Question
Our 17 ft. tall Saquaro Cactus has been leaning drastically toward
our sprinklered lawn area the last 2-4 weeks.  It is about 18 inches
from our lawn and we have had unusual heavy rains this summer.  
We live in the Palm Springs, CA area and have had the cactus for 18
years.  The side away from the water is turning yellowish and
cracking.  My husband has tried to "prop" it up for fear it would fall
over; he also found it had an "air pocket" in the dirt on the lawn
side-or maybe it was from decaying roots?  Is there anything we
can do? Maybe repack the soil with sand and move the watered
area further away?  We feel bad if it should die unnecessarily.  
Thanks fo any help.

Answer
Dear Patricia,

There are companies here in Phoenix that move and replant saguaro's and I'm sure there must be one there. You'll probably need to replant it. Depending on how far over it is leaning, that may be the cause of the discoloration. It may be getting sunburned.

The south side of a saguaro (and any cactus) gets a thicker skin to protect it from the sun. Don't let your husband mess with it, a saguaro that big weighs about 100 lbs per foot (that is with no arms). I found this place that says they move cactus in your area: http://www.pricesinc.com/cactus/
They are in La Quinta.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Greg