You could dig out the area you want the plants specifically and amend the soil. Add some sort of soil condition (ie pine bark fines) and turface. I use OilDri from sams club. I just repotted a plant from 2 years ago and the stuff still hasn't broken down. It is cheaper than Turface (only $4 for 40#). If you buy by the truck load though you may be able to get other stuff cheaper. Pea gravel and soil conditioner; maybe add grit or #00 builder's sand. You could do a combination of all of the above. Square footage will determine a lot of what you do. If the clay dries out it is hard as heck. I am in Houston and all we sit on is clay. You can't even dig an inch and a half down. Good luck and post before and after pics.

Hi Chris, I will be happy to send you some cuttings, but we were just told yesterday to expect long hours with no days off till June 6th (is that legal?). I don't need you to send any cuttings, but thanks for the offer. My dh's eyes rolled back in his head when I told him of your generous offer. He HATES, HATES, HATES my hardy beds. I have so many different kinds, most I lost track of the names or never knew them. I can spare some basilaris pads; one has bigger pads. Don't know if it will survive by you, but why not experiment? I also have a white blooming imbricata that doesn't grow as fast as the magenta one I have. Very stingy with the blooms, too. So we can start there if you want and then I can send more if you have room. Most of mine bloom pink.

If you have any landscape cacti that no longer 'work' in your landscape, for whatever reason, don't kill them. Contact the Tucson Cactus & Succulent Society and/or the Central Arizona Cactus & Succulent Society- depending on where you live. Their respective websites are (sorry, can't put the www at the beginning) tucsoncactus.org/ and centralarizonacactus.org/index.htm Call or email them with your problem and they may be able to provide some help. If you would like to volunteer- help is always appreciated. When a new development is planned, they try to persuade the developers to allow volunteers to go in ahead of the bulldozers and rescue some of the plants that would be destroyed. Permit tags are purchased from the state and the rescued plants are sold for little more than the cost of the tag. Sometimes there isn't much notice or time before the bulldozers arrive so volunteers are always appreciated. The volunteers of course get first choice of the rescued plants. More importantly, if you have any contacts in development or landscape or know of some acres about to go under the blade, let your C&S society know! Or volunteer to save some of these natives. In Phoenix email Thanks to AZTransplant and Hawaiisam for this great info!

Yes to what April said. Corking is natural, but should be firm. If there is any softness or mushiness, it is rotting. Your soil may be water retaining - it may look dry on surface but still too wet under. Is there drainage hole in the container? Other plants could have different light & watering needs, and it would be best to pot them separately. Looks like there are couple of cacti there, what else?