Bare roots

Discuss hardy cacti grown outside all year.
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Mike B.
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 3:56 pm

Bare roots

Post by Mike B. »

Hey Guys, I'm rather new to this cactus growing. I live in SW Kansas and I believe I'm right on the border of zones 6a and 6b. I've order a few hardy, outdoor cacti and will they will be arriving any day now. I'm supposing they will come with a bare root. Any suggestions on the best way to get them planted this time of year. We are having an average high temp. of 90 and a low of 60 degrees. Should I water them after I get them in soil, or should I wait? Sorry if I sound ignorant about these things...but I am. Thanks for any advice!
Mike B.
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 3:56 pm

Re: Bare roots

Post by Mike B. »

Well the cactus arrived yesterday afternoon. They were indeed bare root and wrapped in newspaper. I have planted them in some soil and they are sitting in the shade on the porch. I think I read somewhere that I should wait a few days before I give them a drink. So maybe by this week-end they'll be ready for a bit of water.

Any advice would sure be appreciated. Thanks.
SoilSifter
Posts: 109
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2015 9:56 pm
Location: se Idaho 5a

Re: Bare roots

Post by SoilSifter »

What cacti did you order?

Might be unnecessary if the cacti were growing in full sun before you purchased them but I'd try putting the pots in a place where the plants will get some early morning and/or late afternoon sunlight. By doing that I've had less problems with sunburn and stress as I acclimate new plants to being outside.

I read your opening post earlier but thought you meant to plant your cacti in the ground. I've found that plants in general can have a harder Winter if they are in pots outside rather than planted in the ground but I don't know the weather of SW Kansas. I imagine you might get a lot of moisture during the Winter and that is deadly to some cold-hardy cacti. Keeping them in pots so you can move the plants up on the porch where they won't get moisture might work better than putting the cacti in the ground.

Waiting a couple days after planting them before watering is OK. The cacti will have a little time to heal root wounds before they get water.

What kind of soil mix did you use? There are some bagged soil mixes that claim on the bag that they are for cacti and succulents but a lot of hobbyists dislike those mixes. Hobbyists often add a lot of grit and/or perlite to the mix because by itself the mix is too peaty and too water retentive.
Mike B.
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 3:56 pm

Re: Bare roots

Post by Mike B. »

SoilSifter: First thanks for your reply, I appreciate it. I ordered 10 hardy cacti from http://www.mesagarden.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Names came with the cacti but they are long names and I can't even begin to pronounce them. I did put them in pots and I may have screwed up by planting them the way I did. I put five in each large pot. I've attached pictures, (not the best pictures, a bit fuzzy) let me know if I should replant them separately. I could do that since I haven't watered them yet. I did put gravel over the top just for appearances and I plan on moving them inside if the winter here starts getting bad.

I used a store bought cactus soil and made sure there was no peat in it, however I did add and mix some fine gravel in with it hoping the soil will drain better, which I think it will.
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SoilSifter
Posts: 109
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2015 9:56 pm
Location: se Idaho 5a

Re: Bare roots

Post by SoilSifter »

Looks like I bought a few of the same plants from MG. I haven't put them outside all year, yet. I live in USDA zone 4b-5a. I want to try propagating my cold hardy cacti by doing some tubercle grafts first. If the big plant doesn't survive the Winter outside then at least I'll still have another of the same plant. I recommend you get some blank tags and label them. If you have trouble with one of them then you'll know the name of it and Internet searches for info will be easier. Surprisingly, writing on tags in pencil seems to last longer than permanent marker. Though some tags have a slicker surface than others. The slick ones don't work well with pencil writing.

I prefer separate pots for my plants. They are all cacti but they don't have the same water needs and I prefer to water on a plant-by-plant basis. However, I've read some people make the group-pot work for them. I'm guessing they just water in the little area around the cacti that need the water rather than always soak everything in the pot together. At this time of the year I like my potted cacti to be dry after a couple days after they are watered. You're already aware that not over watering them is really important. Might be best to put the two smallest cacti in the second picture in their own smaller pots. They seem over potted in the large pot. You can try the group-pots for now. If you decide later to repot the cacti separately then unpot them, let the roots dry for a couple days, then individually repot. What are the two pots made of? They look like they have a wood grain.
Mike B.
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 3:56 pm

Re: Bare roots

Post by Mike B. »

SoilSifter: I really appreciate your help and advice. I'll replant the small ones in a much smaller pot. I'll try the group pot for the others for now and will repot if needed. The pots are plastic and about 4 inches deep. I drilled holes in the bottom for draining.

I'm thinking that next spring or early summer I may take them out of the pots and find a home for them in the ground. Maybe by then they will be established enough. Your thoughts?
SoilSifter
Posts: 109
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2015 9:56 pm
Location: se Idaho 5a

Re: Bare roots

Post by SoilSifter »

Seems like a good plan. If you don't have a place in the ground picked out already then you can watch during next Winter for a spot that gets plenty of sunlight and doesn't get too much moisture. I read that a lot of the cold hardy cacti survive the Winter better if kept as dry as possible. Some cold hardy cacti are OK with Winter moisture- Opuntia, for example. I've not had a lot of experience with outdoor cacti but I've had some. I have a bed of decomposed granite with a couple kinds of cacti in it. It stayed moist during most of last Winter. My Pediocactus and Escobaria had no trouble with the cold and moisture. I have a couple more kinds of cacti that might survive Winter but I haven't dared to plant them outside, yet.
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