Prickly Pear Fork

[DeeDubya]

I've got hundreds of medium to large prickly pear on a hill country lot that I'd like to remove. Because of rock, the loader bucket many times pushes the pear down and sldes over. As you might know, if a small piece is left on the ground it will grow, be it part of the stem or a leaf.
I ordered up some clamp-on bucket forks and a debris rake to start. I then drilled, tapped and bolted on some cutter bar sections. Stainless sections and bolts. This should work to cut and pick up the entire pear by sliding the rake under the pear until it cuts through the stem. Then tip the bucket back without dropping to many pieces. I haven't tried it yet. Any thoughts?

 

[waltsp]

This is one pointed problem.

I can sympathize (Mico area near Medina Lake). Some people make the mistake of mowing them down. There are some fields in my area that are 100% covered in prickly pear cactus. It looks like you have an excellent idea in progress. The only suggestion would be to take a propane torch to any remains in the ground.

 

[Arsavoie]

If you cut them down in the heat of the Sumer when there is no rain in the forecast then can just let them lay there and they will dry out and die and not regrow I have mowed them down like this and never had a problem if it rains they will regrow

 

[Carykong]

If your prickly pear is similiar to ours in Virginia,take care with your tires. I experienced several flats until I got tire liners installed with inner tubes. Yes, the prickly pear will come back,so I hog the affected areas at least threes times during the growing season. As long as the pear trees are young and limber and short,my tires stay happy.

 

[DeeDubya]

I've never had s flat from a prickly pear. Unlike mesquite or ocotillo, the pear we have here do not have rigid enough thorns to penetrate a tractor tire. They do stick in a little but then break off before they go too deep. And possibly, they would cause such a small leak that it would be pointless to try and patch it. Needless to say they are still a nuisance mostly because of the tiny hairlike needles that get in your clothes and skin.

When thick enough they can displace a lot of grazing area and pear burners are completely out of the question in our drought conditions. We still have dry grass standing from last year.

I've learned that a reasonable method for their disposal is to pile them up in a mass pear grave and let them rot. A large pile will quickly sour and shrink onto itself with hardly any taking root. Choose a distant location because the rotting pile will stink and attract insects.

As far as cleanup, I can testify that any leaf left laying on the ground will take root. Until the leaf has completely dried up it has potential to sprout a new plant. Like waltsp said, taking a rotary cutter to them is a big mistake.