Living Ocotillo Fence

We stretched a top wire for the fence and attached the panels to that making sure their bases were in the trench.

Living ocotillo fence.

By walks on rocks. Install 6 foot t posts 2. Fences are made by cutting ocotillo branches intertwined with wire to keep them together. Ocotillo living fencing is a unique design element here in the desert southwest where its rustic appearance accentuates our landscape space and style.

Ocotillo handmade fence panels are truly unique to the southwest. You may plant ocotillo branch fences at any time of the year. The plants are hardy in u s. Each panel is approximately 6 feet tall by 4 5 to 5 feet wide.

There are many creative ways that people have installed and used ocotillo fencing but installation can be as easy as the following directions. We made panels of the ocotillos like 30 in each panel. Ocotillo cactus is very easy to grow in indigenous areas. To make living fence you only need dig a shallow trench and then hunt up the cactus respectfully.

Ocotillo use in fencing. 6 x 5 and are available throughout. They can be set against an existing fence or stand on their own with a post every 5 to 10 feet for support depending on your install. If you snip a branch off and stick it in the desert dirt it s very likely take root and grow.

In the desert southwest the ocotillo cactus fouquieria splendens is harvested to create living fences and other garden features. Dig a trench along the fence line that is at least 6 inches deep. To fence our garden it took over 2 500 ocotillo stalks. Due to their light weight and interesting pattern ocotillo branches have been used for.

Apr 16 2012 great source of ocotillo canes to make your own living fence explore travel travel destinations north america travel palm springs. By that i mean you don t find a cactus and cut all its branches leaving it to die. It is a material that is exciting in that it is unique to the region where it is used and it really gives a sense of the place. Individual ocotillo stems are sometimes used as poles as a fencing material in their native region and often take root to form a living fence.

Ocotillo is also called devil s walking stick and candlewood and grows well in full sun and sandy soil. Ocotillo fences make very good coyote and privacy fences. Because they re hand made there s some variation in the exact length of each panel.