Question
My husband brought home several 12 ft stalks of a cactus that a neighbor was cutting down and wants to plant them in the back yard.  They have been been soaking in a tub of water for about a week so they wouldn't dry out.  Is it possible to plant them and have them grow or should I have him put them out for the trash pick up?  (Which is where he got them in the first place)  I don't know what kind of cactus they are.  The stalks are kinda star shaped with very few spines.  very short ones if any at all.  Most of the stalks are about 10 to 12 feet tall.  A few are about 3 feet tall.  What is the best way to plant these?

Answer
Barb,

First, they should not be in water. They need to dry out before you can plant them. Once they do dry out, plant them in the ground about a foot deep. Make sure to pack the soil around them really well so they don't fall over. It will take a few months to root, so be patient.

The only problem is that they won't be oriented north/south like they were on the main plant, so some of them may get sunburned. If that happens you can try to shade them with some lite material for a few weeks until they acclimate to the new environment. Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Greg