Anyone have an outdoor cactus/succulent garden?
- Parrotpaul
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Anyone have an outdoor cactus/succulent garden?
Most of my garden is done...after a month...now I want to start an outdoor cactus garden....does anyone have one? I'd like to pick your brain on a few areas of cactus gardening.
"I think I may say that of all the men we meet with, nine parts of ten are what they are, good or evil, useful or not, by their education." John Locke
Re: Anyone have an outdoor cactus/succulent garden?
Parrotpaul wrote:Most of my garden is done...after a month...now I want to start an outdoor cactus garden....does anyone have one? I'd like to pick your brain on a few areas of cactus gardening.
I do.
I just love living in South West Florida. It is the best.
- Parrotpaul
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Re: Anyone have an outdoor cactus/succulent garden?
What cacti do you have that will tolerate some shade? What is the soil mix you used...I'm thinking half peat moss, 1/4 sand, and 1/4 gravel.SLK230 wrote:
I do.
"I think I may say that of all the men we meet with, nine parts of ten are what they are, good or evil, useful or not, by their education." John Locke
Re: Anyone have an outdoor cactus/succulent garden?
We have red barrels, yellow barrels, Toothpick, Desert Spoon, Saguaro, Queen Victoria Agave's (Not sure if that is technically a cactus but is beautiful.)Parrotpaul wrote:What cacti do you have that will tolerate some shade? What is the soil mix you used...I'm thinking half peat moss, 1/4 sand, and 1/4 gravel.
We just dig a hole. Home depot does sell a cactus mix, sometimes we use miracle grow mix. Drainage is more important then anything else. They do like sand, the gravel would be good for drainage. We have never used peat moss.
In almost 6 years in Tucson we have never had a cactus die. They are pretty hearty. Stay away from Bunny ears and Prickly Pear cactus as they will take over the entire area.
Above all else do not over water.
Hope this helped.
BTW...All of them will tolerate some shade.
I just love living in South West Florida. It is the best.
- Parrotpaul
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Re: Anyone have an outdoor cactus/succulent garden?
It did.SLK230 wrote:
We have red barrels, yellow barrels, Toothpick, Desert Spoon, Saguaro, Queen Victoria Agave's (Not sure if that is technically a cactus but is beautiful.)
We just dig a hole. Home depot does sell a cactus mix, sometimes we use miracle grow mix. Drainage is more important then anything else. They do like sand, the gravel would be good for drainage. We have never used peat moss.
In almost 6 years in Tucson we have never had a cactus die. They are pretty hearty. Stay away from Bunny ears and Prickly Pear cactus as they will take over the entire area.
Above all else do not over water.
Hope this helped.
BTW...All of them will tolerate some shade.
Home Depot has some gorgeous cacti and succulents....the nice part about cacti...if they get NO water, they will shut down and live off the stored water...cactus can actually be stored outside a pot or the ground.
Pretty labor-free garden once it's built.
"I think I may say that of all the men we meet with, nine parts of ten are what they are, good or evil, useful or not, by their education." John Locke
Re: Anyone have an outdoor cactus/succulent garden?
drive out to the desert and buy some decent cactus.. I can't remember the name of the place but there is a large cacti garden store in Yucca Valley...Parrotpaul wrote:It did.
Home Depot has some gorgeous cacti and succulents....the nice part about cacti...if they get NO water, they will shut down and live off the stored water...cactus can actually be stored outside a pot or the ground.
Pretty labor-free garden once it's built.
- Parrotpaul
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Re: Anyone have an outdoor cactus/succulent garden?
Is this the one? Dig your own cactus for $.59. Cool.SoMelo wrote: drive out to the desert and buy some decent cactus.. I can't remember the name of the place but there is a large cacti garden store in Yucca Valley...
There's one of the best in Pasadena not far from the Huntington.
"I think I may say that of all the men we meet with, nine parts of ten are what they are, good or evil, useful or not, by their education." John Locke
Re: Anyone have an outdoor cactus/succulent garden?
I raised my own blue agave. Tried making them into tequila but kept sticking my lips with the ends.


Re: Anyone have an outdoor cactus/succulent garden?
yeah... make sure you pick up one of theseParrotpaul wrote:Is this the one? Dig your own cactus for $.59. Cool.
There's one of the best in Pasadena not far from the Huntington.

- Parrotpaul
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Re: Anyone have an outdoor cactus/succulent garden?
I forgot about the huge nursery on Geronimo off El Toro in Lake Forest....great cactus collection and lots of varieties...still, the most eye-popping cacti around are in Home Depot.
"I think I may say that of all the men we meet with, nine parts of ten are what they are, good or evil, useful or not, by their education." John Locke
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- Parrotpaul
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Re: Anyone have an outdoor cactus/succulent garden?
And sweet cacti they are...thanks for the pics. I'm in the process of rethinking a part of what I've already planted...pics on FACEBOOK.Jimbridger wrote:bridger has cacti...
