Desert Messenger

10 www.DesertMessenger.com January 17, 2024 Gardening with Dennis Stay up to date with Town Hall Town of Quartzsite now offers text notifications on your phone through TextMyGov. iWorQ is excited to an- nounce a strategic partnership with @TextMyGov to expand citizen en- gagement with text messaging To opt in, text the word "QUARTZSITE" to 91896. What to expect: After the initial keyword is sent, you'll receive a con- firmation message asking you to re- ply "YES" to verify opt-in. There will be up to 4 text messages per month with a notification from the Town re- garding the categories you are opted- in for. Message and data rates may apply. Check with your mobile phone carrieer for more details. How to Opt-Out: Text "STOP" at any time to remove yourself from the notification list. Also are you looking for an- swers? Need to report an issue? Now you can Text the Town of Quartzsite directly. Introducing the new way to skip a phone call and use your mobile phone's text messaging to find answers to your questions. Text "hi" or one the words listed below, to 928-260-4442. "Trees, Sewer, Contact, Street, Water, Pothole, Weeds, Departments, FAQ."TextMyGov will help you to quickly find the answers your looking for or help you to report an issue to the Town. CEREUS GIGANTEUS, THE DESERT MONARCH By Alex Taft "All cereus cacti are night-bloom- ing, " says author Reg Manning in "What Kinda Cactus Izzat?" Cereus giganteus is the original bo- tanical name assigned to Saguaros. Since then, its botanical name has been changed to Carnegiea gigan- tea, named after Andrew Carnegie. The Saguaro is a relative of the un- assuming night-blooming Cereus, which looks like a dead stick until it blooms. Its blooms are spectacular. Saguaro is the largest cactus in the United States and is native only to the Sonoran Desert. The Saguaro is not just the tallest cactus in the desert, it is a cultural hallmark of the desert southwest. If you are for- tunate to have one or more in your yard, they are a focal point in the landscape. So many of our sentinels, our des- ert monarchs, have fallen this year, and it's important to know more about why. You cannot just go to a nursery and replace it. They are slow-growing and will take many years to have one in the stature of what you lost. It's hard not to expe- rience a loss when it is something you focus on and notice daily. The Saguaro has very shallow roots that can soak up a tremendous amount of water during a monsoon season. Then the ribs of the saguaro which are like wood, accommodate and support the extra water the saguaro stores. The roots of a Saguaro that is fifty feet tall or more can reach in every direction as much as sixty-five feet. This is their survival system. The Saguaro spines are to protect the plant from predators. As the Saguaro ages, the spines change in color and turn dark brown and black and are more brittle. This is why, sometimes Saguaros can look like a hot dog on a stick, be- fore they begin to grow arms. It does not mean there is anything wrong with the cactus. Despite the spines, many birds nest in saguaros and the cactus is just fine. Saguaros have a means of sealing the hole that a bird makes in the shape of the bird's nest, so the saguaro does not leak and loose its life-sustaining moisture. After the cactus dies and all that are left are the wood-like spines, you can see what are called "shoes" made by saguaros as the result of a nesting bird. This cork-like sub- stance seals the saguaro from leak- ing its vital water supply. Saguaros die for lots of reasons. Catastrophic freeze is sufficient to kill or weak- en saguaros. That event can make them susceptible to bacterial necro- sis, a condition that leads to black ooze and rotting. If a Saguaro has been subjected to rock- throwing or was damaged during a monsoon, it is likely that the dying process will begin. Sometimes the wind from a micro-burst can fell the Saguaros in its path. From all the reading I have done, when the Saguaros are full of water, they are more vulnerable to damage to their 'skin' and then bacterial necrosis can do the rest. Sometimes the Saguaro can simply die from old age. To quote Reg Manning who wrote What Kinda Cactus Izzat?, "Under ordinary conditions, the Saguaro is as tough as it is big. But during a rainy spell, even a small scratch may cause the plant to bleed to death. Woodpeckers know this by instinct, but the human- being-with-a-knife sometimes murders a hundred - year-old plant to carve his initials". For the past few years we have had a severe drought. Then two years ago we had a substantial monsoon sea- son and a lot of damage was done to homes and Saguaros. Perhaps that is when the weakness start- ed and may have caused Saguaros start to die then. Saguaro death, is a slow process unless it is hit by lightning or blown down by a micro-burst. One of my Saguaros was decapitated by a piece of shed roof during a monsoon and I remember someone saying it will be fine. It took a year, but it died. So, a word to those of you who still have Saguaros: don't water them. They know how to survive drought. If you decide to water them to pro- mote more rapid growth, know that any cut can harm it. Don't use it for a rock-throwing contest, and lastly, enjoy the Saguaros you have and cel- ebrate the desert monarch that it is. It is sad to see so many of our sen- tinels downed this year. They are not replaceable through a quick fix. Like the ironwood trees, they are witnesses to our history and part of the silhouette of the desert sunset. If you want to see a Saguaro skel- eton, visit the Quartzsite Museum. Dennis helped to bring the skeleton of the 47-armed Saguaro to the mu- seum grounds. Note: for those who did not know Dennis, he was a part-time employ- ee of the town parks department, a Master Gardener since 1985 and instructor for the Master Gardener Craft Fair 1st Sat. of every month! Daily Activities! QIA 928-927-6325 235 E. Ironwood St., Quartzsite BINGO FRIDAYS! Starts Nov. 10th Opens at 5pm. Early Birds 6:30pm. Main 7pm. Concessions Available NEW LOCATION! The Quartzsite GFWC Women's Club is sponsor- ing a blood drive with Vitalant Monday January 22nd at the QUARTZSITE SENIOR CEN- TER from 9am to 2 pm. Walk ins always welcome but it is faster of you have an appointment. 35 pints were donated in November. 6 peo- ple donated for the first time. Thank you to everyone who donates. You may be saving a life. You can sched- ule a time by calling 877-258-4826 or online at www.donors.vitalant. org blood drive L1250. There is no age limit. (See ad on Page 23.) Blood Drive

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