Why Castor Beans Don't Grow Tall. Castor oil: description of a garden plant, planting, growing and care. Castor bean planting and care in the open field transplant reproduction

Often home gardens are decorated with a plant that looks like a palm tree. It's called castor bean.

It is a powerful bush with beautiful patterned leaves and a thick stem.

Planting and caring for castor beans open field have some features.

Having familiarized yourself with them, you can easily grow a northern palm tree in your country house.

Castor bean, or ricinus communis, or tree of paradise, comes from Africa. The climate of those regions allows the plant to reach a height of up to 10 m.

Castor oil is a heat-loving perennial plant, but in Russia it grows only as an annual.

Features of development are related to the fact that with such harsh winters the tree of paradise simply has no chance of surviving.

In our country, it is a shrub with a height of 2 m.

The width of the leaves can reach 30-80 cm. They are with pronounced veins, often green, but depend on the variety. Blooms in dense inflorescences.

After that, oval fruits with thorns are formed on the plant. Approximately the diameter of each of them is about 3 cm.

Castor oil is an oil plant. She possesses medicinal properties. If we talk about species, then there is only one - the castor bean.

In addition, you can see a lot different varieties. All of them are somewhat different in appearance, have greener, purple or reddish leaves.

Castor bean Zanzibar is a shrub reaching a height of 2 m. The palmately divided leaves are huge. Their color is red-purple.

Gibson castor bean is a compact plant. The shrub reaches a height of only 50 cm. The leaves are dark green, have burgundy veins.

In addition, the sheet plates are distinguished by an interesting metallic sheen. There are purple leaf colors.

Castor oil Cambodia, unlike the Zanzibar variety, can grow up to 1.2 m tall. It is also often called Indian. The leaves of the plant are dark green, and the trunk is almost black.

Castor oil Bourbon is a taller plant, up to 3 m. The trunk of the plant becomes lignified over time. The leaves differ in color, they are green in the center, and burgundy at the edges.

Castor oil purple is very rare in home gardens. annual plant has a unique leaf color. They are large and purple.

Castor bean Impala during flowering forms bright red inflorescences. The shrub reaches a height of 1.2 m. The leaves are veined in red, the leaf plates themselves are green-bronze.

And this is not the whole list. interesting varieties plants. For example, the castor bean Oracle is able to change the color of the leaves. It depends on the lighting and the age of the shrub.

Varieties of red castor are distinguished by the dark red color of the leaf plates. These include the castor bean variety Hot Heart.

And also there is a unique bronze castor bean. Its leaves are bronze in color, such a plant will become a real highlight of the entire garden.

How to grow castor beans from seeds

Reproduction of the tree of paradise is possible only in one way.

Grow castor beans from seeds.

Planting material is purchased in stores, markets or collected independently.

It can be grown through seedlings or by sowing seeds immediately in open ground, depending on weather conditions region.

Planting dates when it is better to plant seeds

If it concerns sowing seeds in open ground, then you can proceed when the soil warms up enough.

By this time, the weather should be more or less stable warm weather. There should be no frost at night.

Planting castor seeds by growing through seedlings is recommended to start in the spring. The best time is March.

The process of seed scarification, how to prepare planting material for planting

If the seeds are purchased in specialized stores, they do not need special preparation.

Planting material has already been processed. Purchased seeds from hands or collected on their own are recommended to be disinfected first. This procedure is necessary to increase resistance to diseases.

Disinfect planting material can be done as follows:

1. Pour clean water into a small container.
2. Add some potassium permanganate.
3. Stir the resulting solution until the potassium permanganate is completely dissolved. The solution should be color pink.
4. Gently place the seeds into the solution.
5. Leave on for 15-25 minutes.
6. Rinse with clean water.

The percentage of seed germination is small, therefore, before sowing, a procedure called scarification is carried out. To do this, the seeds are rubbed on sandpaper.

After that, castor planting material for seedlings is placed in a growth stimulator solution.

With this treatment, the planting material will germinate in 3-4 days.

Note! Another important point is the removal of the skin that covers the cotyledon leaves. It happens that it does not separate on its own. Then you need to take tweezers and carefully remove it.

Soil for planting seeds

Since the seedlings develop very actively, it is recommended to sow in a container with a volume of at least 1 liter.

