which compost?

a good morning to all

i've bought some ricinus seeds which i'm waiting delivery on. which is the best compost to use to get them started? will an ordinary, common or garden potting compost do?

many fank yoos,
Al.

 

Hi Al

Castor oil plants , I have grown many times , yes normal multi purpose will be fine , they come up quite quickly , as you know very poisonous , I woudnt sow until March other wise they may get leggy plus you cant put out till May when hopefully its warmed up a bit , a 4 inch pot is best I found roots soon fill the pot , these really would appreciate a two week hardening off before you plant out , I gave my mum two of these , she grew in full sun well drained at the front of her cottage , they went up to 5 feet high and at least 4 feet across , looked amazing.

May need a mini-cane as well when planting out but they soon toughen up

Spruce

 

I agree with Spruce , last year I`ve started them too early and lost few ....overall
I`ve managed to overwinter few plants with no problem at all .

 

Thanks guys!

 

The seeds are the size of Runner Beans and germinate just as easily ... best to start them off one per pot (around 9cm) as they grow very quickly and need some space for their roots. If you start them off early they will be in 2L pots by the time you can plant them out, so don't be in a hurry. Last year I sowed on 31-Mar, and I reckon the plants were plenty big enough ...