A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The House Plant Forum Cacti and Succulents Indoors Can prickly pear cactus grow inside?

Hi. We had a prickly pear cactus in the garden but dad dug it up because its not easy to keep weeds away from it. I found a piece with roots and put it in a big pot and I like the flowers and cactus apples so I wanna grow it in my room. Has anyone tried to do that? Can that work okay? Thanks.

It can work. It needs a lot of light. And getting enough light to it in winter can be tricky. For spring through fall it could go outdoors to help it out.

Choose a potted plant for your cactus and provide good drainage with pre-made cactus mix or a mixture of sand and pumice. Locate your prickly pear cactus in such a place where it can receive full sun or a small amount of share. Water the plant lightly only if the soil is dry. Do not overwater the plant. Fertilizer your cactus with a non-nitrogen 0-10-10 fertilizer once in a month. Use high nitrogen fertilizer for larger pads.

I have brought in a few prickly pear cacti to overwinter indoors the past few years. They can wilt a bit if there isn't enough light, but will plump right up again when I take them outside for warmer months.

Thanks for all the help! I put it in a huge pot with big holes in the bottom and mostly sand. I put some pond rocks in it too and its in a south window but i can put it on the deck when i get some help, its very heavy. im feeding it all purpose plant food but i can get some 0-10-10 plant food and use that. Its been inside for 3 whole days and it looks great!
I will probly have to water it every day outside cause weve been having 100s every day for a whole month and everything gets dried up really fast.

Don't water them that frequently - they store water, as they are desert plants, and will rot quickly if they are overwatered. I water my outside cacti only 1-2 times a week, even when we have 100* like we've been having the past several days.

Choose a potted plant for indoors, provide good drainage with pre-made cactus mix or a mixture of sand and pumice. Place the prickly pear cactus in a location that receives full sun or a small amount of shade. If you are not able to provide the sunlight, then go for grow lights for your cactus. Choose the best grow lights for your indoor gardening. Water the soil lightly and only when dry. To grow a new plant from the original one, remove a side pad from its supporting pad with a knife and place one inch in another pot or location. Wear garden gloves when handling. Let the pad use its own moisture to sprout roots within a month. Watering makes the pad susceptible to rot. Fertilize prickly pear with a non-nitrogen 0-10-10 fertilizer once a month for more flowers. Use high-nitrogen fertilizer for larger pads.