How to move a 6' cactus long distance?

WOW! Here in Arizona they're protected - state something or other. We usually hire professional movers. They usually have a trailer with a diagonal (slant) bed that can be raised or lowered. The cactus and trailer slant is wrapped in carpeting. The roots are shallow, so that's no problem, but the cactus is full of water and HEAVY!. They have been known to fall over and kill people here. If yours falls it will probably shatter an arm or two. The more arms, the more expensive. This is an ancient type plant. You may want to look up moving Saguaro's on the internet. I'd look for a nursery from Arizona for the best advise. Other than that, if I were moving it, I'd first, think twice, then take a picture.

 

Brural: I just reread your post. What kind of cactus is it? I just assumed Saguaro. Let me know, as different cactus' can be moved differently. Sally

 

Get some sticks or dowles or what ever as long as the plant is tall (4 or 6 ) place them in the dirt around to plant them wrap with bubblewrap or that foam wrapping stuff you get in packages. This should work ok.

A long or tall box would help too.

 

Well it sounds wonderful and sentimental and I hope it all goes well.

 

Effectively crate it. Put it on a wood base with slat sides. A couple of pallets should do the job materials wise. Wrap the plant in something, burlap, old blanket, or bubble wrap to prevent it from rubbing on the wood. If you have a large garden center locally which would sell a big specimen like yours perhaps they would give you the packaging one of their plants came in. Where I worked we had some big ones come in in solid type crates with breather holes in the tops and they were filled with peanuts. Boy were those plants fun to clean off.

PQ

 

Typically cactuses have some part that can be broken off to start another plant, like a cutting. You might consider doing that...

 

Candelabrum will start nicely from cuttings. Save any arms that break off and plant them, they'll root easily.

I'd wrap a blanket around the whole thing, strap the arms together with the blanket so they can't flop around, and then get two people to move it -- one to keep the arms from moving around, one to carry it to the truck. Once in the truck, try to anchor it to something so the pot can't move independent of the arms.

They're tougher than they look.

Oh, go real light on the water for a few weeks after the move. They're susceptible to root rot if they're stressed. Extra water makes things WORSE.

Leva

 

Check your local appliance stores for large cardboard boxes (like a refrigerator box). That should be large enough to hold it. Then pack crumbled newspapers around the plant all the way to the top,to keep it from shifting. If you can't get one box large enough, get several smaller ones and make your own using packing tape to hold it together.

 

Cacti have different requirements. I'm NOT real familiar with candelabrum cacti, though I have one by my front door. It gets watered when it rains, which isn't often here, and fertilizer once a year, maybe, if I remember. It was my grandmother's before me. I've broken stalks off it, planted them in the ground, and had them do better than the potted plant. But this is in AZ. They don't like to be frozen and don't like wet soil, so where you can plant them outside is limited. (Mine are up against the house where they're not likely to get frozen badly.)

A gardening site could give you better advice.

If you get root rot, cut the stalk off above the last sign of rot and replant it. They'll root. When I'm making cacti cutting, I usually let the cut part dry a bit before planting, for a couple of days.

Soil should be very sandy and quick draining -- NOT normal potting soil, but a cactus mix.

You're doing something right if you got it to six feet!

Leva