CARE OF OCOTILLO [ Fouquieria splendens]
Transplanting your Ocotillo:
Ocotillo plants need extra attention the first two summers after transplanting. Prior to transplanting your Ocotillo, Cactus Joe’s Blue Diamond Nursery recommends that the root ball be soaked overnight (or at the very least, a minimum of several hours) in a bucket filled with a mixture of liquid vitamin B-1, Super Thrive (mix Super Thrive according to directions on package) and or Dip N Grow.
Watering your Ocotillo in the Las Vegas, Nevada region:
After transplanting your Ocotillo, it is important to water the plant from top to bottom (spray the green leaves and branches with the water hose.) It is not necessary to get the soil around the root area wet for the first six to twelve months. Try to water as often as possible in the early summer and every day during the first summer. Drip irrigation to the root area is not effective and could be harmful during the first year. It takes some time for the root system to grow back after transplantation. Drip irrigation could be used after the Ocotillo is established (possibly as early as the second year.) Additionally, we recommend that you keep the Ocotillo branches tied together until it has a chance to re-root. Keeping the branches tied helps prevent the Ocotillo from blowing over in high wind conditions. Do not water the Ocotillo tree during the winter. Ocotillo are dormant during the cold months.
How can you tell if your Ocotillo is healthy and viable?
Check for “greenish” veins running vertically along the branches. Alternately, you can start at the very tip of one of the branches and cut the very tip off with clippers. If healthy, you will see a concentric “green” ring on the interior of the branch. Keep in mind that Ocotillo sometimes leaf out in cycles. It is not uncommon for the Ocotillo plant to have green leaves, lose the leaves and then “leaf out” again.
Have questions about watering your Ocotillo? Contact us or call (702) 875-1968.
October 30, 2011 at 6:55 pm
How long can a ocotillo live as a bare root? I have seen ocotillo at nurserys with the roots out in the open air for months, could they still be alive being out so long.
thanks, Ron
November 1, 2011 at 6:58 am
Maybe ocotillos could still be viable for a few weeks, in a shaded area, and with cooler temperatures. But, it’s not recommended. Thanks for stopping by.
December 21, 2011 at 8:34 pm
How long can a ocotillo live as a bare root? I have seen ocotillo at nurserys with the roots out in the open air for months, could they still be alive being out so long.
thanks, Ron
+1
April 15, 2012 at 3:37 pm
I have a question if any of the branches for your ocotillo are particially broken what should you do leave them alone or try to repair in some way or remove them and maybe try and root them?
Thanks for your help
April 15, 2012 at 6:08 pm
Your beat bet is to make a clean cut at the break and you could attempt to root them out. Dust the cut with some rooting powder and place them in some soil. Happy growing.
April 28, 2012 at 11:31 pm
Moved into a house that has a 15-branch ocotillo that is 5′-7′ high. In the past month I’ve misted the branches and give small amounts of water to the base [the house was empty for nearly two years however there are remnants of blooms on the tips].
Two weeks ago, two of the branches did green up, but the rest of the branches have not.
What should I do? Be patient and wait? Or start cutting off what are probably “dead” branches? How can I “check” to see if the other branches are alive without snipping them off?
April 30, 2012 at 3:48 pm
Be patient and continue to spray the branches at least once a week. This plant may or may not leaf out again. Two years is a long time to go without additional water, other than what Mother Nature provides around here. Increase spraying the branches to three times a week as the temperature rises (July, August). Decrease again in the fall, and no spraying during the months of December, January and February. The only real way to check the branch for viability is to start clipping at the top of the branch and check to see if there is any green on the inner (center) of the clip. If it is green, it’s healthy, just dormant. If it is grey (center) then that portion is a goner. You can clip down the branch. Sometimes, just the top portion is gone, but often times it is the whole branch. Happy Growing.
April 29, 2012 at 6:23 pm
my occotillo is about 3 years planted now and has red blooms on top of all the stalks, but no leaves. is there a way to make it leave out? thanks
April 30, 2012 at 3:41 pm
Try spraying the branches (stalks) with water at least once a week this time of the year. Increase to several times a weeks as the temperatures rise. Say, three times a week in July and August. Taper off as it gets cooler in the fall, and no spraying during the months of December, January and February. Happy Growing.
May 3, 2012 at 8:57 pm
I have lived in Mesa all of my youth, but have been away since going to college and working with Chevron all over the world.
All of the Occatillo I have ever seen in the “wild” and wide-open spaces have long, beautiful straight stalks. Those in your photographs are all entwined. Did you do this on purpose?
Bill
May 4, 2012 at 12:37 pm
The ocotillo branches are bundled together with wire. It makes them easier to transport and with the high winds in this area, it keeps them in place during the rooting period.