Indian Comb Cacti Have Grown Into Cannons
The giant Indian comb cacti that I grew from seed germinated in summer of 2018 have grown into cannons. I just shipped out the largest one to a customer yesterday. Most are 40-44 inches tall and growing vigorously. Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum is one of the world’s largest species with the potential to reach 49ft in height and stems ten inches thick. I have sold all of the pupped stumps from which I cut these stems. https://cactusislandacres.com/product/pachycereus-pecten-aboriginum/ to purchase and see more.
You’d think large, spiky cactus like these would be impossible to mail, but I do it with ease and also use Shippo for a decent discount price on fast and reliable UPS shipping as the U.S. Postal Service has been sabotaged nearly out of existence.
I triple-wrap big stems in multi-ply feed sacks cut and folded open, remove soil, dry, wrap and box. For the customer, I recommend keeping the wrapping on while securing in new substrate and then unwrapping. Strips of spare carpet and thick gardening gloves make this job easier and safer, and safety goggles or even a clear acrylic face shield are vital for protecting your eyes and face.
jvfreeman
James V. Freeman is an established visual artist (oil painting) with a deep interest in natural history, plants and farming. He has had numerous solo shows, a solo museum show, an upcoming museum show and his work has been featured in many publications to date. He currently has a studio in Williston, Fl at the family farm and homestead, "Cactus Island", and as a farmer, specializes in growing columnar cacti of the Caribbean and Gulf countries as well as the aquatic Madegascar Lace Plant. James and his mom Sharon manage and develop the permaculture homestead.
Cactus Island Nursery