The soil for castor beans should be light.

You can buy a ready-made substrate in the store.

Drainage is poured at the bottom of the containers, and they fall asleep on top nutrient soil.

Completely to the edges of the earth in the tank is not necessary. During the growth of seedlings, it will be necessary to add soil from time to time.

The process of planting seeds

In prepared containers with earth, recesses are made for castor planting material.

Seeds are placed in holes, covered with earth. The embedment depth is about 1-2 cm. Then everything is watered and covered with a film.

For seed germination maintain a temperature of +20-25°C.

After the first sprouts appear, the film is immediately removed and placed in sunny place.

If it did happen, no big deal.

When transferring to permanent place or picking, you can place the seedlings deeper into the ground.

If separate large containers are used when growing seedlings, they do not need picking.

Otherwise, prepare a container of a larger volume and carefully transfer the seedlings along with a clod of earth.

Thus, the plant will practically not feel the changes, will not get sick, and quickly adapts.

How to care for castor seedlings

As already mentioned, caring for seedlings is much easier if used for growing individual containers.

During the development of seedlings, it needs watering and loosening the soil. Watered, focusing on the condition of the earth. When it becomes dry, water it.

Loosening is required so that the soil is light, porous. Oxygen easily penetrates deep into the soil, saturates the root system of the plant.

Seedlings grow stronger and develop rapidly. By the time of planting in a permanent place in open ground, seedlings can reach a height of about 100 cm!

Planting seedlings in a permanent place

Since the seedling grows extremely quickly, it can be planted in a permanent place when it grows to a height of 10-20 cm.

At the same time, it is important to take into account that it is possible to transplant castor bean seedlings to a permanent place only if the weather outside is consistently warm.

During night frosts, the plant may freeze.

Around the end of May or the beginning of June, transplantation begins:

1. Dig holes, mix the earth with compost.
2. Carefully remove the seedlings from the container. If possible, it is better to do this together with a clod of earth.
3. Then they are placed in a hole, sprinkled with garden soil.
4. At the final stage, watering.

Advice! So that seedlings quickly adapt to a new place, before planting experienced gardeners recommend hardening. Gradually, the seedlings are taken out first for a couple of hours on the veranda or balcony. Later, they begin to increase the time to 5 hours, they take the seedlings out into the street.

Is it possible to plant castor beans immediately in open ground

It is possible to plant castor beans in open ground at a permanent place of growth at a soil temperature of + 12 ° C.

To begin with, the soil is dug up and holes are made.

Their depth should be approximately 1-1.5 cm.

Several seeds are placed in each hole, since not all will germinate - 2-3 pieces will be enough.

Top sprinkled with earth, watered.

This planting method is possible only in warm regions.

For example, in Siberia they grow only through seedlings.

This is due to the fact that the spring there is quite cold, and it will not work to get a castor tree by sowing seeds directly into the ground.

Planting material will simply freeze and will not be able to germinate.

Castor bean care

Growing and caring for an exotic palm tree is not difficult. Main important points:

1. The plant needs regular watering.
2. The place on the site should be with a predominance sun rays.
3. Loosening the soil is also required, about 1 time in 7 days.
4. Important point- Getting rid of weeds. This issue is especially acute at the stage of development of young seedlings. The weeds are taking nutrients from the soil, so they need to be removed regularly.

Do I need to feed castor beans

The plant is not whimsical. Cultivation of castor beans is an interesting and exciting process.

For a stronger, healthier shrub, it is recommended to fertilize once a season.

Feed exotic palm before flowering. An additional source of useful trace elements can be purchased fertilizers for decorative leafy plants.

In addition, top dressing can be done independently:

1. Take a large bucket, pour 10 liters of water into it.
2. Add chicken manure at the rate of 1 part fertilizer to 10 parts water.
3. Mix everything thoroughly and leave for 10 days.
4. During this time, it is necessary to stir the contents of the bucket daily.
5. After the fertilizer is ready, water the castor beans.
6. For one plant, the consumption is 0.5 liters of fertilizer.

Diseases and pests

Exotic palm tree in the country to decorate any site. A tall and powerful plant looks just amazing.

However, sometimes a shrub can infect diseases, among them:

• powdery mildew;
• gray rot;
• bacteriosis;
• late blight.

