4F - I have some also - the Gibsonii (if I remember the package correctly.)

The roof line drops around that area - and this particular variety solves that problem. They love sun. . .they grow monstrously tall and could shade the brugs while I wait for that stupid paulownia.

F4F - oh I know - arent' those Castors breathtaking? The size?

I didn't know there was a strain that grew that large until another post.

And they would make some wonderful "temporary" type trees. Get bored with them? don't plant them again. (grin)

Yea - I was short a spiget on the deck. I dragged the hose through the office twice - (boom!) A spiget was installed the following weekend. LOL. ..

Re: Terra Cotta? Whoa. . no way. Those are PLASTIC - there was no way I was going to purchase a terra cotta that size and roll them around. Nooooo wayyyyyyyyy. . .

Ok - word of advice though - I outsmarted myself. Those "green" pots were going to be sunk in the dirt - with only the green lip showing so I could lift them.

IF you're going to buy the plastic non-reflective green ones? They get warm. So consider that, ok? I don't mean they get too hot to the touch - but the pot gets warm that the soil gets dry around the edges faster - and pulls away from the sides near the top. Just keep the "green" in mind.

We have to flood Brugs anyway in the summer - just be aware of green - in the sun - on the deck. That's all.

Otherwise - they're wonderful - right now with the soil dried out - I can lift them. When they're fully soaked - no - I was rolling them around. (grin)

i have several, but really would only like one. There are other plants equally as beautifull that can be grown in our climate and that dont look terrible in our blazing summer heat and are more water efficient.

Heres my frosty pink still blooming as of today Nov24, 2007.
{{gwi:577654}}
{{gwi:577655}}

Castor beans do get rid of gophers and moles. I have used them in the past after everything else failed. Too dangerous to use around dogs. Mine grew about 18 ft tall and 8' wide each year. Techno Princess trees, Booo I have had 0 luck with them they are supposed to be super hardy and fast growing. Mine just died. It is a invasive in the south. My new favorite tree is also an invasive The Brazilian Pepper Tree. It grows like a weed, is very fragrant and pretty. The peppers can be used for cooking. It grows from seeds, cuttings,suckers and can do the vine thing by making several plants on a stem on the ground. Amazing plant. It can go from a seed to 4' in a year. Likes any soil PH, wet or dry, is not effected by most pests or diseases. I am planting shade for my brugs with them.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Pepper tree

LOL Jim. . .

Princess tree - Okayyy - yea - boooo - hisssssss. . .I needed fast shade and this was my 4th shot at a tree in a spot that gets baked. (grin) It was fine - until - (que the funeral durge please) - we had a slew of 50s in January - the sap started running - and then it went to 17 for a week in March. Took out 2 of the 3. One of them 30 feet. I was so upset.

A brazilian Pepper Tree? Would that make it here in Illinois? Now that sounds really neat. . .fast and tall?

Jeep, did you read the text under that image on your link?
This tree sounds potentially worse than the Castor Bean.

Waiiiiiiit. . . .hold it. .

"it causes skin rashes and respiratory irritation in many people. "

AND it's in the same family as Poison Ivy?

Jim. . .I'm not plantin' this in my yarrrrrrrrd! LOL. . .and you booed my Paulownia? Sheeesh. . . .ROTF

Take my paulownia ANY day over this one. . .tooo funny. Besides - doesn't look like it would make it in Illinois.

Oh Those red castor beans are beautiful here in East Texas. They are redish purple and have a silvery gleam to them.

I have 12 seeds that I got and I would love to sneak one or two in here. But I've been told I can't. Besides that here in East Texas they come up all over the place from seed. Hey, now that's a thought. I could plant one or two close to the fence line and tell em I don't know how it got there. A bird must of dropped it. Ahhh, but that would be a lie. Let's see how could I get away with planting some of them. Anyone got any ideals?

Karyn, if you want six of my seeds I'm more than willing to send them to you.

Hey, my brugs are all growing and I don't mean just a little bit. I'll be having to replant most of them in a month if something doesn't give. What do I need to do?

Happy Gardening and Brugging, Marian

OOps, I did not read the text. Then again the Castor Bean is so much worse. Princess is considered very invasive but dies here. I love the pepper tree and handle it all the time I even crush the leaves to smell the strong scent. I cannot imagine Arizona saying how bad it is. Then again I do prefer shade over cactus. With invasives it is always controversial. Under the right conditions they can replace the native habitat. In Arizona I do not think so. I also like the Chinese Tallow.

I booed the Princess cause they die here and I wanted some quick shade and they looked pretty. Mine never got more than a foot. What is invasive here is not in the north. Red Castor Plants are very beautiful there is also a pink one. The big green one is a monster. I would raise them if not for my curious fox terriers. One bean can kill. It is the seed that falls to the ground that kills the moles and gophers. The beans are very colorful and pretty. Maybe I am a little paranoid they do not eat my brugs the do eat acorns. Anyone have curious dogs around castor bean seeds???

