Expert: Greg Simpson - 8/2/2007

Question
When my wife and I built our new home, 2 years ago, we needed to re-locate 4 sahuaros. 3 fared nicely and seem to be doing well. One of the large ones, however, did develop a belt of rot around its base and tumbled this morning. This sahuaro has a beautiful arm. Is it conceivable to remove this arm and plant it? If so, how would we do this? Thank you...Waly

Answer
Walt,

I am sorry for the delay in answering you, have had some computer issues that are now resolved. You would need to cut the arm from the main plant. If you can, mark the side that was facing south, as that side will need to be planted that direction when it is replanted. After cutting the arm, let it dry out for at least a month in a shady area. After it has "healed", plant it in the ground, but make sure to add about 50% sand to the soil. It can take up to a year to root, so be patient. Good luck!

Hope this helps,

Greg