Well hi there, I have to think since you live in Az. you might tell us but then I can't just assume you are a native from there. As Ive driven to Arizona up the 10 FWY it appears they just grow wild out there, I imagine the soil is sandy & coarse but thats just a guess, I have a cactus that looks like a Sagauro & I've had some that died that also looked like them. tomorow I will post a picture of mine which looks pretty healthy considering he only gets bright light and just 2 days ago I moved it to a spot that gets about 80% full sun
If you can post pictures plz do so I'd like to see them. I remember purchasing my others that didnt make it out at Altmans Nursery towards Escondido by San Diego, I went in with a friend who had a licence for wholesalers, I picked it up for about $40. it was about 2' ft. high :/ it died tho I think from planting & transplanting too many times, I was just to excited about it.

Mine is in a 5gal. container right now in a mix of just reg. soil but Im about to change that real quick maybe tomorow.

Greg

Since you are living in Chandler AZ, go to Arizona Cactus Sales on 1619 South Arizona Ave. They will certainly be able to answer any questions. You only want to plant them once. Moving them will be tough afterwards. You live in a beautiful part of the country.

Red

Creaso, Ok here it is and Im not positively sure it is a sagauro but it looks like one? I have another one thats been in a pot FOREVER.. Im surprised that pot hasnt cracked yet. Ill send a picture later on.

Greg

Sooner than later, I figured heck Im doing this right now! By the way its nice day in California with temps in the 90's .

Greg

Here is the saguaro it's a little about 8 inches tall.

I spent 100 dollars on all 6.

Left is the argentine saguaro, then the Sonoran saguaro, the one with flowers is a strawberry hedgehog, and the one to the right is a Cardon.

A saguaro takes a long time to get an arm something like 50 to 100 years.

It only grows at best 8 to 12 inches a year.

I've heard younger saguaro and Cardon need a nurse plant and afternoon shade.

My soil has a lot of clay in it.

Well Heres his new home, and I mesured him from the foot to the tip of the top & it was 51" making him 4' 3" 4ft. 3 in. I placed my famous Tuna can pot on the baae for comparison.

Greg

Greg,where in ca are you?? It's 81 here and that's hot enough for me,i was out in the yard working earlier,but had to come in,too hot for me.So now I get to play on the puter!!

Oh I'm just N.of San Diego,along the coast.
Kathi

creaso, Thats a nice group of sagauros you have there, at a heffty price I might add, which qualifies you for the Cactus A.A Club which by the way is for cactus addicts. Theres a post on here Titled " 0c. HOW MUCH DO YOU SPEND"

I suggest you start attending weekly meetings immediately!!! Lol of course :)

cactus 6103, This will hopefully be the last move for a long while, unless, I decide to P.I.G, & thxz for the tip of where to find them in Chandler AZ.

Kathi, Im in CORONA, CA. not to be confused with CORONA DEL MAR. I only wish, and we were @ 95 today which is one of the reasons I love the beach, because when I go to the beach I can always count on it being at least 10 to 15 degrees cooler & thats worth the 30 mnuete drive. So you sound like youre close to Rosemarie. It was a Hot day tho so I was in & out in had to move my work area to the Shade :)

So can anyone tell if I have a Sagauro or a wanna be sagauro? Whats a cardon?

Greg

That looks like a saguaro.
A Cardon is the biggest cactus in the world or at least North America. It looks like a saguaro but it get 5 -10 feet taller.

this is a picture I took while at Catalina island a couple years ago at the botanicle gardens they have there, boy I would have loved to have taken this one home with me to bad it didnt fit in my pocket or it would have came home with me.

creaso, thanks for confirmation and Wow! the cardon is a monster then at 10 15 ft taller WOW, WOW!!!

Greg

Argentine Suguaro? Suguaro is the common name for Carnegiea gigantea, and it is native only to North America. If somebody said it was a South American Suguaro, that is like somebody selling you a cat dog. It can be an Argentine cactus or a Suguaro, but Argentine Suguaro is somebody's made up name for marketing I suspect.

Greg, yours looks maybe like a Pachycereus (Cardon)? The reason I speculate about that is the club shaped bottom to it. (Narrow then wider.) The Suguaros seem to be very much the same diameter the whole way up, whether small or large. I would not take that to the bank, but look at any Suguaro you see and note the way they come out of the ground. Just saying.

dzitmoidonc, Im trying to focus on trunk but cant tell the dif. I do notice the uniformity of the trunk ( is that a word?) Ill keep my eyes on it thxz.

Long hot day yall talk more tomorow,

Greg

Echinopsis terscheckii = "Argentine Saguaro".

From my experience and what people in Arizona have said is...In a hot climate Saguaro grows fastest (Arizona) next is Pachycereus (Cardon) and the Echinopsis does ok,but might like some light shade in hottest months. By far the most cold tolerant is the Echinopsis. It can take brief single digits..that's VERY cold. Some HUGE Echinosis grow in the southern central valley..enormous plants. They had to have survived many a great freeze.
In the much cooler bay area? Echinopsis grows huge. UC Berkeley has one 35' or so. Gigantic with only two arms. I remember when it was near 30' with no arms like a big pickle. Saguaro is a no go. They aint going to put up with 75f summer and some fog. Pachycereus get big here..but take their time getting there. Best if you want a big one is too buy one over 3'. At $200 or so. I went HD 8" pot and $12.00 for three!

GermanStar, thank you. I have zero experience with ceroids that are growing in the ground. Would not have guessed that Echinopsis terscheckii were popular at nurseries. Every day one learns.

I have seen hundreds of saguaros that are narrower then wider.