How to Plant
How do you install an Ocotillo fence panel?
There are many creative ways that people have installed and used ocotillo fencing, but installation can be as easy as the following directions:
Dig a trench along the fence line that is at least 6 inches deep. Install 6-foot t-posts (2 for every fence panel) along the fence line to secure the panels in place, and attach the panels to the t-posts with strong wire.
* We have an example at the garden center if you would like a real life visual 🙂
Is the ocotillo in a fence panel still alive? Will my fence take root and grow?
In general, these panels are best used as a design element for their striking vertical lines, and for how well they blend with their environment, rather than as a living component of the landscape.
Some canes in the panel may be alive, and there’s a chance that sporadic live canes will take root and grow again (sometimes after they have appeared to be lifeless for several years). However, because of the length of time it takes for production, transportation, and storage until they’re sold, many of the canes in our ocotillo panels are not alive, and they won’t ever grow. Even when they’re not alive, the canes are very strong and sturdy, and they will remain so for many years.
If a cane does happen to take root, it will never grow into a full-blown ocotillo, but it will grow in height, leaf out, and flower. Occasionally, a live cane will sprout some side-branches that can be trimmed away to keep the strong vertical lines of the fencing panel, or left in place for a less-tamed appearance.
