Christmas Cholla Cactus

Q: I'm trying to clean up a historic cemetery that is covered with Christmas Cholla cactus.  I saw your note in the Dallas newspaper about cutting off prickly pear and covering it with dry molasses to make compost and then enhancing the soil with fertilizer, compost, etc to keep cactus from returning. Does this method work on the cholla as well.  The area that I'm working with is about 40 ft X 60 ft and almost every inch is covered with these spines.

G.N., Dallas.

A: I think it will work just the same. I am putting you officially in charge of this research. Take photos (digital if possible) and give us a report as soon as you can.

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