Cactus transplanting?

Sue Ann

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chapin , South Carolina
My formula is similar to what's already been stated:
  1. Get some mature spineless pads. By mature I mean pads that grew at least one year ago. I have better results using mature pads compared to fresh tender pads from this year.
  2. Leave them outside in the shade somewhere so the cut end can scar over and dry out for a week or two.
  3. Stick the pad into some dry cactus type soil, or just the native dirt. I put about 1/2 to 1/3 of the pad into the dirt, cut end first.
  4. I make a large basin around the base of each planted pad.
  5. Don't water it for about one month.
  6. After one month, I trickle water and fill the basin. In hot summers with 100+ degree heat and single digit humidity, I fill that basin two or three times a week. With temps in the 80s and sunny every day, I fill it once a week. In winter, when we get our rains, I don't water them at all.
  7. Be prepared to spray the cochineal bugs off with a water stream from a hose. Do this weekly and they will never gain a foot hold. Be complacent about this and they will overrun your cacti.
  8. In some areas, it is necessary to make a large round chicken wire barrier around freshly planted pads to keep the rabbits and other critters off of them.
Cochineal Bugs? Never saw them . None of mine have bugs. Can they get them in S.C.? Agh
 

Tom

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Cochineal Bugs? Never saw them . None of mine have bugs. Can they get them in S.C.? Agh
I've never checked for them on opuntia in SC. Do a search for them and see what they are, and then you can tell me if they exists there. :)
 

turtlesteve

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I am in SC and I have never seen them. I’ve seen other scale insects but never on cactus.
 

TortloverPM

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Ok cool! Mine are pretty knarlie looking lol. But like I said, I found them growing wild by a horse stable so I snagged them. But I guess they have to be angry looking to grow up out there lol

And if they aren't the right kind ill just grow them for fun maybe or give them to a family member ?‍♀️
View attachment 298593
Ok cool! Mine are pretty knarlie looking lol. But like I said, I found them growing wild by a horse stable so I snagged them. But I guess they have to be angry looking to grow up out there lol

And if they aren't the right kind ill just grow them for fun maybe or give them to a family member ?‍♀️
View attachment 298593
Those are cool, do you know what species they are? If your going to just throw them out I have spineless ones( still have a few hair like stickers but I use tongs n the rough side of a wet sponge just to make sure and my tort loves em) if maybe your willing to trade? Also organic found growing wild locally and have started my own plants from them and have grown for about 2 years with no pesticides, etc. I'm in Fl not sure where your located n how they would handle being mailed far. I could google it because I just ordered a purple prickly pear and it's being mailed so ges it should be fine. I kill everything too until I found prickly pears and I really like them. No worries either way but figured I'd ask.
 

Srmcclure

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Those are cool, do you know what species they are? If your going to just throw them out I have spineless ones( still have a few hair like stickers but I use tongs n the rough side of a wet sponge just to make sure and my tort loves em) if maybe your willing to trade? Also organic found growing wild locally and have started my own plants from them and have grown for about 2 years with no pesticides, etc. I'm in Fl not sure where your located n how they would handle being mailed far. I could google it because I just ordered a purple prickly pear and it's being mailed so ges it should be fine. I kill everything too until I found prickly pears and I really like them. No worries either way but figured I'd ask.
Sorry, my husband gladly threw them out when I told him not for the torties lol ?
 

Chubbs the tegu

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Ma
Darn tootin'! Its a five acre pot.
Wish i had ur weather here. But im working on the acreage right now. Looking at NH homes with lots of land and finished large walk out basement within the next couple years ( so i can add to my addiction) :)
 

Maro2Bear

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Here’s this morning’s pix of the pads I’m growing in pots. Look at all those new spineless pads = Sully morsels.

This is all brand new growth over the last two months or so since I planted.

Potting Up
5D2E56C5-92E2-4DD5-9D25-266E0DBF365C.jpeg

Today’s Growth

52AFCAFE-7922-48E5-B858-0274EEB0A076.jpeg
 

Srmcclure

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Here’s this morning’s pix of the pads I’m growing in pots. Look at all those new spineless pads = Sully morsels.

This is all brand new growth over the last two months or so since I planted.

Potting Up
View attachment 299823

Today’s Growth

View attachment 299822
Thats really encouraging! I hope mine do that well! So to know if they took i just have to wait for new growth?
 

Maro2Bear

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Thats really encouraging! I hope mine do that well! So to know if they took i just have to wait for new growth?

Yes. If they “took”, you should see new growth pretty quickly. I tried this before with pads i bought at the super market, and they didnt die or grow. They were stagnant for a very long time. These new pads this year started to put out new growth pretty quickly. You can see the new growth.

Good luck.
 

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