Earlier this summer a squirrel dug into on of my Pediocactus simpsonii v minor flower pots and uprooted several seedlings. These flower pots have seeds planted in them and they germinate in the spring. The pots stay outdoors year round and as seedlings grow they can be transplanted.

I found most of the seedlings that were dug up and replanted them. Then covered all of my Pedio seed pots with deer netting to keep the squirrels out. Later this summer I see that the only seedling that survived this squirrel ordeal is one that wasn't uprooted. This is typical of my experience with these plants - that uprooting them almost always kills them. Pediocactus seems to be very fragile if the plant is moved, but I have noticed that there is a time of year when they have a great survival rate.

In the early spring from March through April I've been able to transplant Pedio seedlings and have nearly all of them survive very well. Like the ones I lost to a squirrel ordeal it seems that transplanting them any other time than early spring is likely to kill these plants.