[Arid_gardener] RE: Removing prickly pear

[Marcia Lincoln]

I have removed more prickly pear than I care to mention. Others may have a
more effective means, however for a non-mechanized method, I use a machete
and a long pair of tongs. The machete easily cuts segments into manageable
pieces which you can lift with the tongs. Work your way from the outside of
the patch to the inside. If the ground is wet, you can pull rooted sections
up with tongs as the roots do not go deep. If you have room in your yard to
leave the cut-up pile and have a large shredder, once the pads are
thoroughly dry (takes about a year), they can be shredded and make a mighty
fine mulch. Wet pads will quickly clog a shredder. Pads touching the ground
around the edge of the pile may re-root. The pile also becomes temporary
housing for all sorts of creatures if you live in a rural area--packrats,
snakes, lizards, and all sorts of insects and arachnids love piles of dead
prickly pear. This may be to your liking, or not. Lacking room for this, bag
or box the pieces and discard with your trash. 

Although expensive, Pillstrom Tongs are the best in the world. I use a 3'
pair for all sorts of tasks, not just for moving rattlesnakes, and they are
excellent for handling pieces of prickly pear and cholla cactus. See their
website http://www.pillstromtongs.com/index.html 

Marcia (not a Master Gardener)

Message: 2
Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2007 11:45:13 -0700 (MST)
From: uncduane at yahoo.com
Subject: [Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page
To: <arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <200701081845.l08IjD4T013196 at Ag.arizona.edu>

duane
85206
uncduane at yahoo.com

I have about a 10 sq. ft. patch of prickly pear cactus and would like to
remove it.  Any ideas?




 

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