"I think I may say that of all the men we meet with, nine parts of ten are what they are, good or evil, useful or not, by their education." John Locke
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Re: Anyone have an outdoor cactus/succulent garden?
glad bridger could help....bridger's indoor succulent garden is even betterParrotpaul wrote: And sweet cacti they are...thanks for the pics. I'm in the process of rethinking a part of what I've already planted...pics on FACEBOOK.
- Parrotpaul
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Re: Anyone have an outdoor cactus/succulent garden?
I've gone cactus crazy this week. I picked up two HUGE agaves...one is an artichoke agave and the other is a very large rough-backed agave....I also picked up two large vertical cacti...one measure four feet at the dirt line and the other is three medium stems about two feet each.....large five gallon tubs....I'll bury them in the pots for a month or two. I have a south facing hillside that is all ground cover I'm in the process of converting. I'll put a video and a pic update on FACEBOOK.Jimbridger wrote:
glad bridger could help....bridger's indoor succulent garden is even better
"I think I may say that of all the men we meet with, nine parts of ten are what they are, good or evil, useful or not, by their education." John Locke
- Parrotpaul
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Re: Anyone have an outdoor cactus/succulent garden?
I moved this from the other thread. All the pics are on Facebook.
Driving with candle cacti precariously perched and supported by various means on the passenger side of my Solara is a scary experience. If they begin to move whilst going around a corner, the first instinct is to reach out and grab them....that doesn't happen twice, and neither will transporting large cacti in the front passenger seat area of my car happen again...real dumb move.
I never knew just how unfriendly cacti can be if you even brush up against them...at any rate...I have had to move the damned things a dozen times because of rain, cold temps, and heavy winds. They are now luxuriating in the sunshine....still in their pots where they will stay until I can get the landscape crews to turn off the irrigation where I want to make the garden. My hands and the sleeves of several shirts are loaded with little cactus thorns....I have learned a great deal about handling cacti in the past week. But picking the damned things up requires real arm and leg strength and plenty of balance.....so far, the back has done well.
I can't wait for the heat...these things need their own space....they're dangerous out of ground.
P.S. Might be headed for Borrego Springs for three or four days.
Thanks for asking...the past week and a half I have put on about 10 pounds of pure muscle carrying very large cactus plants...four foot blue candle cactus, another four foot candle cactus I can't pronounce, a HUGE rough back agave, and a smaller agave, plus about eight smaller potted groups of smaller cacti.Jimbridger wrote: speaking of Palin...how are your succulents?
Driving with candle cacti precariously perched and supported by various means on the passenger side of my Solara is a scary experience. If they begin to move whilst going around a corner, the first instinct is to reach out and grab them....that doesn't happen twice, and neither will transporting large cacti in the front passenger seat area of my car happen again...real dumb move.
I never knew just how unfriendly cacti can be if you even brush up against them...at any rate...I have had to move the damned things a dozen times because of rain, cold temps, and heavy winds. They are now luxuriating in the sunshine....still in their pots where they will stay until I can get the landscape crews to turn off the irrigation where I want to make the garden. My hands and the sleeves of several shirts are loaded with little cactus thorns....I have learned a great deal about handling cacti in the past week. But picking the damned things up requires real arm and leg strength and plenty of balance.....so far, the back has done well.
I can't wait for the heat...these things need their own space....they're dangerous out of ground.
P.S. Might be headed for Borrego Springs for three or four days.
"I think I may say that of all the men we meet with, nine parts of ten are what they are, good or evil, useful or not, by their education." John Locke
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Re: Anyone have an outdoor cactus/succulent garden?
Parrotpaul wrote:I moved this from the other thread. All the pics are on Facebook.
Thanks for asking...the past week and a half I have put on about 10 pounds of pure muscle carrying very large cactus plants...four foot blue candle cactus, another four foot candle cactus I can't pronounce, a HUGE rough back agave, and a smaller agave, plus about eight smaller potted groups of smaller cacti.
Driving with candle cacti precariously perched and supported by various means on the passenger side of my Solara is a scary experience. If they begin to move whilst going around a corner, the first instinct is to reach out and grab them....that doesn't happen twice, and neither will transporting large cacti in the front passenger seat area of my car happen again...real dumb move.
I never knew just how unfriendly cacti can be if you even brush up against them...at any rate...I have had to move the damned things a dozen times because of rain, cold temps, and heavy winds. They are now luxuriating in the sunshine....still in their pots where they will stay until I can get the landscape crews to turn off the irrigation where I want to make the garden. My hands and the sleeves of several shirts are loaded with little cactus thorns....I have learned a great deal about handling cacti in the past week. But picking the damned things up requires real arm and leg strength and plenty of balance.....so far, the back has done well.
I can't wait for the heat...these things need their own space....they're dangerous out of ground.
P.S. Might be headed for Borrego Springs for three or four days.
Borrego. I will email you contact information