Jatropha Planting

Where to Plant

• As long as it's planted in a well-drained location, jatropha isn't too fussy when it comes to soil types. Make sure that you plant in an area that receives full or partial sunlight to maximize growth and flowering. Its spectacular blooms make it an ideal specimen plant as well as being effective in a mixed shrub border or a hedge. You should be aware however, that mature jatropha can reach heights of 10 or 12 feet, so you may want to reconsider using them as a foundation planting, especially around windows.

How to Plant

• When digging the hole for the plant, make it twice as wide as the root ball, and just deep enough to allow the plant to sit as high as it does in its container. Having it sit lower than the surrounding soil will allow water to collect around the base of the plant, increasing the chance of root rot. Although the jatropha does well in a slightly sandy soil, to help it get established, it's advisable to add plenty of composted material to the soil from the planting hole and mix it thoroughly before using it to back-fill the hole. When adding this soil mix, half-fill the hole and water thoroughly to remove any air pockets around the roots, then fill in the rest of the hole and water again.

Care

• For the first week, water the jatropha on a daily basis. After the first week, decrease the watering schedule to every other day, and after 2 weeks, you can reduce it further so that you're only watering when the soil surface is dry to the touch. An established jatropha is drought-tolerant and will require only an occasional watering in unusually dry weather.

  The jatropha is frost-tender, so if cold weather threatens, try covering it with blankets to protect it from the elements. Even if the plant appears to be damaged, all is not lost. The leaves may well wilt and drop, but quite often, the jatropha will bounce back quite nicely when spring returns. To prevent further damage on new growth, wait until the threat of frost has passed before pruning any dead parts of the plant.

Pruning

• Jatrophas are easy to prune, and because they bloom on new growth, they can be pruned at any time of the year. Prune them to a single trunk for a tree-like growth habit, or tip-prune them to encourage more internal branching, which will give the plant a more rounded, well-contained and shrub-like appearance.

Warning

• When cut, jatropha stems will bleed a milky sap that can be irritating to sensitive skin. More important, all parts of the jatropha plant are highly toxic, so take care when planting in areas accessible to small children and pets.