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Cimi

Outdoor loph garden?

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Hi guys,

I am thinking of moving my lophs out of pots and into the open garden one day. They are well-established but don't seem to be overly thriving. They are already kept outdoors, in terra cotta pots in part-sun. I like the fact that I can move them into shelter / out of harsh sun when needed in pots, but the open garden would probably allow them to grow bigger, build deeper roots and access a greater variety of nutrients.

Has anyone here had success with this? If so, I would appreciate any tips about how best to go about it. Eg., soil preparation, position, fertilising.

At present, I only feed Seasol a few times a year over spring / summer.

Thanks for your feedback,

Cimi

Edited by Cimi

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Because of prolonged wet conditions/seasons on the NSW North Coast and in SE Qld I am aware of a few failed outdoor Loph gardens.

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I'm thinking the only way you'll be able to do it will be to have it under shelter (make like a low-roof, slanted pergola, with a clear roof) - and have a sprinkler system that'll water the plants. I was thinking if there was a way to even micro-drill the roof to allow some rain to come through as well (thus no maintenance). I was thinking about doing it myself at some point, I HATE babying plants for their entire lives.

What kind of soil are your plants in at the moment?

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Yeah good points. We do have long periods of rain at times. The roof sounds like a good idea to make it work. Maybe a compromise could be a long, rectangular container.

They are currently in a mix of 1/3 cactus potting mix, 1/3 perlite, and 1/3 river sand. The time for repotting is approaching and I started to think about more long-term options. Also interested in other ways I can make them happier in pots. Maybe I need to fertilise more often and with more varied substances.

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You could possibly try adding some diatomaceous earth - good for nutrient availability / cation exchange.

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Sweet, thanks. That would loosen up the soil nicely without adding organic matter. It can get a bit compacted over time.

Then, once repotted, I can experiment more with feeding different things. Maybe some dolomite would be an idea. I need to test the pH again.

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Plants in pots need to be fed and I believe that cacti especially need to be fed because what we grow them in doesn't have much nutritional value.

My understanding is seasole isn't a fertilizer it is more like a tonic and assist's in root development.

So i would give them a feed when you water next and see how they go.

I totally understand you wanting to plant them in the ground but the amount care they are going to need will probably be more than they do in pots

Cheers

Got

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I wouldn't plant them in ground around my place because of several things.

We have a seasonably high water table, so they'd be sitting with wet feet all through winter.

We get a few mice and rats from time to time, they love a nibble on a Loph.

My fucking dog would excavate them like he has with almost everything else.

I'd consider planting them outside in a large tub or tray that was around waist height though. If it had a clear roof of some sort and maybe on wheels depending if it needs to be moved it would work great.

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My understanding is seasole isn't a fertilizer it is more like a tonic and assist's in root development.

So i would give them a feed when you water next and see how they go.

Agreed. The are probably not thriving because they are starving. Seasol is not a plant food. Think of it as plant vitamins - it can assist in getting the most from the plant using the food that is available, but is not a substitute for food itself.

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I'm going to do it this year - I'm on a heavy clay block so plan on digging quite a bit of drainage and using rocks to shelter from winter sun which I find damages my Trichocereus the most.

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It would be so cool...

Thanks everyone for the advice. I will work on improving my potted loph care first. I need to learn more about feeding and practice my technique.

I fully think it could work if you did lots of preparation of the garden bed and provided lots of shelter. Maybe even companion planting of traditional desert plants for shelter, and to suck up excess moisture. A desert garden. It would need to be dry & very well-drained. Digging down deep with plenty of gypsum to break up the earth and using high-quality materials in the soil (eg., horticultural charcoal, crushed volcanic rock / scoria). And lots of yummy slow-release things.

I also like the idea of a large tub.

I would love to put an awning on the side of my house and prepare a bed underneath. That could work. But to be viable it would be a big project, so I will wait a bit. It is damn exciting, though!

watertrade, I can't wait to see what you come up with! It will be a loph paradise!

Question: what is the best type of fertiliser to feed regularly? I'm guessing something slow-release, like osmocote? And anything I should be wary of? Thank you, everyone.

Edited by Cimi

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If you are having lots of rain, why bother with outside and a shelter, which gonna look un-natural anywayz?

maybe go with huge container (s)

I have also thought about this, as I dont have excessive rainfall where I am, but not done it, and have thought about the idea of grafted ones to go to the ground too, which is perhaps a whole different story..

interesting idea nevertheless

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