How Do You Plant A Castor Bean?
The castor bean, which is actually a seed and not a bean, comes from the castor oil plant. The plant is native to Africa but is frequently planted in gardens across the United States. It can reach heights of 15 feet and produces large attractive green leaves. Raw castor beans are toxic in small doses of 6 to 8 beans due to the presence of ricin. 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. 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. Place your beans approximately one inch into
