Cactus rescue.

Steve-0 · Post by **Steve-0** » Wed May 19, 2021 4:17 pm

Just a couple of blocks from my office in a residential area I have been seeing daily a quite massive potted Opuntia polyacantha specimen. And every time I passed by I thought of stopping and offering to purchase a few pads from the owners.

Well, that never happened...even over the course of 3-4 years. It kept getting bigger and blooming profusely each spring. And I kept on driving past.

So yesterday a surprising thing occurred when I drove past. There it was sticking out of a black trash bag in the street next to the over full garbage bin. It took less than two minutes to tip it upright, roll a hand truck under the pot and hoist it into a company van.

Then the tricky stuff was next....how to get this big beauty home.

It was looking very dry and by it’s light weight I knew it had been potted too long in the same pot and had consumed or displaced the soil with its roots.

And because of that light weight, I easily lifted it from the company van to my personal vehicle’s boot/trunk. Only received one spine in the back of each hand.

Got it home and poured a gallon of cool water on it which promptly all ran through.

Put it in a larger tub and added 3 gallons of water. I estimate it absorbed 2.5 gallons overnight. Now I need to add some TLC, thin out the dead pads and enjoy its spikey beauty and blooms this week or next.

The yellow flowering image is an Opuntia Poly. I've had a short while and its first blooms are appearing this spring. One opened already and it looks like 16-17 are right behind it. I'm pretty sure this new one is pink flowering. Of the Opuntia species native to Utah, this is my favorite by far. Mainly it's the intense spination and huge blooms. But, yeah, that does describe a cactus, right?

A several years' fantasy/wish turned into a serendipitous event.

anttisepp · Post by **anttisepp** » Wed May 19, 2021 5:06 pm

Thanks for nice story with true happy end!

mikethecactusguy · Post by **mikethecactusguy** » Thu May 20, 2021 4:04 am

nice find

Steve-0 · Post by **Steve-0** » Thu May 20, 2021 1:05 pm

Last night I got a pair of tongs and removed a cubic foot of old flower buds, leaf trash, sticks, dried weed vines and around 3 dead pads. It improved the appearance quite a bit as one could imagine. Like a fresh hair style. It's going to need a new large pot or being planted into the ground at some point.

I'll post the flowering pics soon.

PS- Here she is cleaned up a bit...these were taken this morning at 615...not a lot of daylight yet. I'm counting ~30 buds. We'll see how many open in the coming days

madkactus · Post by **madkactus** » Thu May 20, 2021 4:48 pm

Some things are just meant to be. Very cool that you saved this beauty from a terrible fate. Now it will get the love it deserves to thrive for a long time to come.

bbarv · Post by **bbarv** » Fri May 21, 2021 11:40 pm

What a nice story and a beautiful plant!

Mrs.Green · Post by **Mrs.Green** » Sat May 22, 2021 5:28 pm

This story warms my heart

I am a ‘rescuer’ too and it’s lovely to see an happy ending for discarded plants ( or animals )

BennieAnTheJets · Post by **BennieAnTheJets** » Sat May 22, 2021 10:36 pm

Wow! Nice! Good for you! I am glad you saw it when you did and you could save it. Thanks for sharing - now I feel bedda.

Amazing how different we all think - the previous owner thought is was trash - you would have treasured a pup/pad.

Now you got it! So glad for the plant!

Reminds me of the song "Percy the puny poinsettia"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jisjx9r_mmM

"...

Now Percy the puny poinsettia
Is standing beside Mr. Tree
His leaves have never been redda,
He's as proud as a flower can be

Somebody made him feel bedda"

mikethecactusguy · Post by **mikethecactusguy** » Sun May 23, 2021 3:59 pm

Nice Steve-O
A very happy looking rescue.

7george · Post by **7george** » Mon May 24, 2021 11:15 pm

So unwanted pets go to a shelter or some organised place. Maybe plants also deserve something more than a trash bin? Flea market, parking lot for orphans or so... Putting a media ad looks too troublesome for many bored growers...

anttisepp · Post by **anttisepp** » Tue May 25, 2021 5:38 am

When my hoyas grew very large first I offered them to our botanic gardens but nobody interesred. Second I put them on our net auction and all were saled quickly at amazing price (really didn't expect

).

A_G_R · Post by **A_G_R** » Tue May 25, 2021 4:45 pm

Getting it in and out of the trunk looks dangerous! Kudos for saving this beauty and only getting a couple of spines on you

Steve-0 · Post by **Steve-0** » Wed May 26, 2021 8:30 pm

A_G_R wrote: ↑Tue May 25, 2021 4:45 pm Getting it in and out of the trunk looks dangerous! Kudos for saving this beauty and only getting a couple of spines on you

It was sketchy for sure. I had those black shipping gloves on ....like that would prevent 3-4 inch spikes from stabbing me.

The saving grace was the light weight...maybe only 30 pounds...and I have long arms - my reach is 73 inches.

Once I got it pretty close to fitting, I was committed to lowering it and that's when one long spine jabbed the back on each hand.

Not so bad a trade.

She's blooming!

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