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nothinghead

Growing cacti in the ground

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My question is: How much success have people had in growing their cacti in the ground in a climate similar to Sydney? Did you build a space especially for this?

I want to transfer a few echinopsis sp. from pots into the ground, and would also like to be able to put some smaller cacti in such as lithops. I am wondering if this could be safe for weather that gets as cold and wet as Sydney does.. Any ideas?

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I don't know what the climate is like in Sydney but here in Perth I plant all my cacti in the ground, they probably get 50% sun and I have had no problems with rot or anything even in the middle of winter. I have them planted in the shade of a tree about 2 feet from the fence line and they get the afternoon sun.

They probably could do with more sun than they get but they seem much happier in the earth.

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I'm in the Central Coast which is pretty damned close to Sydney. An important thing to know is what type of soil you have in this situation. Heavy clay soils aren't a good idea unless you break it up and get better drainage.

I have a 500mm+ top soil of fine sandy loam so I know I'm fine to put them in. I put my a spindly looking T. pachanoi in the ground last year (all my other better looking specimens are in big pots) - within a month some critter had eaten the top off the thing so I had no choice but to slice it.

About 2 months ago it started pupping (see below)- and I can safely say that these pups are growing faster than the pups I am getting in the potted plants which get more sunlight on my deck.

Try for the sunniest position possible.

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I know Tassie is really nothing like Sydney, but if I can grow them down here without any problem then you should be able to.

Just make sure the soil is very free draining and has lots of manure dug deep down in the soil. Digging in the manure deep makes the roots go down deep.

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Excellent, I guess I will have to build a raised bed and fill it with something really free draining since I have pretty heavy clay soil. The pups do look prolific from the skinny pach, Indigo, I spose all plants love being in the ground. Thanks for the advice all.

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No problems SW of sydney where it gets to -3 deg C and frosts like a mofo. I actually over wintered baby pachanoi and Bridgessii in unlidded chinese containers 2 winters ago with no probs......yep lucky!

Everything in the ground so far is thriving, but I have really sandy loam, which would help alot.

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i'm only guessing but pachanoi will take more than -5deg C, and asrev mentioned once bridgesii grows around la paz, wher it gets -12deg C or more.

my tbm's suffer over my hot summers, obviously they are not used to the heat...

i think to remeber that most san pedros grow in south america in eternal spring climat, which means close to the aquator and around 1500m altitude. at this sealevel it never gets stinking hot...

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