We grow several different colors of castor at the farm and the dogs don't mess with it, nothing messes with it except for a few bugs and even that's not common. We cut the branches with the seed pods and the foliage with bare hands and I've never had a reaction but I make sure not to get them near my mouth. I don't know if the ricin is only in the seed or what. Believe it or not but the florists love to use the seed pods and foliage in flower arrangements. If they want to use it I'll grow it for them. It's one of the fastest growing plants and is very drought tolerant.

Eloise that's some sort of sunflower, maybe Joker, I'm not sure.
Karyn

Jim:

Well, the Paulownia (mine was called an Emperess Tree - same thing I think)- I guess can be invasive.

Mine isn't the tomentosa. Mine is the other one - can't remember now.

I have suckers coming up - but the root system is so soft, you can either yank them out or cut it out. I don't find it a problem.

And given that it is a "shoot" off the system that is coming back when the 30 foot center trunk died - I'm kind of glad for them. I'm in a border line Zone for them.

It was really a kewel looking tree. 3 foot leaves - large, graceful and very unusual. Hopefully next year - I will have something resembling it and by year 3, it will be 30 feet again. (As was the first one.)

And it gave some wonderful shade for brugs in front of it. Hopefully - that will be the case again.

Had Castors here - no problem with dogs. But, I think my season is too short for the seeds. I think my frost takes them out before the seeds mature - I could be wrong.

I found out that you can not order from Willima Dam, they will not ship to the USA, only Canada. I checked Parks Seeds and they do not carry them, but they do have them at Johnnys Selected Seeds for $4.85 plus postage. They give a toll free number of 877 564 6697, I will be calling them to order these seeds. I have city dogs, so I do not have to worry about them eating my plants, they won't even eat meat unless its cooked. My neighbor told me the diffrence between a city dog and a country dog is: When a city dogs gets a sticker in his paw, he can take it out. A city dog will stand there and cry until you come to take it out. I have 3 mini dachshunds, that I almost had shoes made for. Barbra

HonBun:

LOL. . .that's funny. My dog gets something stuck to his face - wipes along the ground - next thing you know, he's in front of you with these twigs sticking out of his collar and ears looking at you saying with his eyes:

"You see ANYTHING wrong with this picture?!?!?"

I have all these windows open on my puter surfin' for those Castors. I've found quite a few sites with them.

seedsandmore-store.com 2.95 for 10 seeds

dianeseeds.com - out of stock

wuvie.net 3.00 for 5 seeds

redeco.org 6 seeds for 2.00 (ebay buy it now)

Don't know anything about any of these vendors - but a couple are highly rated from D-garden.

I plan on ordering some. There seems to be an indication that these sell out.

They really are very easy to grow, and for the cost of the seeds give a huge impact in a short period of time. I've grown them in pots also. This thread got hijacked with castors, but they are a great plant other than the poisonous part. I also have dogs but mind never bother with the plants either.
Cindy

Technodweeb, Johnnys Seeds, will not ship to Texas. I did find a source, check this out: http://www.dianeseeds.com/ricinus-castor-bean.html
Now I can't make up my mind what one I want. I may just order one of each. Barbra,

In my zone I sometimes start the the Castors indoors, then plant them out the same time as the Brugs.
I have discovered since though that I plant my Brugs close enough together in the full sun that they don't need further shade than what they give each other.
You only need to buy them the once and thereafter save your own seed.

HB:

Dianeseeds is out of stock on the Zanzibar one. The monster one.

Guess I didn't realize that variety was so popular. So I'll be ordering those in the next couple of days.

there are several people in the seed exchange that have Castor beans

Hey before you buy any of these seeds let me go check with a neighbor who has some. I'll see if I can get some from her if it's not too late. Why buy when you can get them for free. No promises, but I think I can come up with a bunch.

I have 14 seeds here that I could send 7 to two different people. Or maybe 4 seeds to 3 people. Just let me know if you want them. I think I can get a bunch more.
My husband doesn't want them planted here because they are so toxic, little does he know about all the other plants I have that are probably just as bad. LOL I'm not telling him anything. He'd probably pull them all up. LOL

We have horses, dogs, deer, and all kinds of little creatures scampering around here. I haven't seen any of them croak yet from eatting something toxic.

It's raining here and very cold. I'll see about driving over to her house and checking on some seeds for the reddish purple castor bean plants tomorrow.
They grow all over the place here. I guess you would call them invasive here in East Texas.

Marian

Veseys in Canada has them, not sure if they ship to the USA though....

