Ok well let me start by saying I'm so happy I found this place!

A couple of years ago my girlfriend gave me some chicks and they did ok the first year. Well I ended up losing a few after winter. Anyhow, last year they started to do well and came back only to be eaten by bunnies. I had to move them because DH and I had some deck to stain. I never thought about bunnies getting to them. Oh well....

Now, I have some coming back and I plan to buy some. I'd like to plant them in some whiskey barrels. Is this a good idea? Do I need to line the barrel with anything? Also, what soil mixture should I use? I've been mixing cacti succulent mix with plant mix at 50/50. When is a good time to replant? My apologies for all the questions. Any and all help that you can provide would be greatly appreciated!!

I've had them in a whiskey barrel for about 25 years, planted in just crappy Colorado soil and they've done well. The bunnies haven't gotten to the ones in the barrel.
OTOH, the bunnies will eat the ones I have in the ground during the winter so I cover them with chicken wire cages during the winter.

Hi Audrie! We're glad you found us too!

Semps need well draining soil, but when I first started growing them I just put them in the ground with nothing added to the soil and they did fine. However, when I plant in the ground now I always mix chicken grit in the soil.

Here is a thread that discusses potting mixes that might answer some of your questions: The thread "Potting Mixes and Difficult Soil" in Sempervivum forum

Audrie. Sounds like you been bitten by the semp bug. : )
This is the place to be once bitten and actively addicted.

Thank you Tabby for the info!! Using crappy Denver soil works for me!!! Filling up a whiskey barrel with other stuff could be pricey. Do you add anything to your Denver Soil? Also, how often to you water them? In the location I have them now, they receive more than 6 hours of sun and will continue to do so when I place them in their new spot. Great idea on the chicken wire cages!! When would be a good time to replant? In Denver one never knows when we'll get one last snow storm...

Thank you Chris for the warm welcome and info!! I'll go check out the link!!

Thank you Lynn!! I love growing plants and cactus!!! Not much of a gardener for fruits and vegetables though. I especially love unique stuff that isn't seen all the time. I'm in total awe.... just seeing all the pics on here and in people's siggy's....

In the barrel I wrote of, I just filled it with the clay soil I dug up in the yard, but in more recent pots I've mixed it 50/50 with sand. I stay away from the peaty potting soils for the semps.

I should get you hooked on hypertufa. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

Virtually all my semps get a lot of direct sun. Many get full sun. I don't remember how much I watered them, maybe once every week or so since a lot of them were fairly new. The ones in the very back got watered maybe once a month or less. I don't water them at all in the winter. They're getting watered for the first time this year since it's so very warm and I need to water in the pre-emergent.

Hello Audrie and welcome!
I use soil that is not amended and plant my demos directly in the ground.

As for Timberline, they always have a good stock of semps " in the back". You can go behind the main building and pick out whatever you like.
Also this weekend at the Denver Botanic Gardens, the Colorado Cactus and Succulent Society is having a show and sale.

Got it!! I'm planning to buy some barrels this weekend. I'll buy sand while I'm there.

Hypertufa?? I had no idea what that was so I did a google search. I love that!!! Do you make it yourself? I saw them in your pictures. Please share!!!

I have yet to water mine so far this year. Guess I should. What is pre-emergent?? Where do I get that? Sorry for all the questions!! I'm so excited to grow some healthy semps!!!

picklepuff said:Hello Audrie and welcome!
I use soil that is not amended and plant my demos directly in the ground.

As for Timberline, they always have a good stock of semps " in the back". You can go behind the main building and pick out whatever you like.
Also this weekend at the Denver Botanic Gardens, the Colorado Cactus and Succulent Society is having a show and sale.

Thank you Sandi!!! I may take a trip to Timberline tomorrow. I'm thinking I may wait to see if a Groupon appears.

There's a show at the Denver Botanic Gardens?? Sweet!!! Going to look up info now!! Do they gave cool ones for sale? Is it pricey?

There's no rush to do it all yet. I have a big yard and a lot of arthritis so I have to get going now.

Pre-emergent prevents seeds from germinating so you don't want to put it where you'll be planting seeds or want things to reseed. Preen is a common brand. You don't have to use it. I do because I'm old and slow and tired of pulling weeds.

Last year I made a bunch of hypertufa pots and this year I'm making a bunch more once the weather is warm enough at night.

Arrrgh, I think I have to be somewhere else this weekend. Maybe I can find a way to get to the DBG sale.

Timberline doesn't have much out yet. I'd wait a bit before making a trip. I live close to TImberline so I can make a report when they look like they're ready.

tabby said:There's no rush to do it all yet. I have a big yard and a lot of arthritis so I have to get going now.

Pre-emergent prevents seeds from germinating so you don't want to put it where you'll be planting seeds or want things to reseed. Preen is a common brand. You don't have to use it. I do because I'm old and slow and tired of pulling weeds.

Last year I made a bunch of hypertufa pots and this year I'm making a bunch more once the weather is warm enough at night.

Arrrgh, I think I have to be somewhere else this weekend. Maybe I can find a way to get to the DBG sale.

Whew!! Ok. I only have a few containers so not much at all. Thank you for the info on Pre-emergent. I wasn't sure if it was a fertilizer or something. Shoot!! I have a lot to learn.

Sweet on the hypertufa!! Is it easy to make? I'd love to learn!!

I'd love to go to the DBG sale too!! Hoping we both can make it!!!

Thank you for the update on Timberline!!! It's about an hour for me to get there so you telling me is awesome and saves the trip!! I'll wait for your update!! Thanks again!!

Ugh ! I hate when my phone corrects my spelling! I plant my semps directly in the ground no my demos!

I thought that was a strange thing to call them!

I thought you just had a display garden for your "demonstration" plants!

I love it here!!!!

The dirt in my yard is pretty clayie?(is that a word) If you water it, the water stands for a while till it finally gets absorbed. As far as 50/50, Denver crappy clay dirt/Sand, does the kind of sand matter? Can I just buy it at Lowes? The nursery told me sand would become hard like cement but what do they know?? I'm going to go with you experienced semp owners. I got some newbies to plant!! Yay!!!!!

Oh and one more thing, in many pics I see some nice rock layered on top of the soil.... Should I do that?

The rock certainly won't hurt. I don't bother with it because we're so dry.

You do need to be careful about adding sand to heavy clay soils, it will make something akin to concrete. Try a small area and see what happens.
We have very heavy clay, so I add commercial compost (forest products), sand and chicken grit. That has worked well for me.

I'm hoping I don't drive you all nuts ....... My semps will be and are grown in containers. I don't have any beds around me where I can plant them right now. Plus, I just don't want to have to worry about the bunny problems. The semps that I planted last year were done with 50/50 Miracle Grow Moisture Control Potting mix and Miracle Grow Cacti and succulent soil. Some did ok and some didn't.

Now from the research I've done it looks like one can make their own mixture. Lynn, I found a post where you were doing this:

1 part MG Potting Mix, not the Potting Soil.
1 part Turface
1 part chicken grit
1 part fir bark (smaller particles)

This is for Semps right? If yes, where in the world did you find the turface, chicken grit and fir bark? I'm able to find bark but it's as a potting mixture with other stuff for Orchids. I want to grow healthy happy semps but at the same time not have to jump through hoops and hurdles for soil. KWIM? So my apologies for all the questions. Plus, I want to be ready for the exchange!!!

***UPDATE: Ok, I think I found Turface, but didn't know there were several different types. I was told by the guy to probably use Pro League Red? As far as fir bark, my local nursery said they can't even get it by itself. They recommended Coco Core. Thoughts? Thank you in advance!!