How to Grow Ocotillo Cacti
- 1). Dig a planting hole to the same depth as the ocotillo's nursery pot. Dig the hole in sandy, well-drained soil in an area with full southern exposure.
- 2). Lift the ocotillo from the nursery pot and set it in the hole. Plant the ocotillo so the side that faced south in the nursery faces south in the garden bed when possible and when the directional orientation is known.
- 3). Fill in the hole around the roots with soil. Place large rocks on top of the soil, 2 to 3 inches away from the trunk. The rocks anchor the roots so the ocotillo doesn't blow over as the plant becomes established.
- 4). Water the ocotillo every four weeks during summer if there is no rainfall in the previous month. Apply just enough water to moisten the top 6 inches of soil. Do not water in winter so the plant can go dormant.
- 5). Fertilize the ocotillo lightly each spring, beginning in the second year after planting. Apply a fertilizer formulated for cacti and desert plants, at the label rate listed for your plant size. Sprinkle the fertilizer over the root zone, then water the soil thoroughly.
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