Cactus Scrub Test

This year, the park will be planting 30,000 plants as part of the cactus scrub restoration project at Rancho Sierra Vista. Almost a quarter of the plants for the project will be native cactus (7,000 plants). This week, the nursery and restoration team finished setting up a small study to test planting techniques for the prickly plant. Cactus can reproduce by cuttings, which may prove to be a more efficient restoration strategy than growing plants by seed in the nursery. It has been suggested that cactus pads can root into the ground simply by placing them flat against the soil but drying them out first and planting them can improve success.

Restoration Program staff and interns are testing these methods by laying them flat on the ground, staking them into the ground to improve soil contact, and planting them in a shallow hole. The team is hoping the pads don't need to be dried out, staked, or planted. Simply cutting them then laying them on the ground would be the easiest and most efficient planting method. The team will monitor the study site over the next several months for results.