Will my saguaro grow appreciably faster than a wild one?

[Download]

I paid A$60 for a saguaro with huge spines and a body about the size of a large orange in December.

I know in the wild the growth rate is ridiculously slow (like a foot a decade sort of rate), but is the growth rate appreciably faster in cultivation? I live in South Australia (think southern coastal California in terms of weather), so I have plenty of summer sun. I figured with good water and plenty of fertiliser I can expect some faster growth, but how much?

[Shane]

I'll note first: in the wild, a Saguaro grows an inch in the first 10 years. So you're already starting out quite a bit ahead

Saguaro growth in the wild varies with conditions. Saguaro national park notes:

Here at Saguaro National Park, branches normally begin to appear when a saguaro reaches 50 to 70 years of age. In areas of lower precipitation, it may take up to 100 years before arms appear

So somewhere between a little faster and a lot faster in cultivation depending on your point of reference. Hopefully this helps at least a little

[greenknight]

With regular watering they grow somewhat faster, but they're never really fast.

[madkactus]

When I bought my Saguaro the seller suggested that I fertilize like every other watering and the cactus would grow faster. This method worked for me.

[keith]

I think if planted in the ground and watered regularly it will grow faster. I have 2 in pots that hardly grow at all.

[ThiccCactassCakes]

My mom grew one outside as a kid, I remember getting it and it was about 1-2 feet high? Well she planted it in a brick garden bed, watered it regularly (we lived in South Texas) and it grew rapidly. We had it for 15 years before a hurricane destroyed it, but it grew taller than our house, so 15-20 feet high in 15 years.

[DaveW]

Plants in pots are Bonsai'd compared to plants with free root run in open ground. That may affect gross feeding tall Cereus types more than globular ones. If in open ground, as said above, plus treated as a cultivated plant they should grow faster than those in habitat which are subjected to the vagaries of the climate since nobody waters or fertilizes them regularly there.

[toadstar]

I started one from seed ten years ago. It's about a foot tall now. Hang in there!