What's your transplanting secret?

Question

too many products to choose from. Everthing from type of dirt, type of food, type of fertilizer.

I have mainly cactus and succulants. I use mainly pots since i have clay dirt. ( I'll dig a spot only to hit rock.)

Answer 1

I live in Oklahoma, the land of red clay dirt.

When choosing a site for a plant, I:

1.  Make sure the plant is hardy to my area (Zone 7).

2.  Make sure the site I choose matches the plant's sun requirements.

3.  Dig a hole much much larger than the plant.  Loosen all the dirt.  Add composted manure to the hole.  (I get the manure from a friend's farm).

4.  Add water to the hole.

5.  Add the plant.  

6.  Mulch as appropriate.

If a site is rocky or contains giant tree roots, I like to plant liriope (monkey grass) and scatter large boulders for contrast.  Liriope, once established, doesn't mind clay soils.

Answer 2

Cactus and succlents are very hardy and can take some wear and tear with transplanting. If you are getting new plants from the nursery to plant at home then use a good palm and cactus soil. If the plants are existing potted plants or moving them from one location to another then use the same type of soil the plant is already in. If you are having problems with hitting rocks in your yard then you might want to make a raied bed and fill with a good soil. With a cactus garden big rock boulder beds look gpood and create a natural landscape look. If you live near a river or somewhere where you can gather rocks then do that. Otherwise buy some from the nursery. You don't have to use concrete to hold them just make a nice edge in whatever shape you like and fill it. Cactus are not deep rooters so you can go with 6"-12" in depth.

Do a google search for cactus garden to help you get ideas

Good Luck and happy planting!

Oh, you can also use stacked flagstone