For the treatment and prevention of diseases, the plant is recommended to be sprayed with a fungicide or Bordeaux liquid.

When the shrub begins to grow actively, it attracts pests. Most often castor beans are threatened by:

• caterpillars of the meadow moth;
• bedbugs;
• wireworms;
• sandy slow.

You can prevent the appearance of pests even during planting in open ground. For example, you can dilute a weak solution of potassium permanganate and pour wells over it.

Also, planting spicy greens next to castor beans will help scare away uninvited guests.

It can be garlic, onion, parsley, mint and coriander. Insecticide treatment is used only in extreme cases.

How to collect tree of paradise seeds

If gardeners grow a tree of paradise from seeds, they purchase planting material from a store, market, or collect it themselves.

Collect seeds begin no earlier than the beginning of September. By this time they should be ripe.

The seed is collected, then brought to the house or other dry and warm room. Lay out on paper to dry. The room must also be well ventilated.

When December comes, the seeds are taken out of the fruit. Please note that they are poisonous.

Store them in a place where small children or animals cannot find them. Planting material can be stored for about 4 years.

How poisonous is the castor bean?

When growing castor beans, you need to be extremely careful. This is due to the fact that the plant contains the so-called alkaloid ricinin. This substance is poisonous.

The seeds must not be eaten. Even death is possible.

For an adult to be fatally poisoned by a substance, it is enough to eat up to 20 pieces of seeds, for a child - about 6 pieces.

In case of poisoning with the alkaloid ricinin, nausea and vomiting are observed. Also, a person is dizzy, sometimes the skin begins to turn yellow.

Important! All work with the castor bean flower is carried out extremely carefully. Be sure to use gloves for this! Wash your hands after work large quantity clean water with soap. And in case of poisoning, you should immediately consult a doctor!

Photo of castor beans in the garden

This exotic palm is often used in landscape design. Original appearance many people like the shrub, due to which the castor bean has gained wide popularity.

Warm weather will allow decorative palm trees for the garden to grow large, powerful. Such a paradise tree will attract the attention of all guests!

Castor oil is an evergreen perennial plant from the Euphorbiaceae family. It is believed that it originated in Ethiopia, from where it spread throughout the tropics and subtropics of the entire planet. It can also be found under the names "paradise tree", "castor" or "Turkish hemp". Strong branched stems covered with unusual large leaves are very decorative. This makes castor beans very popular with gardeners. At the same time, many are worried poisonous properties seeds and juice. Of course, this requires increased attention, but with proper handling, castor bean will become a magnificent decoration of the garden and will attract a lot of attention.

Botanical characteristics

Castor bean - sprawling fast growing shrub 2-10 m high. In its natural environment, it exists for several years, delighting with its huge size and decorative leaves. In temperate climates, castor bean is grown as an annual. During the season, she manages to grow up to 3 m in height. Strong branched shoots are hollow tubes with a ribbed surface. They are covered with green, pinkish or lilac skin with a slight matte bluish tinge.

Large petiolate foliage grows alternately. The length of one petiole is 20-60 cm. The leaf has a deeply cut palmate shape and consists of 5-7 lobes. The width of one leaf plate reaches 30-80 cm. The oval-shaped segments with a pointed edge and wavy sides are painted dull green. On the surface, the central and lateral veins extending from it are clearly visible.

Flowering occurs during the summer months. Between the leaves and at the top of the shoot, dense brushes of small nondescript flowers bloom. Each inflorescence consists of male and female buds, painted in white or cream. Numerous stamens form a lush bunch and give the inflorescence airiness. female flowers with three separate stigmas are painted crimson, yellow or red.

After pollination, spherical seed pods ripen, covered with skin with sharp spines. The diameter of the fruit reaches 3 cm. Inside it is divided into 3 sections, where there are rather large, bean-like seeds with spotted skin.

Benefit and harm

Castor bean seeds, as well as its cake, contain a large amount of ricin and ricinin. These extremely dangerous substances for humans cause poisoning, spasms, and bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. You can die, it is enough for a child to eat up to 6 seeds, and for an adult - up to 20. Often a smaller dose is enough. You can not even try and chew castor beans, especially seeds. Also, wash your hands thoroughly after gardening.

