How to Plant Cacti in a Dish Garden

Select a wide, shallow container for your dish garden. A container with a hole in the bottom is best. A container without a drainage hole can be used but will require extra care. Depth of the container should be about 3 inches.

Place a small piece of mesh or fabric over the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot to prevent the potting soil from clogging the hole. Fill your container with a commercial potting soil for succulents and cactus or a mixture of 1/2 regular potting soil and 1/2 clean, coarse sand. If your container has no drainage hole, spread a 1/2-inch layer of pea gravel, coarse sand or small pebbles on the bottom of the container, covered by a thin layer of coarse charcoal. Place the potting mixture on top of the charcoal.

Fill your cactus garden with cactus in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. Use one or two taller cactus, which will create a focal point for your garden. Plant smaller cactus plants in front of, or around, the taller cactus. You can also plant variety of succulents such as aloe, agave or echeveria. Avoid plants other than cactus and succulents, as other plants that require more water won't be compatible.

Wear gloves to protect your hands when planting your cactus garden. Use your fingers or a spoon to create a small hole for each cactus. Plant the cactus in the hole at the same depth it was planted in the container, then tamp the soil lightly around the roots. Use a soft paintbrush to remove any potting soil that lands on the plant.

Add embellishments to your cactus garden. Interesting rocks, small pieces of wood or ceramic figures are only a few ideas. Spread a thin layer of clean aquarium gravel or pea gravel on top of the potting soil to keep the cactus plants clean and dry. Water the cactus garden lightly with room temperature water.

Place your cactus garden in a sunny spot. Water the cactus garden only when the soil feels dry, providing just enough to moisten the soil.