Prickly Pear Cactus Propagation

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
If you have South American fish species, they usually require low pH, which is ideal for cacti.

Most of the fish for sale today have been bred and acclimated to more neutral or high pH water and do fine. I've been keeping South Americans and other low pH species in my hard alkaline (dechlorinated) tap water since the early 80s, and I've never once even attempted to adjust the pH. They all do fine. Of course I don't keep neons, cardinals, or discus... Mostly the big bruiser cichlids and cat fish. Right now I have Salvinis, Jack Dempsy's, Convicts, Leporinus, pink tailed chalceus, some corey's, and a big pleco.

Okay enough highjacking. Lets go to the "other pet" section if you want to talk more. Sorry Rodney.
 

Yellow Turtle

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2012
Messages
1,608
Location (City and/or State)
Indonesia
It's interesting to see how small the container needed to plant this pad. I always think they need bigger, but yours seem do well.
 

rearlpettway

Active Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2014
Messages
254
It's interesting to see how small the container needed to plant this pad. I always think they need bigger, but yours seem do well.
We saw them at the garden store planted in very small containers and subsequently looked up this information on internet. We dip do that they do better in small containers.


Sent from Rodney Earl Pettway's iPad using TortForum
 

rearlpettway

Active Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2014
Messages
254
Rodney. I love this post but there is one thing I have to disagree with. I don't think newly planted pads should be watered right away. For me, even in my ridiculously super dry climate, this will cause them to rot. I wait one month after planting to water them and then I water once or twice a week in our hot dry summers and no water at all over winter for any outdoor cactus.

Your thread has given me two new things to try out though: 1. I always lay the pads flat to let the cut part "scar" over and sometimes they do curl. I am going to try keeping some upright to see if that help prevent curling. 2. I always plant the pads 1/3 to 1/2 in the ground. I've never tried only putting one inch in the ground and I'm curious to see how well that will work here for me.

Thank you for this informative thread and the new ideas. :)

Tom,
I am just posting what worked for us. I am not saying that it's right.
We planted 9 cactus pads watered them very well. None of them started to rot.
✌️




Sent from Rodney Earl Pettway's iPad using TortForum
 

turtlemanfla88

Active Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
443
I found these bugs sucking on wild cactus a couple of days ago and now cactus are yellowing and not looking good. I found some on some of my new pads today not the old pads. I will keep you updated of what is going on.
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
Moderator
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 16, 2014
Messages
28,938
Location (City and/or State)
South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
I've GOT to share with you my prickly pear cactus story! Years ago, like thirty years ago, I was renting a house with a bushy, branchy prickly pear cactus that I wanted GONE. (It was O.K. with the land lord.) I wacked it into sections with a machete and then ground the whole thing up with a lawnmower. To my amazement, almost every little segment of cactus leaf sprouted and it became an entire yard full if small cactus! My thinking is: It's easier to grow it than to kill it! These days, I purchase cactus pads on rare occasions at the local flea market, already void of the thorns for 2 for $1. I still have the scars..........
 

sulcata2014

Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2014
Messages
30
Location (City and/or State)
Florida
Thank you for sharing! Great information on cactus propagation and care that we can all use....especially here in Florida where they do quite well!
 

Len B

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Messages
4,986
Location (City and/or State)
Southern Md - Northern Neck Va
I started getting the Russian's area ready for winter, A few of the robusto pads were in the way so they were removed and set into a empty clay pot and then the soil was added. They wont do much until next spring. But will be fine in the clay pot over winter. The nursery pot next to them was done the same way but earlier in the year giving the pads time to root before it gets cold and wet. The depth of the pads in the soil when I start pads this way depends on the size of the pot and how big the pads are,because I put the pads in first and then add dirt. Picture 010 copy.jpg Sometimes I just lay the pads on their side and let them grow.Picture 012 copy.jpg
 

Tyanna

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2014
Messages
1,077
Location (City and/or State)
Wisconsin
How long does it usually take for new growth on these?

(BTW @Tom, I also use my fish tank water to water ALL my plants. Although, I only have a small *growing* colony of guppies)
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
How long does it usually take for new growth on these?

This is variable. Some start sprouting right away. Others wait until the next spring and even then don't do much. Just plant several. Some will take off and others will be slower about it.
 

Tyanna

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2014
Messages
1,077
Location (City and/or State)
Wisconsin
This is variable. Some start sprouting right away. Others wait until the next spring and even then don't do much. Just plant several. Some will take off and others will be slower about it.

I only have one, as I'm limited on room where they'll have sunlight/grow light, but when warmer weather rolls around I'll for sure be ready to plant more!
 

DLEvergreen

New Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Lubbock, Texas
If anyone is interested in buying small quantities of spineless prickly pear pads for feeding to your tortoises, I sell small bulk packages of Opuntia Cacanapa (up to about 24 pads) for the lowest prices that I know of, at least on eBay. Check out my profile on here or on ebay "dlevergreen."
 

Grandpa Turtle 144

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2013
Messages
10,878
Hello DLE
If you don't mind some advise I would post a pict of the adult plants and a pict of the pads with a dollar bill so the buyer can see the size of the pads . Just trying to help Ya .


Sent from my iPhone using TortForum
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,388
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
But it probably would be better if you posted in "Personal Promotion" after you've made 100 posts. What you're doing now might be construed as spam, and you just might find yourself banned from the forum with your posts deleted.
 

DLEvergreen

New Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Lubbock, Texas
Thanks Grandpa Turtle-- I've just been warned I can't do too much advertising on here, so I'm trying to make sure I'm not overstepping any boundaries, but that's good advice, thanks!!
 
Top