The first signs of poisoning are vomiting, headache, general weakness, burning and cramps in the stomach, as well as a yellow tint to the skin. As soon as a suspicion of poisoning appears, you should immediately call a doctor, as the condition will soon worsen greatly.

Although the seeds are very poisonous, castor beans are valued for them in the pharmaceutical industry. Up to half of the volume of raw materials is occupied by valuable oils. They are used for medical and technical purposes.

After special processing it turns out Castor oil. The spin technology allows you to neutralize toxic alkaloids. The drug helps to cope with inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, colitis, constipation, fever. They lubricate ulcers and burns on the skin. In cosmetology, castor oil is used to get rid of warts and whiten age spots. It also helps to increase the contractile activity of the uterus and facilitates the course of bronchitis.

garden varieties

The castor bean genus is monolithic, that is, it is based on a single variety - the castor bean. She became the progenitor ornamental varieties and hybrids. The plant is a spreading shrub covered with long-leaved, carved leaves. Closer to the stem short peduncles corymbose inflorescences of a yellow or cream shade grow. After pollination, they are replaced by spherical seed pods with spikes. Among the most spectacular varieties are the following:

Reproduction and planting

Gardeners emphasize that growing castor beans at home is possible only with seeds. Fortunately, a sufficient number of them ripen in just a season. Large seeds are covered with a dense skin, which makes it difficult to germinate. Therefore, before sowing, they are scarified (they damage the skin with a file or sandpaper). Then the planting material is soaked in the Epin solution for 10-12 hours.

You can sow castor beans immediately in open ground in May. To quickly get a powerful plant, grow seedlings. To do this, in early April, small pots are prepared, only half filled with garden loose soil. Large seeds are easy to distribute one by one. They are deepened by 1.5-2.5 cm. After processing, the sprouts appear quite quickly, already on the third or fourth day. Seedlings immediately develop very quickly. The shoot stretches out, and then real carved leaves appear. To get a denser bush, the seedlings are transferred to a cool place with a temperature of + 15 ... + 18 ° C. Gradually growing castor beans are sprinkled with earth and the pot is filled to the brim.

When the time comes to plant a heat-loving plant in open ground, the height of the castor bean will already reach 1 m. This usually happens in late May or early June. Even compact forms are large in size, so in each landing pit identify 1-2 plants. Landing is carried out by transshipment so that sensitive roots are not affected. The distance between individual specimens in a group should be about 1-1.5 m.

Care rules

Castor beans are relatively unpretentious and grow very quickly. Bushes develop best in nutritious loose soil (chernozem). The higher the fertility rate, the larger the bush will be. In the presence of strong drafts, castor bean growth will slow down. Most varieties prefer a moist environment and good lighting.

Succulent leaves quickly evaporate moisture, so regular watering becomes the main point in care. In the absence of precipitation, a bucket of water is poured into the ground 1-2 times a week.

Immediately after planting, the soil near the plant is mulched. First you need periodic weeding and getting rid of weeds. Gradually weeds they will stop growing.

During the season, castor beans are fed 2-3 times with mineral fertilizers with a high nitrogen content. For the first time they are introduced during the budding period.

In autumn, with the onset of the first cold weather, the shoots will begin to darken, and the leaves will wither. Unfortunately, castor beans do not hibernate in temperate climates, so there is no point in trying to save them. The dried plant is cut off, and the earth is dug up, preparing for a new flower garden.

Castor oil is resistant to most plant diseases. Only in cold shady place it may develop rot, phyllosticosis or powdery mildew. Treatment with fungicides or Bordeaux liquid will help improve the bush.

Castor oil in landscape design

A large bush with luxurious leaves of red and green flowers effectively stands out in single landings in the middle of a lawn or in the center of a rounded flower bed, framed by lower flowering plants. Castor beans are often used to decorate hedges or decorate walls. It has been noted that flies fly much less frequently near this plant.

Although castor beans are so poisonous, cultivation in decorative purposes not dangerous. If there are no small children, poultry and animals in the house, you should not be afraid. Just being near the plant or touching it will not cause harm. It is only important to maintain hygiene.

Castor bean (Ricinus communis) - is a perennial sprawling shrub 2-10 m high. "Ricinus" is translated from Latin as "tick", hence the name "castor". The plant is also called paradise tree, castor oil, Turkish hemp.

