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How to Design a Cactus Garden
How to Design a Cactus Garden. If you live in a warm climate, cactus gardens may be commonly found in backyards and courtyards of businesses. Like flower gardens, these gardens feature limitless design possibilities and add a sense of serenity and beauty to their surroundings. When designing a cactus garden, keep several items in mind such as the...
If you live in a warm climate, cactus gardens may be commonly found in backyards and courtyards of businesses. Like flower gardens, these gardens feature limitless design possibilities and add a sense of serenity and beauty to their surroundings. When designing a cactus garden, keep several items in mind such as the size, number of plants and overall goal of the garden.
Things You'll Need
Notepad
Potting soil
Builder's sand
Select a location for the garden. Since cacti thrive in full-sun, choose a garden location with full-sun or mostly sun exposure.
Outline the basic design structure of the cacti garden onto a notepad. Cacti are available in large, small and medium sizes as well as species that bloom colorful flowers. Thus, cactus garden designs can range from compact to sprawling and simple to visually stunning. If you desire a small cactus garden, using smaller cacti or several larger cacti may be ideal; however, larger cactus gardens can feature a mixture of large, small and medium cacti. It is important to note cactus roots vary in size from small to sprawling. After you've chosen the type of cacti for your garden, determine the spacing requirements between each plant. This helps you finalize the garden design.
Create the ideal soil for growing cactus in the garden location. Cacti prefer porous soil with high alkalinity. While cactus does thrive in sandy soil, this plant does not grow well in pure sand, according to Desert Gardens. The ideal soil mix is equal parts of standard potting soil and builder's sand. Spread the soil mix throughout the garden.
Plant the cacti into the garden according to the garden design you created. After planting, water the cacti. Desert Gardens advises that when watering cacti, thoroughly soak the soil to replicate a thunderstorm; however, do not water again until the soil is completely dry.
Add highlights to the garden by planting colorful annuals or perennials or adding figurines in the garden.
Tips & Warnings
When purchasing cacti from a nursery, look for a healthy plant with a strong spine and even growth patterns; do not purchase cacti with damaged spines or one with uneven growth.
Do not over-water cacti, as excess water causes root rot, which kills the plant.
