Question
Greg,

I have a cactus that is about six feet tall now.  I live in Los Angeles and he has grown from two feet to six in the last 1.5 years.  I am moving soon to a dry part of Northern California.  I want to take him with me, because the realtor said the new buyer will chop him down.  He has a thick trunk (3 inches) and basically has those pads that I think people eat.  He has sprouted a ton of them lately.  Would it be okay to cut off enough pads to shrink him down?  I do not need to replant those.  I notice that the new pads are not too thick yet.  Some of the ones lower down are pretty thick.  Do I damage him if I take off a lot?  He will be hard to transport, so it will be easier if he is short.  I do worry about trauma if I cut off some of last year's growth.  For many years he was smothered by rosemary and stayed at about 2 feet.  Once I bought the house and freed him, he just went crazy, even thickening his trunk to support the new pads.  Some of those new pads have gotten pretty thick.  

Thanks for your help.

Kim

Answer
Kim,

Please see below:

Would it be okay to cut off enough pads to shrink him down?  Yes, that would be just fine, it shouldn't hurt your plant at all.

Do I damage him if I take off a lot?  I would remove maybe 50% maximum. It sounds like you have a prickly pear type cactus, and they are pretty tough.

The only thing I would be concerned about is cold. You said you are moving to a dry part of northern California. Check into the local weather, if it goes much below freezing in the winter, your plant will need to become a house plant. Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Greg