The stem is glabrous, erect, branched, colored brown, red or bluish-green. Leaves are of decorative value. They are large, palmately divided (consisting of 5-7 lobes), attached to long hollow petioles. The segments are oval in shape, have a pointed top and wavy edges. The width of the leaf plate is 30-80 cm.

The color of the leaves is green, the veins are pronounced. Flowering: dense racemose inflorescences, consisting of small whitish flowers. After flowering, fruits appear in the form of spherical-oval boxes covered with thorns. The diameter of each ball is about 3 cm, they are located between the leaves in several pieces, giving attractiveness. The oval-shaped seeds have a variegated mosaic color: against the background of the main color (gray, red-brown, etc.), there are patterns of brown, black, pink, pale pink.

The plant is oil-bearing, has medicinal properties, is grown as garden culture. Belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family and is the only representative of the genus with several forms and varieties. Africa (namely Ethiopia) is considered the birthplace of castor beans, but in natural environment can often be found in the subtropics, tropics of India, Brazil, Argentina, Iran, China. Castor seeds were found in the tombs of the kings of Egypt - the Egyptians have been growing culture for more than one millennium.

How poisonous is the castor bean?

Be careful as all parts of the plant are poisonous (contain alkaloids). Variegated seeds are strictly not to be eaten. If a child eats about 6 seeds, and an adult - up to 20 pieces, a fatal outcome is possible. Signs of poisoning are headache, weakness, nausea, vomiting, stomach discomfort, and the skin may become yellowish. In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor. Carry out all work with the plant with gloves, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, and keep children and animals away from contact.

Castor oil seeds at home

When to sow castor beans outdoors

Zanzibar castor bean Ricinus zanzibarinus

An annual plant about 2 m high. The leaves are huge, palmately divided, painted in a red-violet hue.

Castor bean Cambodian or Indian Ricinus cambodgensis

Reaches a height of 1.2 m. The trunk has a dark, almost black color. Leaf plates of dark green color are deeply dissected into lobes.

Castor bean Gibson ricinus gibsonii photo

Low compact bushes about half a meter tall. The color of the leaf plate is dark green, the veins have a burgundy hue. At the leaves metallic sheen. There are varieties with purple colors.

Castor bean red

The height of the bush is 1.5-2 m. Large palmately divided leaves are shiny, have a dark red color.

Castor bean impala Ricinus Communis Impala

The plant is 1.2 m high. The leaf plates are painted in a bronze-green hue, the veins are reddish. Large dense racemose inflorescences consist of flowers of a bright red hue.

Bourbon castor bean Ricinus borboniensis

Reaches a height of 3 m. The trunk is dense, slightly woody. The color of the leaves is mostly green. Leaf plates located on the tops of the shoots near the inflorescences have a burgundy hue.

Castor oil Cossack

Domestic variety. Plant height is 2 m. The stem is painted red-brown. Young leaves are red-violet with patches white color, but over time they become dark green with streaks of a reddish hue. The color of the flowers is blood red, the seed pods also have a bright purple color.

Castor bean bronze

The leaves and shoots of the plant have a bronze hue, a real bronze palm in your flower garden!

Castor bean purple

A rare curiosity for our gardens, such an annual palm looks fantastic. It should be planted in your flower garden or a free corner of the garden.

The benefits of castor beans

Surprisingly, the poisonous seeds are used to make castor oil. The production technology neutralizes toxic substances.

Castor oil is taken for treatment inflammatory diseases Gastrointestinal: colitis, enteritis, constipation.

Externally used for burns, ulcers, warts, wounds, for colds or bronchitis, rub the chest with oil. Can be used as eye drops for inflammation. They also treat gynecological diseases, hemorrhoids, varicose veins.

Castor oil is widely used in cosmetology for the treatment of skin problems (pigment spots, uneven skin relief, wrinkles, copes well with calluses, corns, dandruff), is used to strengthen hair and eyelashes.

