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Planting a cacti garden ... advice for my OH please

DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
edited September 2018 in Plants
My Under Gardener is getting ideas above his station and has 'gardening plans' of his own 
:o

He has a small collection of cacti and succulents and wants to plant these together in a wooden box (9" x 18" by 5" deep) which will live by the 'glass wall' in our well lit east-south-east facing studio ... he plans to drill drainage holes in the bottom.

He would like advice from cactus growers as to what he needs to get to provide the right drainage and growing medium.

The plants he has at the moment are what we think is a Golden Barrel Cactus 5" tall, a possible Peruvian Apple cactus 18" tall with six stems, and a large  spikey aloe-type with several 'plants' which together are about 10" across and needs dividing as the centre is bare.  We also have a Sansevieria which needs repotting so we could take a division or two from that.

Any other ideas and advice are very welcome.

Thanks  :)


Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





Posts

  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    I have just been given some cacti and this was what I was told to do by the expert. Use John innis No2 with added grit/sand to pot on. If removing babies or leaves to propagate leave on a tray for at least 3days to a week before planting. They will root better. You already know about rain water, so gravel to stop splashing and you are away. Should look good as a group.😀
  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053
    Agree with the above. I used to use JI No. 2 with a third sharp sand, a couple of handfuls of grit or perlite. Top dressed with pea shingle. Couple of biggish rocks on top for effect. Good to go. Would not add the sansevieria - not the right 'vibe'. 
    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    hogweed said:
    Agree with the above. I used to use JI No. 2 with a third sharp sand, a couple of handfuls of grit or perlite. Top dressed with pea shingle. Couple of biggish rocks on top for effect. Good to go. Would not add the sansevieria - not the right 'vibe'. 
    Yes, I tend to agree ... think I'll tell him he can't have that ... I'll just split it up and pass one of them on to Wonky  ;)

    Thanks both of you  for the advice re the potting medium ... I need some grit for other things so this week is good timing  :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    If it was me I'd keep the plants in individual pots but bury them so the rim is covered. You could use plastic pots a bit bigger than the cactus pots, put them in place in the tray, fill around them with polystyrene or something then just put the cactus pots in the plastic pots and cover the whole lot with gravel. Mixed displays look great when you make them but they're a bugger to do anything with when the plants get bigger and need more space. You can also mix plants with different watering requirements then too. Cacti and succulents don't like being overpotted and keping them in pots will keep the tall ones stable. Pot bound ones are supposed to flower more readily if that helps.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
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