My front yard cactus recently started browning and dying towards the top and bleeding all the way down to the bottom. It looks like birds have made a home in the top and I’ve seen a few of them fly out. Is she a goner? If so, is it as easy as hiring a landscaper to cut it down? For reference, I’m in Phoenix, AZ, and I heard that cutting down some types of cacti requires special permits.
by spaulding_smailz
5 Comments
.I had a saguaro in that condition before. It was not salvageable. As far as having it cut down, find someone who knows saguaro. They are heavier than you think and can be dangerous. You don’t need a permit to cut down your saguaro on your own property. You’d need one if you wanted to sell it and transport it to another property
Save the skeleton they’re valuable and make cool decorations
That’s a damn shame. I wonder if the birds would come back and cause damage if you had a professional chop the top off, or if the birds were just a symptom of the problem and moved in.
This looks like it was rot caused by overwatering. You shouldn’t be watering these at all. It also looks like it was originally planted too deeply. And the rocks look like they’re causing a problem. So all of that together caused your cactus to die. The birds didn’t do anything, because in the wild, they commonly get bird holes in them. It’s just sad that they’re going to lose this for nesting. This was probably a bad location for a seguero anyway, as it ‘s very close to cars and the sidewalk.
i wouldn’t cut it down unless it’s that much an eyesore to ya, i’d let it ride , i’ve seen cactus keep growing even when rotted at the bottom, as long as the center is in tact they can still keep growing healthy out the top, id chop the very top off and see the inside of it , cut away what’s rotted and leave it , its so old i’d try to save it