180323 027 Waterwise Botanicals Nursery, Bonsall CA - Succulent Celebration 2018, Tom Jesch shows how to plant a cactus without wearing gloves
Tom Jesch, owner of Waterwise Botanicals Nursery, demonstrated cactus planting without wearing protective gloves. These are the steps to pain-free planting:
1. Dig a hole, matching the depth to the soil depth in the pot.
2. Lay cactus plant sideways on the ground with the bottom of the pot right next to the hole.
3. Press on the pot a bit to loosen the root ball and pull the pot off.
4. Using a big ol' stick (or any conventional tool) push the cactus into the hole.
5. Do a bad job backfilling the hole around the root ball. Leave lots of voids and air spaces. The soil will fill in properly on its own with irrigation or rainfall.
6. Although cactus thorns are painfully obvious, Opuntia cactus are noted for also having glochids, tiny barbed hairs that are hard to see but can be irritating and painful in the skin. He recommends using duct tape or Brazilian-type hair wax to remove them.
Tom gave these tips for growing cactus outdoors in Southern California and similar climates:
1. Unless you are planting in heavy clay, soil amendments are not needed or recommended.
2. Cactus like to be fed. Expensive fertilizers are not needed. Use regular turf grass fertilizer. Soil in So Cal is naturally rich in phosphorous, potassium and iron so mainly nitrogen is needed. Don't place the fertilizer too close to the plants; apply in the open spaces between plants. Cactus have fine surface roots that spread widely.
3. Tom thinks mulching is a good idea but not right up against the plants.
4. Overhead sprinkler irrigation is much better than drip irrigation, which usually causes rot in succulents. Cactus don't need much irrigation. A few times from spring to early summer is fine. The best way is to irrigate two consecutive days for each watering. The first irrigation opens up the soil surface and the follow-up penetrates deeply.
5. Weeding can be a painful issue around cactus. Tom suggested long BBQ tongs or a really long knife to slice off weed roots. He also recommends weed control with glyphosate (e.g. Roundup). Cactus are fairly resistant to this herbicide and a drop or two won't hurt them.
180323 027 Waterwise Botanicals Nursery, Bonsall CA - Succulent Celebration 2018, Tom Jesch shows how to plant a cactus without wearing gloves
Tom Jesch, owner of Waterwise Botanicals Nursery, demonstrated cactus planting without wearing protective gloves. These are the steps to pain-free planting:
1. Dig a hole, matching the depth to the soil depth in the pot.
2. Lay cactus plant sideways on the ground with the bottom of the pot right next to the hole.
3. Press on the pot a bit to loosen the root ball and pull the pot off.
4. Using a big ol' stick (or any conventional tool) push the cactus into the hole.
5. Do a bad job backfilling the hole around the root ball. Leave lots of voids and air spaces. The soil will fill in properly on its own with irrigation or rainfall.
6. Although cactus thorns are painfully obvious, Opuntia cactus are noted for also having glochids, tiny barbed hairs that are hard to see but can be irritating and painful in the skin. He recommends using duct tape or Brazilian-type hair wax to remove them.
Tom gave these tips for growing cactus outdoors in Southern California and similar climates:
1. Unless you are planting in heavy clay, soil amendments are not needed or recommended.
2. Cactus like to be fed. Expensive fertilizers are not needed. Use regular turf grass fertilizer. Soil in So Cal is naturally rich in phosphorous, potassium and iron so mainly nitrogen is needed. Don't place the fertilizer too close to the plants; apply in the open spaces between plants. Cactus have fine surface roots that spread widely.
3. Tom thinks mulching is a good idea but not right up against the plants.
4. Overhead sprinkler irrigation is much better than drip irrigation, which usually causes rot in succulents. Cactus don't need much irrigation. A few times from spring to early summer is fine. The best way is to irrigate two consecutive days for each watering. The first irrigation opens up the soil surface and the follow-up penetrates deeply.
5. Weeding can be a painful issue around cactus. Tom suggested long BBQ tongs or a really long knife to slice off weed roots. He also recommends weed control with glyphosate (e.g. Roundup). Cactus are fairly resistant to this herbicide and a drop or two won't hurt them.