Opuntia spineless?

[pugsandkids]

I was up at my MIL's the other day and noticed an Opuntia! I was so excited and asked her for a cutting. She said she has to use gloves because it has very tiny spines on it. We left for dinner and never got a cutting. Hubby is up there tonight and I asked him to get one for me.
Will the tiny spines hurt the tort(s)? It does not have any that I could see...Is that the kind everyone feeds? Or is there another truly spineless one? Either way, my nine year old loves cacti so he'll be happy when it gets here

 

[NEtorts]

check out this place http://www.rivenrock.com/ this is where i order my cacti from, for my torts, I buy the C or D grade and most of it would be good enough for me to eat....if I liked Cactus

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here is a better link.... direct to tortoise based customers
http://www.rivenrock.com/tortoise.htm

 

[Tom]

Even the "spineless" varieties have tiny little spines called glochids. You can either singe them off with an open flame or rub them off with heavy rubber gloves under running water. I don't handle them bare handed, or feed them out, until I've done one or the other or both.

 

[pugsandkids]

Perfect, just what I needed to know. Thanks!

 

[webskipper]

Those little spines will find their way to any exposed skin area and you might find some days later as splinters in places no where near where you handled the cactus. I use my teeth to remove those hairy ones or a lighter from my hands out in the field.

Store the cactus pads in the dark for a month then plant. It grows like a potato. Meaning it will start roots from what ever part is touching the ground. Buried or not it try to grow.

 

[DeanS]

Even the "spineless" varieties have tiny little spines called glochids. You can either singe them off with an open flame or rub them off with heavy rubber gloves under running water. I don't handle them bare handed, or feed them out, until I've done one or the other or both.

I'm telling you, the opuntia I get from Rivenrock.com has no spines at all! Neither does the spineless variety I get from Florida (ebay user dorisviola). But, I know what Tom's talking about...I have received cactus from others claiming to be spineless only to discover otherwise...a little too late!

 

[pugsandkids]

I can't see any spines, so I'm not sure where to singe. On the little freckle like spots? Is that the only place spines will grow? Now I'm afraid of it!

Oh, and I just tossed the pads in the middle of my succulent whiskey barrel. Watered them and walked off. They should just take root and grow without any help, right?

 

[DeanS]

Yes! They'll be fine! Do NOT water again until the soil is COMPLETELY dry...about 4 weeks. If you cannot see the slightest wisp of a spine then you may have the truly spineless version...it's not the most tender, but who cares...it's spinelss