Here is a link that might be useful: Veseys Castor Beans

Sorry about highjacking this thread, but I do not have technodweeb email address. I have all the large green castor beans seeds you could want. I have not been to my place at the coast for about 3 weeks. I will check to see what I have when I go this coming weekend. I may have plants to send. I am looking for the purplish one, not the giant green ones. Tecjmpdweeb send me your email address. I will check and let you know what I have. If just seeds, I will mail to you, if you want the plants, then I will mail for postage. Barbra,

just bought red castor beans from Ebay, been looking for these for mu tropical garden next year
These look great!

Here is a link that might be useful: 15 Giant Burgundy Castor Bean Seed

My kind of thread Invasives ( hijacked but it is cold and wet here). Check out Tallow Tree Oil google search. In regards to castor's pinks for specimens and the big greens for shade. Techno there is just a bunch of stuff that will not survive here that is very invasive elsewhere. 2 types of plants here those that take over and those that die. I have really wanted to start some castor's again. When I moved here ( from one little town to another) I apparently brought volunteers. It took me 3 years to get rid of them. Now I want them back go figure. I had a bunch of brugs planted in the sun die without shade and the solution was right at my finger tips. Sometimes I cannot see the forest for the trees.(no trees or forest here...lol) To Kill a green Castor you need an ax, shovel, pick and roundup. The roots may still come back here. It is one tough hombre. My kind of plant and it kill gophers and moles.I know where some pinks are but they are 1/10 the plant of the green one. Time to hunt for Castor Beans.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Tallow tree oil

Jim, if you want the green ones, look no futher, I just need to see if there are any on the trees this time of the year. I will get you some as soon as I can. I may have small plants to offer, I planted some on the lot next to my house in October. If technodweeb, doesn't want them, they are yours. I have not been down since I brought your vitex trees, so I do not know if the small plants even made it, there is no one there to water them. I won't know anything until I get down there Friday. I will post when I get back on Sunday. Barbra

Yeahhh, weather broke finally I could go outside. CG was smiling and blooming. Got to do some planting. Blue skies nothing but blue skies. I know what Willie was thinking. I bought some pinks and other stuff. Thanks Barry. I could use some greens, Barbara. If not I know where to get some. They grow wild at the landfill in Aransas and Port A. Barbara if you see some ginger Variegated grab me some. They cannot be had here. Going to do some cutting and trimming soon. I will have some brug cuttings for postage around Christmas;Plus a bunch of other stuff. I figure this is the last decent bloom although they were abused by the wind. Top bad I have to go to work tomorrow..... BOOOOOOOOOOOO it will be 70+. Everyone who sent me something you can have cuttings for Christmas or plants in the spring or cuttings. Your choice.

Jim

The seed pods are on there a long time before they dry enough to open and are very easy to cut off. Except for zanzibar. They'd look better in tighter groups then I had mine, not dense enough to block the eyesores behind - Next year 10" apart for denseness and I've seen them tighter. This does not refer to zanzibar, most any others but not zanzibar. Maybe Ruth_Ann has more than 1 in there but it doesn't look like it. And I wouldn't nick them just soak them for 24-48 hrs or so and start them indoors in early spring for colder zones. They kept the show up until a couple of days ago - light snow - no damage til then.

Oxmyx...you will get what you see but they aren't called the burgandy castor beans...the seller must have thought the new baby leaf's color was a reason to call it so.
These are the burgandy I just bought from an eBay seller, though I don't know if there's any more. They are burgandy throughout the plant...the stalk, the leaves and even the seedpods are all the same color.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270185077703

Yep...that's me...ontarion519

What you are getting oxmyx looks like the New Zealand Purple with the silvery/metalic sheen.

I bought purple to but the leaves aren't as wide and 'look' more purple. No name was given for them. It's better when you get a pic of the person's plant so you know what you're getting. I believe the one I'm buying is the one that klinger has as well. Not nearly as metalic and thinner spanned leaves.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180179903136

I plan to get the New Zealand Purple to, I like the wider leaves. And I did see a pic of one that all the leaves were solid purple. I guess I'll see what outcome I'll get in my soil/environment.

I grew the gibsonii and do have seeds for them. I grew zanzibar, but it grew so high that there wasn't anything to tie it to...lol We needed to put in some evergreens there anyway(not my idea), so I didn't get any seeds. Not that I could of reached them unless I gathered what fell or when I cut them down which had to be done too early. I also had a walmart special NOID castor but I wouldn't grow them again.

There are pic's of my gibsonii, which could of been planted much closer, in my offer for free brug's in Michigan and Windsor. The main root system for those weren't much more than 12" across and they grew about 7'. Gibsonii branch well, other kinds don't. Can't say which don't. The middle one in the picture is the Walmart one.

I'll probably just grow the burgandy and purple next year, unless I buy some of those carmencita reds for around Frosty brug instead of the white datura's. The purple will go around the yellow/tangerine brug.