Castor bean is common in the wild and is dangerous if the rules for handling its seeds are not followed. The thing is, they are poisonous. Grow a castor bean plant on your own personal plot can be seeds or cuttings. The castor bean has a certain decorative value and is used as a green hedge. It is very difficult to extract the practical benefits of seeds at home. But beneficial features This plant is not only widely known, but also used. Suffice it to mention that the famous castor oil is made from castor beans. You can read about how to grow castor beans in your area from seeds in this material. Here is the complete botanical characteristic plants accompanied by numerous illustrations.

What does the castor bean plant look like: description and photo

Castor bean (Ricinus Communis L.) belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family.

You can start describing the castor bean plant with the fact that the scientific generic name: comes from the Latin word "ricinus" - a tick, which is associated with the shape and color of the seeds, resembling a tick.

Grown in culture with ancient times, in Egypt - more than 4000 years. According to Herodotus and Diodorus, the ancient Greek name for the castor bean came to Hellas from Ancient Egypt.

Motherland- Ethiopia and adjacent African countries.

In Russia, China and many other countries, it is found only in culture. Grow in humus-rich, moist soils. As an ornamental plant grown in southern and middle lane European Russia. AT industrial scale cultivated mainly in Krasnodar Territory as well as in many provinces in China. The main world center for the production of castor seeds is India.

Studying the castor bean plant according to the description and photo, one can only draw a superficial conclusion about the need to grow it on your site:

A perennial plant with a tree-like stem up to 10 m high. However, it is often grown as an annual - up to 200 cm high. It forms rather wide, sprawling bushes. root system rod, powerful, penetrates deep into the soil. Stems are erect, branched, glabrous, green, red, brown with a bluish bloom. Young branches and petioles of leaves with a bluish bloom.

The leaves are alternate, large, glabrous, long-petiolate, palmately dissected into 5-11 lobes. The lobes of the leaves are ovate-oblong, serrated along the edges.

Flowers unisexual, monoecious, in racemose terminal or opposite leaves inflorescences. In the lower part of the inflorescences are anthered, and in the upper - pistillate flowers. Occasionally meet bisexual flowers. Perianth simple, 3-5-parted. There are no petals, the stamens are numerous, collected in bunches, many times branched in the upper part. The ovary is spherical or oval, covered with spikes, trivalve, with one seed in each socket. Nondescript flowers of decorative value are not.

The fruits are tricuspid capsules with numerous spines. The seeds are oval, in different varieties of different sizes (from 0.9 to 2.5 cm long), with a smooth, variegated skin and a rather large seed. Seeds are similar to bean seeds, shiny, variegated. The mosaic color of the seeds - brown, gray, silver - resembles a tick. In this regard, the plant was called "castor bean".

Most commonly used for landscaping decorative forms with colored leaves, fruits and undersized varieties.

medicinal value. Castor beans are cultivated for seeds containing up to 58% non-drying fatty oil. In medicine, it is also used under the name "castor oil".

In horticulture, decorative forms with colored foliage and undersized varieties are often used.

Yes, variety Zanzibar has showy purple-red leaves;

Cambodian- almost black trunks;

Gibson- blood-red or metallic leaves, undersized varieties.

See how the castor bean looks like in the photo, which shows all its external decorative advantages:

Conditions for growing castor beans from seeds

Castor plant cultivation is practiced on loose, rich soils with a deep fertile layer. The conditions for growing castor beans require special ones: the plant does not tolerate frost and prolonged cooling.

It responds well to top dressing with complex mineral fertilizers before the formation of inflorescences. Regular watering is required.

Castor beans are planted in sunny, warm, moist, wind-protected areas with deeply cultivated, loose, nutritious soil.

To grow a castor bean plant from seeds, they are sown in March for seedlings in pots of 2-3 pieces. Before sowing, they are soaked in water for a day. Seedlings appear after 3 weeks. Seedlings are planted one at a time in pots with a diameter of 10–12 cm. Seedlings are planted in a permanent place in early June. In summer, 2-3 additional feedings are needed with complex mineral fertilizer, in the dry season - watering.

Place castor beans in a flower garden among a green lawn in the form of planting a single plant or 3-5 plants in a group.

Seeds are sown in April in small pots, then transplanted into larger pots one plant at a time. Seedlings are taken from pots in early June and planted with a clod of earth in a permanent place in loose, heavily humus-fertilized soil. Castor oil is very thermophilic and develops well into a spectacular plant only in a sunny, protected location.

