Microchips helping to prevent cactus poaching in Arizona national parks

abc15 ^ | Apr. 13, 2018 | Cameron Polom

[Hot Tabasco]

how easy it is to lose one if you truncate the roots too badly.

Proper truncation is a gardeners best friend............

[discostu]

Christmas cactus are surprisingly weak plants. They actually burn pretty easy so window sun can be bad for them, and they’re easy to over water.

[Western Phil]

My almost 3 ft saguaro cactus overwinters in our “Mother-in-law room” and spends the summer in the front yard here in east central Illinois. I bought it as a seedling while visiting my brother in Tempe, Arizona in the early 70s. I have not paid any attention to its orientation, but it seems to be reasonably happy for a cactus. It’s in a pot and not real easy to move. Haven’t noticed anyone trying to steal it, but one time I saw a squirrel on top of it looking to get down. My guess was that he, being an Illinois squirrel, was not familiar with Arizona vegetation and jumped on it from a neighboring tree. Fortunately, I was quick with the camera and somewhere I have evidence of his folly. Wish it was video. Try that with your cabbage, daisies, lilies, etc.

[jch10]

Put them outside, in the shade. Water, if you have a drought. Bring them in before cold weather. Break of pieces to root for your friends or it will become too large for one person to move. 😀

[Albion Wilde]

Put them outside, in the shade.

I did that one year and the deer ate them down to a nub. Then they came back strong! Two of them that are my "mother plants" are 30 years old. I've made dozens of gifts for friends off of them.

[jiggyboy]

They'll spend millions for a cactus that is reproducible.

Reproducible, yes, but slow-growing. I read up on them when I thought growing them from seed and selling them for $100 a foot was easy money. It's not. They don't even get a first "arm" for 15-20 years, and if you want something that looks like the ones in the Road Runner cartoons, leave them in your will for your great-grandchildren.