Ruth_Ann - if you read this, did you pinch your zanzibar to get more branches earlier on in it's growth? They say not to pinch a castor but the leaves on zanzibar are huge and impressive, even though they lack all other color except for the seed pods, which I believe they were starting as a red. I know I could with the gibsonii once it grew about 3' or so as they do branch where leaves have grown.

Here's some Pics of "Full Grown" Brugs in My Yard.{{gwi:577656}} This one Is about 9 Feet Tall.{{gwi:577657}} Here's a shot Of the Same Brug From a Different Angle.

Dweeb, thanks for the warning about the green pots. Even with the terracota I had to water mine every day about a gallon, lol. I only had one then though so I need to look into a less expensive option now and plant the ones I think will make it next spring, lol. How long can you leave brugs in ground without cutting in zone 8a? I saw 3 of them on Hwy 79 today on my way to Sheveport and all were blooming. Now my husband thinks if they can keep theirs in the ground still without cutting I can too. I told him they would have to be cut down and mulched here.

~*sniff** ~**sniff more zonal envy ......sigh
these are overwintered in ground, right? what beautiful plants,
Trigger!

I did not pinch that Castor Bean I shower the image of. Remember, it was planted by the Brugs so benifited from all the fertilizer too. The pic was taken after it was touched by frost and the leaves look darker that they were prior to that frost.

HB - if you have some - I would love some.

You didn't like the large Zanzibar, huh? I think I had a smaller red one - it sure was pretty. They don't "reseed" here in Illinois. I don't think our season is long enough.

But shade for the Brugs - as Ruth Ann points out - that would be wonderful!

Klinger and Trigger, your brug photos are breathtaking.

jim

Oh my gosh! I must have been posting mine the same time as trigger and didn't see the pics. That is huge and beautiful! Does it stay in the ground and get cut back or brought in for the winter? Inquireing minds want to know, lol.

I Dig This Giant up Every Fall and Move it Into The Greenhouse.Whew!What A JOB!!I have to cut off Nearly a Truck Load of Branches ans Leaves Just to Fit It Into The Greenhouse!!But,It Quickly Regrows Leaves and New Branches,And Starts to Flower Again In February in The Greenhouse.Here's A Pic Of the Trunk-This was taken A While Ago-It's Much Larger Around This Year.{{gwi:457139}} It Flowers From February Till October!!!I Replant It in The Ground In May.It's Probably about 5 years Old Now.

Mark

Now THAT'S a Brug! Wow! What a trunk on that one!

Mike

There is an idea. It does not freeze here very much. I wonder at what temps you get trunk damage. There are only about 45 days in which we have the historical ability to kill plants every 7 years. I am trying to save some of the Y's on my favorite plants.

Jim

Jeep-It has been said that 27F is the minimum for brugs.I have taken cuttings after a light frost-and they survived-but this year I thought I had all my brugs in,but missed a Hawaiian Double White.I cut it down,and moved it into the greenhouse The day after the First Frost.It has since shriveled up and died.I wonder if you could make a plastic "tent",and put some Christmas lights in there to keep it warm. Mark

Crimony, Trigger, what variety of brug is that?

Jim

Trigger, I am going to have to make a few bags for brugs. Maybe call it a brug bag. You never know here. It flirts with 35 quite a few times. If the sky goes clear at 35 I am in trouble. LOL I will get some clear plastic and 2 x 4 s and a propane torch and make a few giant bags unless someone knows a better way or source. I have a few super plants worth the effort. They do look neat wrapped in clear plastic with Christmas lights. I did it last winter but mine have outgrown their 4 cu ft clear bags. These ones will need to be 8' x 5' for a good seal and ease of installation. The only problem with this is it can go from 30 at night to 75-80 the next day. LOL Then they would bake unless I removed the bag. I will find a middle ground. I hate to learn by trial and error. I am just too old.........

Jim

Jim, I occasionally, use overhead watering to thwart the frost. if you have one of those circular oscillating ones, like on the golf courses, perched on a 6 to 8 ft step ladder, you can cover allot of ground.

Jim,this is one of the first brugs I got back in 1999-and At the time Didn't know they had names.It blooms in yellow-and Orange-So I just call it "Orange".I've got a few double whites that the Stalk is approaching this size-And Frosty Pinks and Coral as well.I'm growing a Herrenhauser Garten that is about 5 feet tall now-hoping the trunk is that big in 2 or 3 years.That will be interesting.When the trunk is that big and It is never allowed to go dormant-it Literally Flowers for 9 Months solid!!Mark

Wow, those are huge. I went down a back road today that I never use much and missed where I was supposed to turn and saw a really big brug in someones driveway next to the garage door. Looked like they were keeping it close to run it inside if needed but that thing was taller than the garage doors. I need to go make a new friend in case they have to cut it back to get it inside, lol. How do you use water to combat frost?

F4F sprinkling water, which is above above 32 Degrees F. Will, of course, keep things warmer