Planning a Cactus Garden

Provided by: The Garden Moose

In planning your garden first determine where your garden will be placed. Good choices include hills since water can easily drain although flat ground is perfectly fine, it will take a little more preparation. Next, decide what size cacti you want and the preferred shape. Just as with a flower garden, you can be as creative as your imagination allows. Whatever you like - rectangles, circles, diamonds, squares, it doesn't matter, there's an answer for any shape. Just choose a new garden that fits your other garden ideas or you can create new ones!

If you choose a hill or slope, you won't have as much digging to do than on flat ground. Start at the upper end of your garden, removing several inches of earth up over the entire base of the garden. The purpose of this is to remove all grass and weeds that could end up harming the cacti. Although the area doesn't have to be perfectly flat, just ensure any large uneven lumps are gone. This will prevent poor drainage, which will cause your cacti to rot. If you don't have a hill or prefer to plan on flat ground, choose the spot and shape of your garden. Measure off the border and dig out between 6 inches to 1 foot of soil.

Now that the digging is complete, you can start putting your cactus garden together. A wonderful finished look is to add blocks or stones built as a short wall around your garden. You don't have to do this but it does provide a great look. Keep in mind, this can be an expensive endeavor, but well worth the expense.

Now you will need a strip of plastic that measures the same length of your garden border. This doesn't have to be special plastic, just something like an old tarp. The purpose for this is that it helps eliminate weeds.

The next thing you will need is soil specifically for cacti. You will need enough to fill the garden area and this can be purchased through your local nursery or garden center or if you prefer to make your own, mix two parts of potting soil, two parts of sand, and one part of gravel.

Now taking your plastic lay these in strips. Next you should place rocks or blocks around the edge of the garden. Creating a 12-inch wall is a perfect height and just enough for a great enhancement then place the soil on the inside of the wall or bordered area. Once that is all spread out evenly, you are ready to plant.

When planting your cacti, be creative in your design. You can plant the cacti in a pattern or randomly, however you choose. After you have finishing planting your cacti, your garden is complete.

A cactus garden requires very little maintenance. You don't even have to water since the rain is sufficient. However, if you go through a drought period, a simple watering is all that's needed, just as with your other flowers and plants. Feed your cacti with 10-10-10 fertilizers every spring for a thriving cactus garden!

About the Author:

Garden Moose is the editor of GardenMoose.com, and a feature contributor to Greenhouses.com a leading internet destination for gardening and greenhouse information and ideas.