Cactus bowl freed from weeds

In 2013, I planted a 22-inch terracotta bowl with a variety of claret cup cacti (Echinocereus sp.). The flowers of claret cups, typically shades or red, last much longer than most cacti, often five or seven days. As natives of the Western and Southwestern U.S., they have a special place in my heart. 

Here are some photos from April 2016:

April 2016

Echinocereus triglochidiatus

Echinocereus triglochidiatus

These are the Echinocereus species I originally planted:

• Echinocereus triglochidiatus
• Echinocereus triglochidiatus var. mojavensis f. inermis
• Echinocereus triglochidiatus ‘White Sands’

Later I added Echinocereus stramineus, the purple-flowering strawberry hedgehog. It's not a claret cup cactus, but related.

The terracotta bowl sits on top of the 4-ft. fence separating our front yard from the sidewalk and street. It's highly visible, both from inside and from the street, which is great when the cacti are in bloom. Unfortunately, this exposed location also makes the bowl a landing zone for weed seeds that arrive on the wind.

Here's what the bowl looked like last Sunday morning:

From outside the fence

From inside the fence

I finally had enough and decided to eradicate the weed problem systematically instead of simply trying to pull out individual weeds—which is painful enough because of the cactus spines and rarely blessed with anything but short-term success.

To this end, I lifted out all the cacti, cleaned them thoroughly, and removed the weeds—leaves and roots.

Then I replanted the cacti and added new bagged soil—mixed 1:1 with pumice and a ½ cup of Bonide systemic insecticide granules—to bring the soil level close to the top of the bowl. The final layer is crushed basalt and a sprinkling of Preen weed preventer.

From outside the fence

From inside the fence

I didn't put the tall Echinocereus triglochidiatus ‘White Sands’ back in the bowl because three of its four stems were infested with scale. Those got tossed in the yard waste bin, and the fourth is waiting to go into its own pot.

I try to avoid garden chemicals as much as possible, but I don't hesitate to put them into service when I see no better alternative. The two shown below two are my go-to products. Bonide Systemic Granules Insect Control prevents pests like mealybugs and scale, and Preen Extended Control Weed Preventer blocks the germination of most seeds. I'd never used either of these products in this particular terracotta bowl before, but they've proven themselves over and over again elsewhere in the garden.

I don't know if this invasive procedure will set the cacti back in any way, but I hope they'll still bloom in April as usual. Fingers crossed!

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