Help with working on a slope

[chris142]

I think you need to send everyone a box full of Cholla's and then they know why you just don't want to mess with them!

I've had to carry a 110lb wolf (ZEUS) over my shoulders for 5 miles because some idiot though it would be cool if they knocked them all over the trail.
And that tough son of a gun let me use pliers to pull then out and didn't chew on me.

Ya seems like nobody is familiar with the cholla cactus. There's no moisture in them and no animal could eat them without dieing a miserable death.

Imagine all those spikes going through your tongue and cheeks!

 

[GreensvilleJay]

They sound like the perfect 'porch pirate' exploding gift bag !!!

 

[Flintknapper]

I think you need to send everyone a box full of Cholla's and then they know why you just don't want to mess with them!

^^^^^^
This.

Some of the replies so far are absolutely comical. Cholla will have to be removed by hand. Sever the roots and remove the plant the best you can.

They are a HORRIBLE cactus to deal with. The object isn't to 'kill' them, it doesn't matter dead or alive....they must be physically removed if livestock is to be in an area.

Grubbing hoe and a good spade. Wear protective clothing obviously. Good luck.

 

[chris142]

^^^^^^
This.

Some of the replies so far are absolutely comical. Cholla will have to be removed by hand. Sever the roots and remove the plant the best you can.

They are a HORRIBLE cactus to deal with. The object isn't to 'kill' them, it doesn't matter dead or alive....they must be physically removed if livestock is to be in an area.

Grubbing hoe and a good spade. Wear protective clothing obviously. Good luck.

Could you imagine a goat eating a cholla! That made my day lol

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

Could you imagine a goat eating a cholla! That made my day lol

I believe dessert bighorn sheep do…I suspect we are splitting hairs with goats. Laugh all you want, there are other wildlife that eat cactus for that matter. (I’d be more worried if there droppings spread seeds)

I’ve witnessed cows and rams etc eating cactus at family’s ranch in Texas…face full of stickers did not stop them.

 

[hagrid]

May have to fill the holes later.

With more tannerite, plz!

Rinse and repeat until the slope isn't a slope anymore.

 

[chris142]

With more tannerite, plz!

Rinse and repeat until the slope isn't a slope anymore.

Can I even get that in the communist state?

 

[D2Cat]

From the pictures the rocks would be a major obstruction to mowing, even if there was no slope. Probably need to fabricate a spade/sharp shooter to hand dig to the root and pop them out. Kind of like getting rid of thistles around here, nearly impossible even with chemicals.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Cholla cactus or better know as jumping cactus.
Jump when the ground or air moves just a little bit, they are spring loaded.
When they stab you the tips curl into a fish hook.
They are incredibly hard and painful to remove.
In all my years I never seen any animal eat one off them.

 

[D2Cat]

Isn't it amazing how plants you don't like or have a use for reproduce without attention and in the nastiest soil, like dandelions?

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

definitely not ideal and some significant work but could you use a tow behind drag harrow / driveway grader??. They are cheap to buy and would this get the job done??.

I have a logging winch so I would make it a 2 person job. say maybe 50' of chain on both ends of a drag would let you cover a 50' length of hill at a time.

- set up a drag harrow at bottom of hill with a small atv or similar
- tractor with / without winch on top of the hill
- with tractor pull or winch the drag / grader cutter up the slope breaking up the cactus
- pull back down hill other direction with atv
- set up drag width of cut over and repeat.
- once all cactus cut free let them rot or rake to bottom of hill and pick up with grapple??

I have never worked with cactus so I have no clue but using 2 machines one at base and one a top "tick tocking" the grader - drag up and down the hill with 1 operator and tractor pulling up and the other operator and atv pulling down might get it done.
100% less than ideal but with working on steep slopes a possible solution??

this way neither piece of rubber wheeled machine on the slope or where cactus is only pulling the drag / cutter and and down the slope using the cable / chain hooked between the two machines. This pic has solid draw bar so I would unhook and use chain on both ends so I could cover large runs without resetting.

 

[skeets]

I dont know much about them, I had prickly pears under windows and such,, nasty little buggers,, Anyway maybe a brush hog, and backing up the hill at least you wont flop over backwards,, and the like the man said a drag harrow, over and over and over, and sneak over to Nevada and get some round up,, thats all I got

 

[RCW]

It's no help to the OP, but I've said many times that 2 feet of snow and -14 degrees F help prevent a lot of stuff.....gators, snakes, etc., etc.

Guess I should add cholla cactus to the list.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

It's no help to the OP, but I've said many times that 2 feet of snow and -14 degrees F help prevent a lot of stuff.....gators, snakes, etc., etc.

Guess I should add cholla cactus to the list.

HAHAHA
That would be a Saguaro Cactus, just think tree with lots of pricklys!

 

[jyoutz]

Tordon will kill them along with the roots. Get a backpack sprayer and mix Tordon with a dye. Once they die they will melt down and the spines will become less sharp and you can scoop them into burn piles with a pitchfork. To buy and use Tordon you will need to go to Cooperative Extension Service and take a test to get a landowner farm/ranch applicator license.

 

[jyoutz]

Cholla cactus or better know as jumping cactus.
Jump when the ground or air moves just a little bit, they are spring loaded.
When they stab you the tips curl into a fish hook.
They are incredibly hard and painful to remove.
In all my years I never seen any animal eat one off them.

Correct. Cholla have no redeeming value whatsoever.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Tordon will kill them along with the roots. Get a backpack sprayer and mix Tordon with a dye. Once they die they will melt down and the spines will become less sharp and you can scoop them into burn piles with a pitchfork. To buy and use Tordon you will need to go to Cooperative Extension Service and take a test to get a landowner farm/ranch applicator license.

Sadly I don't think they allow that in California

 

[Hugo Habicht]

Isn't it amazing how plants you don't like or have a use for reproduce without attention and in the nastiest soil, like dandelions?

You may not like them but they are early food for bees and they love them. Also the leaves make a nice lettuce replacement in salads.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

It's no help to the OP, but I've said many times that 2 feet of snow and -14 degrees F help prevent a lot of stuff.....gators, snakes, etc., etc.

Guess I should add cholla cactus to the list.

A crate of freezer spray then to get rid of them?