A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 castor beans = ricin

Before the beans get sprouted, I'll warn our neighbors about the hazard of Ruby walking along the retaining wall where they're planted....
I don't want her to get sick....this is a NICE doggie....

Is it in a pot or the ground??
Is it moveable???
Hate to take a chance??
Is she the type of dog that chews on plants??
(you know for roughage?? Like they eat grass?)
I thought, everything about the plant was very
poisonous, leaves, seeds especially?????

Better safe than sorry Jillie!!!
You know me, miss cautious!!

Weezie

They're planted in the ground, at the top of our 5'6" retaining wall at the end of the patio, just inside our property line. No prob digging them up & sticking them in a big pot, if it's gonna hurt Ruby-dog......She's not a destructive doggie, very big, mannerly and sweet. She doesn't touch any foliage, only an "accidental trample" about once every two weeks when she answers the call of the wild for a squirrel-chase..... I'll talk to the neighbors today....Or , heck....maybe I'll just get'em outta there...

Yep Weezie... that's what I heard too, though I haven't heard of animals actually chewing on it-
the safest thing would be to mention it to your neighbor Jillie!

Jillie,
You said accidental trampling,
would a touch of the paw, on a broken
leave, stem (pieces are parts and parts are pieces)
but would the juice end up on the bottom or her
pad/paw, and would she later in her grooming practices like it/??

Just wondering, or giving extra thought if not thought about, it could very well be nothing buttttttttt.... just curious!!

Weezie

Yeah, I've been concerned about that, too...BUT...I saw some little miniature fencing at the home center...pretty reasonable...to edge the side of the plot next to the neighbors stairs. It's about 2' high...The neighbors told me that Ruby isn't allowed to have the chance of "bolting" now....She's only allowed out on the leash...due to her attention span...We have this adolescent coyote that's been hanging around our yards lately, so they've been watching her VERY carefully..

Awwwww Jillie... it's so nice that you are so concerned about your neighbor pets!
Scary about the coyotes, huh? We had a pack of about 5-6 running through our backyard a few months ago. Their cries were haunting!

Here is one of my castor bean plants, on my deck in a large pot.
It is being guarded by my new Cat Chiminea - isn't he cute?