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Sick Saguaro
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 1:25 am
by Peterthecactusguy
I notice this in my yard today. There was always a weird spot on it from when it had braces on it holding it up. It got badly sunburnt when the braces were taken off.
It looks like it's got some bad rot.
here is a close up.
What should I do? Should I chop out the blackened areas or should I leave it be ? Would cutting it out actually do anything useful or is it going to die like the other one that is rotting in the In-laws yard?
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 5:13 am
by daiv
Wish I could tell ya Peter, but I have no Saguaro experience. If it were me, I'd probably let it alone.
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 7:02 am
by Peterthecactusguy
Daiv,
I have some experience but it doesn't look too healthy and it happened rather quickly. I don't know either. I will leave it alone for not unless someone else tells me otherwise.
Saguaros are tough. So maybe it can fight it off. I will of course keep an eye on things.
Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 8:04 am
by TimN
I've never done it myself, but I've seen pictures of a local guy who treats rotting saguaros.
He chopped all the rotten stuff off then treated it with a bleach solution. He seems to swear by it.
It probably won't improve on it's own...
Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 8:29 am
by Peterthecactusguy
Tim, it's worth a shot. After all this rain I might do surgery. Do you know what% bleach he uses? I think around 10% usually right?
I have a feeling if I leave it alone it will look like the other one that I caught when it was bleeding the brown gunk out of it's flesh.
Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 3:17 pm
by PapaBearJay
Brown blood huh? Seems fantastic!
Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 10:02 pm
by TimN
10% sounds good. Don't be timid about taking out the rotten stuff. I saw pictures on that guys site (can't find it now) that showed huge chunks cut out of them and still standing.
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 2:21 am
by Peterthecactusguy
Tim I won't. I will work on it tomorrow when it dries out a little bit the recent rain made it ooze out the brown gunk.
PBJ,
it's not fantastic. It's horrible. The brown gunk is rotten fleshy water from the cactus. It smells like rotting cactus.
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 10:07 pm
by Peterthecactusguy
I did some probing and I believe the whole cactus is effected so I don't have much choice. If I had money I would have it removed, but I don't have the means to do this, so it will stay for now.
RIP poor saguaro that was moved due to greed of a natural gas company.
I don't blame myself, Native Resources the company that moved them, or my ex-in-laws. I blame Transwestern Pipeline...
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 10:13 pm
by PapaBearJay
Do you have some pictures to share with the rest of us from your probing?
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 10:43 pm
by Peterthecactusguy
I didn't take any closeups, just a general one. It's rotten for about 2/3s of the cactus on the one side... IT stinks now too