Written by Brian B

How To Take Care Of A Cactus In Arizona | Gardening Tips

How To Take Care Of A Cactus In Arizona Gardening Tips

Cacti are some of the most unique and beautiful plants one can find in Arizona. With so many colors and shapes, a cactus will be a great addition to your home’s décor. Here are a few gardening tips for how to take care of a cactus properly.

Cactus Care Tips

These are four simple tips for giving your cactus its best life possible:

  1. Water the cactus when needed
  2. Sunlight exposure
  3. Choose the perfect pot for the cactus
  4. Find the right fertilizer

Taking Care Of Cactus

Location is key for your cactus, especially if you decide to keep it inside your home. Since cactus are found in the desert, one would be wise to guess this plant needs a ton of sunlight to flourish. Cactus can be burned, though, so make sure you exercise good judgement on what is enough sunlight but not too much. Sunlight and hydration go hand in hand. The common belief is cacti do need water but not as often as one thinks. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Cacti do need regular waterings; they can however survive droughts. Give your cactus plenty of water to keep it from going into survival mode. A minimum of 1/4 cup of water every other week should be enough to keep the cactus healthy.

Before purchasing any sort of cactus, take a look at the pot that surrounds the plant. Is this is the best possible pot size and shape for your home’s new addition? You want to give the cactus the proper amount of room to grow, expand and thrive. You should invest in a pot that features drainage holes. This will require more care, but it is very beneficial for the cactus. Even with the drainage holes, it is still important to not over-water the plant. Cacti need a very efficient soil, draining the area of any and all excess water. You’ll want your dirt to be as dry as possible. Cacti can also benefit from fertilizer. These plants crave the nutrients provided by fertilizer. Providing the cactus with a light supply of fertilizer during each watering is suggested. Use the fertilizer more often in the warmer months and sparingly during the winter.

Cactus And Succulents Offered At Desert Foothills Garden Nursery

Located in Cave Creek, AZ, Desert Foothills Garden Nursery has been providing top-notch cactus and succulents for the valley of the sun since 1985. Here is a list of offerings at Desert Foothills Garden Nursery:

  • Easter cactus
  • Purple prickly pear cactus
  • Saguaro cactus
  • Golden barrel cactus
  • Flowering cacti
  • Trichocerus
  • Organ pipe cactus
  • Cardon cactus

Cactus For Sale Cave Creek, Arizona

If you are interested in increasing the beauty of your landscape by buying desert plants, stop by our convenient location at 33840 N. Cave Creek Rd., in Cave Creek. For customers interested in our landscaping services, give us a call at (480) 488-9455 to schedule a visit to your home.

Written by webtechs

Arizona Xeriscape Gardening

Xeriscape Landscape in Arizona

Arizona is home to one of the most unique and extreme climates in the world. Living here offers one of a kind benefits and challenges alike, all of which effect several areas of daily life. Being that our focus is gardening and outdoor spaces, we are going to focus on how the unique climate can work to your advantage when it comes to cultivating your outdoor spaces. The climate in Arizona is very dry which can make traditional gardening both laborious and expensive due to the cost of the constant watering. While it is completely possible to cultivate a lush, thriving, and beautiful garden using conventional methods, it takes a trained green thumb to truly succeed and master the Arizona climate.

There is an alternative style of gardening that not only thrives easily in the arid Arizona climate, but also requires little to no maintenance in order to keep your desert plants alive and healthy. This alternative is call Xeriscape. The reason for Xeriscape being such a viable option for outdoor spaces in Arizona is the fact that all of the plants used in this style of gardening are native to the region.

The advantage of using native plants is the fact that they are designed to live and flourish in desert southwest. This means that the plants all have an incredible capacity for retaining water due to the natural scarcity of rain throughout the year with the exception of the monsoon season. Once planted, you will literally only need to water you plants when you feel like it. These plants can store water for more than a year if necessary and will be perfectly fine if they have to do so.

The aesthetic appeal of Xeriscape gardens lies in the simplicity and effective use of space. There are natural spaces between plants in Xeriscapes that leave room for artistic additions such as sculptures or glass works. Water features, like fountains are also great additions to Xeriscape outdoor spaces as they add a great degree of atmosphere by adding the audio element of the trickling and bubbling water.

You can place bird feeders and baths in order to attract some of our avian friends to you garden for a visit. Benches and entertainment areas are easy to incorporate into your Xeriscapes where that process could be more cumbersome with conventional gardening which usually fosters more crowded planting beds. Get creative and use this unique climate that we live in to manifest an amazing, one of a kind garden that will enhance your home and property tremendously.

There are many benefits to utilizing a Xeriscape style of gardening if you live in a desert climate like we do. The lack of cost and maintenance alone are amazingly appealing and beneficial, but the fact the Xeriscape is so visually eye catching and versatile make this style almost a no-brainer for would be Arizona gardeners. There are plenty of knowledgeable resources in the Valley when it comes to Xeriscape and finding the plants for your garden is as easy as performing an internet search. Desert Foothills Gardens Landscape Nursery, Inc. is a great source for all things gardening in the Southwest, give us a call today at 480-488-9455, and see what we can do for you.