Was Your Ocotillo Alive When You Bought It?

Q. I have tried to grow an ocotillo several times with little to no success. Please give me your input on watering and other care.

From the Sonoran Desert and very low water use (xeric), can easily handle rock mulch, but can take up to two years to see any results.

A. Buy and plant in the spring from February through April or in the fall from late September through mid-November. Make sure the Ocotillo is alive when you buy it from the nursery. The wood just below the surface should be green when scratched with your thumbnail even though there may be no leaves. The smaller canes should not snap when bent but be pliable.

Normally I dont care for information from vendors but this aint bad on Ocotillo from Miracle Gro!

            Contrary to some popular ideas, mix about 10% compost in the planting hole about 2 feet wide. The whole doesn’t have to be dug deep just deep enough to accommodate the roots. The compost mixed in the soil keeps the soil open, adds plant nutrients and beneficial microorganisms.

            Plant it the same depth it was growing in the container or in the wild. Use lots of water to settle the soil around the roots. The soil around it should be muddy when you’re finished. Construct a basin 2 to 3 inches deep around the plant. Immediately stake the plant to keep it from moving while the roots are growing. Staking may take one to two growing seasons.

            Water no more than once a week during the heat of the summer during its establishment by filling the basin with water. Water once a month in the winter. After it has been established for two or three growing seasons use four drip emitters placed about 12 inches from the plant. Fertilize it once a year in the early spring just before growth.