Yeah, cacti in even tiny pots don't really ever have to be transplanted. They are grown that way on purpose and have tiny, shallow root systems. DutchTreat I hadn't really thought of the transplanting. So if they were cacti, there was absolutely no rush whatsoever to get them into the ground.
If they were plants, ie wildflowers, taken from the ground, they would never be transplanted in the heat of a summer day. It would kill the leaves right away. Better to stick them in water, roots and all, and transplant after the sun goes down, and shade them for a week or more.
The whole transplanting story is very curious. IMO