How often do you water Ocotillo?

Asked by: Heather Jones

Newly planted ocotillos should be watered every 2 weeks through the first summer and every 2-3 weeks during the first fall. For bare-root plants, continue this watering schedule until the plant shows routine growth. Monthly watering in the winter is enough for new plants.

How do I revive my ocotillo?

If you have had your ocotillo for several months and it seems flexible but just has never leafed out, you may decide to take drastic action to force the point. Place your hose at the plant and fill your shallow water well, running just enough water to keep the well full for two or more days.

Is my ocotillo dying?

Check if the branches (or canes) are flexible. If you can bend them without breaking, your ocotillo is still alive. Ocotillos contain green pigment on the stems, which helps them create energy via photosynthesis even when they don’t have leaves. You can check for this green pigment by wetting a stem.

What is the lifespan of an ocotillo?

It’s true! Ocotillo branches can reach heights up to 20-feet — that’s one tall plant! It’s estimated ocotillos can live up to 60 years, studies also indicate some could possibly be over 100 years in age.

How fast does an ocotillo cactus grow?

They grow 6 to 10 inches a year, green up at the appropriate time but neither has ever bloomed in the spring. They are not on drip but one is near a drip line and the other is not. I water them very occasionally.

Why is my ocotillo not blooming?

Newly planted Ocotillos require some time to reestablish their root systems. This can inhibit blooming. Other factors that may delay flowering would be lack of water in late winter to early spring. Excess fertilizer or rich soil can also cause Ocotillo to produce few to no flowers.

What does a dead ocotillo look like?

The sunlight out here it's hard to tell with my camera. But it's actually still green behind the behind the trunk of the Ocotillo. And what you do is you just you scrape it with a knife.

How much should I water my ocotillo?

Avoid over watering the soil, as too much groundwater will cause the roots of the plant to rot. Instead, water by spraying the cane of the plant and keep the soil moist. Water newly planted Ocotillos once a day (typically for 10 minutes) and established Ocotillos every month or so.

Should I fertilize ocotillo?

Fertilizer – Ocotillos do not need supplemental fertilizer. Some use a mild fertilizer like Fish Emulsion or Dr. Q’s® Desert Plant & Cactus Food once a year, which sometimes results in fast, lush growth. Too much fertilization can discourage blooming and cause overly tall, unbranched plants.

Do ocotillos lose their leaves?

It grows and drops its leaves with the rain – Ocotillo is drought deciduous. Its shallow roots are perfect for capturing rain from those rare desert storms, and it will begin growing leaves within 24 hours. Most of a plants water is lost through its leaves, so once it becomes dry again it will lose its leaves.

Should I prune my ocotillo?

Ocotillos: Ocotillos are multi-stemmed desert plants (Figure 22). Individual stems that have become too tall or have died should be pruned to the ground as needed. Otherwise, the remaining stems should be allowed to grow and produce flowers, which appear on the ends of the stems.

How often does an ocotillo bloom?

Ocotillos produce clusters of bright red flowers at their stem tips, which explain the plant’s name. Ocotillo means “little torch” in Spanish. Plants bloom once in the spring from March through June depending on latitude then sporadically in response to rainfall during the summer.