The use of castor bean herb

For landscaping, decorative forms with colored leaves, fruits and undersized varieties are more often used. The use of castor beans as a green hedge is practiced in warm regions.

active substances. Seeds contain fatty oil - from 40 to 60%, proteins - up to 17% (including toxalbumin ricin - up to 5% - a very toxic substance), alkaloids (ricinin - up to 1% and others).

The use of castor beans in medicine: the Indians of North America treat ulcers, acne, pimples with a paste of crushed seeds; a lotion from the seeds is applied to the boils. Plants and seeds are considered poisonous. They eat the seeds and drink their infusion as a laxative and purgative. The Hawaiians use the leaves as an anesthetic for severe headaches. A poultice of leaves is applied to the head and body of adults and children in extreme heat - as an antipyretic.

In Africa, oil from the seeds was rubbed on the body - this gave the skin freshness and shine, and in cool weather protected from the cold. The oil was also used for dressing hides and skins, for lighting dwellings, and even for roasting vegetables. Large cattle fed with leaves to increase milk production.

A non-drying and non-freezing technical oil is produced from castor oil, which is used to lubricate the rubbing parts of machine tools and machines. It has found wide application in textile, leather, paint and varnish, soap and perfume industries.

In India, a decoction of the roots is part of various recipes for the treatment of nervous diseases and rheumatic suffering - such as lumbago, sciatica, pain in the sides. The seeds are ground into a paste, boiled in milk and water, and the decoction is given for lumbago and sciatica. A poultice of crushed seeds promotes suppuration and maturation of boils, treats gout and reduces the size of rheumatic bumps. The leaves are heated over a fire and applied to the breasts of lactating women to stimulate lactation. For these purposes, they also drink a liquid extract or juice of the leaves. Poultices of crushed leaves are used to treat sore joints.

If the eyes are affected, they are washed with a decoction of the bark, leaves or roots in goat milk and water.

In scientific medicine in many countries of the world, castor bean seed oil is used - castor oil, which is obtained by hot pressing. When the oil is treated with hot steam, the poisonous ricin is destroyed. Castor oil is a classic laxative. It is also part of various ointments, balms with antiseptic and wound healing properties.

Castor seeds are poisonous!

Castor oil is obtained from the seeds by cold pressing. It contains oleic, linoleic, stearic, dioxystearic acids, glycerin.

Castor oil is used as an effective laxative. It cleanses the small and large intestines without causing irritation.

AT traditional medicine castor oil is part of the ointments intended for the treatment of burns, ulcers, skin softening. It is rubbed into the head to improve hair growth.

castor bean oil

We learn about some ancient names indirectly. The one who in childhood was treated to castor oil - castor oil, is unlikely to have forgotten its taste and smell; This oil is obtained from the seeds of the castor bean (Ricinus communis) - a herbaceous plant from the Euphorbiaceae family. Dictionaries give the following explanation for the word "castor oil": "It is formed using the suffix - ka on the basis of the combinations" castor oil ", which is an exact translation of the English castor oil." Like everything is clear? No, not all. In fact, the history of this name goes far beyond England. Castor bean oil was known to the ancient Egyptians. They used it to make ointments, filled lamps with it. Until the 16th century, inclusive, it was brought to Europe from the East. Then it fell into disuse for almost two centuries, and only in the second half of the 18th century did the Spaniards begin to deliver it from the West Indies, where the castor bean was cultivated under the Spanish name Agno casto. Accordingly, the oil received the name oleum castum, which eventually turned into castor oil or simply castor oil.

See how castor beans grow and look: the video shows the basic techniques of modern agricultural technology for this crop:

In its homeland, in Africa, castor beans grow as evergreen shrub capable of reaching 10 meters in height. Since ancient times, people have used it as a living fence and used the oil of its fruits for dressing hides and skins.

General information

AT modern world castor beans are highly regarded ornamental plant with many garden forms and varieties distributed far beyond the natural zone - up to Great Britain. However, along with its extraordinary beauty, castor oil has an important negative quality- toxicity.

Absolutely all parts of this plant are poisonous, especially seeds that contain ricin in an amount of 0.1% or more. Castor bean is so poisonous that it is enough to eat 6 of its berries to cause very serious damage to the body.

