Frost-resistant garden cactiis an interesting proposition for people who want to create an unusual, exotic corner in their garden or are looking for plants for barren soil, resistant to sun and drought. Species of alpine cacti from Bolivia and Peru are perfect for growing in our climate. The most famous of them are the prickly pears. See how to take care offrost-resistant cactiso that they can survive for many years on the garden bed.
Prickly pears are the most frost-resistant cacti we grow
Frost-resistant cacti - growing position
Frost-resistant cactirequire a sunny, dry and nutrient-poor position in the garden. For this reason, the substrate should be very well drained. To ensure adequate drainage of excess water, a raised bed covered with stones or supported by a retaining wall will work well. At the bottom of such a bed, a drainage layer of thick stones should be placed (drainage layer thickness from 40 to 50 cm).
The bed is then filled with a permeable substrate. It can be soil mixed with coarse sand or even rocky gravel. The ideal composition of such a mixture is as follows:
40% - coarse gravel
20% - washed gravel
20% - garden soil
20% - clay
After planting the cacti, it is advisable to mulch the soil. For this purpose, cover the substrate around the cacti with a thick layer of rock grit or washed gravel.In such a prepared stand, light watering of the cacti is necessary only during the growth and setting of flower buds (from late spring to early summer).
Frost-resistant cacti - wintering in the garden
Success in gardeninggrowing frost-resistant cactilargely depends on their proper wintering. Well, in the fall, these plants must be dried, even to such an extent that their shoots are slightly wilted. This will prepare them to go into a state of rest, in which they will survive the minus temperatures.
To do this, cut off the access of rainwater to the beds on which they growgarden cactiThis can be achieved by unfolding a foil visor above the cacti. It's best to tap two boards together at right angles and stick them into the ground on the side of the cactus bed. On the opposite side of the rebate, we hammer in another boards, which will constitute the opposite support of the roof. Then stretch the foil between the supports. Under such a roof, cacti perfectly winter. Instead of foil, you can also put glass. It is important that the roof is transparent and the sun rays reach the cacti. Remove the roofs in the spring and water the cacti to wake them up.
Additionally, young cactus plants should be covered with pine branches in the first year of cultivation. In the following years, canopies alone protect against rainfall.
Frost-resistant cacti can also be grown in flower pots on balconies and terraces.
The same prickly pear after two years - the best proof that such cultivation is successful!
What to plant on the cactus bed
Frost-resistant cactiare perfect plants for rockeries and gravel beds. They can also be a great idea for greening particularly dry places where other plants cannot cope. For cultivation with cacti you should choose plants resistant to drought.
We can choose from various species of plants with leathery, scaly or thorny leaves, often aromatic.Such plants include, among others. bushy herbs: sage, lavender and rosemary. Such a bed should also include tufts of low covering grasses, e.g. ash fescue. The exotic character of the yucca will be even more emphasized by the threadlike yucca. On the other hand, mountain pine may grow in the background.
