- 1). Soak your castor beans in a container with warm water for at least 24 hours before you plant them. This will cause the seeds to swell to more than twice their size before they are placed into the ground. Soaking the seeds will help the plant germinate faster.
- 2). Use a shovel or hoe to break apart the soil and prepare a place to plant your seeds. Choose an area that will receive full sun for most of the day. Remove all weeds and rocks from the area and water the soil well. This can be done right before you plant the castor beans but you need to have the soil loose and moist before you transfer the seeds.
- 3). Place your beans approximately one inch into the moist soil and at least four to five feet apart. This should be done only after there is no longer a threat of frost because the cold temperatures can kill the plants. If you want to begin your plants early, you can start them indoors and transfer them outside when they have begun to germinate. Germination takes between 15 to 20 days after planting. The plants will spread and grow to a very large size so you will need enough distance between them. You may also need to thin out the seedlings to separate the plants if they begin growing close to one another.
- 4). Apply a layer of mulch with a depth of six to twelve inches around the plants. This helps to keep the soil moist and aides in weed control. The soil must remain moist for your castor beans and the mulch will keep you from having to water daily.
- 5). Use scissors to cut off the flowers as they start to bloom. This is important if you have children who like to pick flowers. The entire plant is toxic and this includes the flowers. Trimming the flowers off will not hurt the plant but can keep children away from the plants.
- 6). Fertilize your plants every four to six weeks with a fertilizer that is rich in nitrogen. You may use a good manure compost which will slowly release nutrients into the soil. This will keep your plants green and healthy and prevent them from depleting the soil of the nutrients they need.
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