Varieties and types

(paradise tree ) — perennial shrub with wide spreading bushes up to 2 meters high. The shoots can be green, red and brown with a blue bloom, large foliage is green.

Against this background, the flowers look rather inconspicuous and are absolutely devoid of decorative value. Fruits in oval-spherical capsules are covered with thorns, up to 3 cm in diameter, 8-25 seeds per 1 gram.

red castor bean are varieties with red foliage, such as

• castor bean hot heart , is the most poisonous, and one of the most beautiful, with thorns flying far from the seeds;

• common domestic variety castor bean (with red-brown shiny shoots and red-purple foliage with white dots along the edges of the teeth);

• Gibson castor bean (up to 1.5 meters in height, with burgundy foliage).

No less common are castor bean varieties with a delightful bronze color of foliage, for example, Gibson castor bean with a characteristic metallic luster of sheets and castor bean impala bronze , which also has spectacular flowers of a bright red hue.

Several are separated from other varieties:

• Zanzibar - its red-violet foliage,

• Cambodian - almost black color of the trunk and leaves,

• oracle - the incredible ability of foliage to change shade depending on age and lighting,

• borbon - very tall and powerful with a tree-like rich red stem (up to 15 cm thick) and green gleaming leaves.

Castor plant planting and care in the open field

The cultivation of some varieties of castor beans is accompanied accelerated growth bushes. Castor planting in open ground is carried out in May, 3-5 individuals in group plantings.

Here it is very important to choose the right place for landing - it should be sunny, have a constant level of humidity and be protected from drafts and frequent strong gusts of wind.

Watering castor beans

Castor oil does not apply to capricious plants, however, it should still be watered regularly to ensure the forces for flowering.

The approximate volume of water that needs to be supplied to one plant every 5 days is 10 liters.

Soil for castor beans

Chernozem is the most preferred soil for castor beans. If a country cottage area contains other types of soil, it is recommended to fertilize them with humus and compost in large quantities before planting.

You should also make preliminary training soil, making it loose and water-, breathable.

Castor bean transplant

The best way to grow castor beans in our climate is seedling, which will be discussed below. Before that, you need to say a few words about the transplant, which castor bean tolerates very hard.

For sowing seeds, it is better to select in advance separate containers with a volume of at least 250 cubic cm. It is recommended to plant the seeds to a depth of 2 cm.

Thus, during further transshipment, before which it will not be superfluous to water the plant well to thicken earthy coma, as well as during the initial development of the root system, the possibility of damage to it is practically excluded.

Castor bean fertilizer

Gardeners-specialists are advised to fertilize in the form nitrogen fertilizers before flowering.

When the formation of flower brushes begins, fertilizers must be replaced with potassium-phosphorus.

Castor oil in winter

In our climatic conditions, castor bean cannot live in winter, so at this time of the year it freezes and is grown as an annual.

Despite this, some gardeners manage to grow a whole “palm tree” up to 4 meters high during the season.

Castor bean growing from seeds

To grow castor beans by sowing seeds on open ground, at the end of spring, holes up to 10 cm deep are formed in the prepared soil and 2-3 seeds are laid in them, after which they are covered with earth.

After 3 weeks, shoots will appear, and when this happens, you need to carefully remove the oily peel that has stuck to the cotyledon leaves in order to prevent the seedling from rotting. Optimum temperature for seed germination is 12-14℃.

Planting castor beans for seedlings

The above-mentioned method of growing castor seedlings involves soaking the seeds for a day before planting, which will allow them to develop intensively even under conditions of low soil moisture.

In April, the seeds are placed for germination in bulk peat pots with a nutrient substrate (ordinary 20 cm in diameter clay pots with earth are well suited).

Seedlings are planted in the ground as usual - after the spring cold has passed. Any prolonged cooling can negate all the decorativeness of this plant.

Diseases and pests

Castor oil is rarely affected by any disease due to its toxicity. But pests such as wireworm and cotton bollworm can still harm her.

Against them, it is recommended to use broad-spectrum insecticides, and, in cases of damage by gray rot, seed mold or fusarium, seed dressing with granosan (80%) in terms of 2 grams per kilogram of seeds.

A greater effect can be achieved with the help of silicate glue, which should be diluted in water together with the preparation and, in the resulting mixture, pickle the seeds.