How do I transplant a cactus from a pot to the ground?
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with gloves! Seriously though, you have to make sure that the cactus variety can withstand the outdoors. Generally, they need several hours of full sun. The roots of cacti are very shallow, so you need to make sure you are very careful not to damage any while transplanting. There needs to be good drainage, so clay soil would need some other things added to help so that water doesn't just sit around the cacti, which will make it rot.
Since you have a cactus in a pot, I'm going to assume you bought it? If so, first research your type of cactus to determine how much sun it needs - there are some cacti that wilt in sunlight and thrive in shade! In South Florida (is a tropical region) our "dirt" is a LOT of coral rock! All we do for bought cacti is dig a hole the same depth as the pot, and width slightly wider than the pot.
Using leather gloves, carefully flip the pot upsidown while supporting the plant and soil. Then gently tap the bottom and sides of the po until the pot releases it. Then carefully right the plant and soil right side up and lower it into your hole. The reason you want as much of the original dirt as possible, is to reduce the stress on your cactus, thus giving it a better chance to take root and thrive in its new "home."
If your hole resulted in digging up "dirt" vs "rock," fill in the sides with it, lightly water. Done! If it's a larger plant, you may consider staking it to make sure it grows straight as it adapts and grows. Hope that helps. :-)
Find out the growing requirements for that particular cactus, wear leather gloves and wrap it in several layers of newspaper to protect yourself from the spines, and there you go. I transplanted a 7' candelabra cactus successfully this way.