A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Cacti and Succulents in the Garden prickly pears

I thought I'd share my prickly pears that I potted up at the end of last summer. I have an area in the ground where they do very well, and cut some pads off for this planter. There's another pot on the backside, making 4 altogether.

I overwintered the pot in my basement by a sliding glass door that faces West - at most it got bright light, no direct sun, and was very withered and limp. I'm thrilled to see that it has plumped up and is sending off new pads on the tops of each piece.

Wow they are doing so good and girl I also love the pot where did you get it from?Like to have one myself?They are looking good bet they will look even better when they bloom?

Thanks Tonya and Rita!
I got the pot from JoAnn's craft store last year, but they still have them this year - I just bought the same one in a rust color - and I only buy them when they are 50% off!

Isn't it amazing what 2 weeks growth does -
I didn't realize it was exactly 2 weeks when I just took this shot today!



I, too, cannot wait til they bloom - love those bright yellow flowers!!!

Six days later and the pads are getting bigger and many have flower buds now!

Buds are getting bigger and will probably bloom in a few days in this heatwave we are having!

[font:verdana]Bringing this thread back up to show Carol.
I took some pictures today of my prickly pears both in the ground and in containers - they overwinter here in zone 6 just fine either way. They will get limp, black, and possibly mushy, but most perk right back up when the weather warms up in spring.

The main section, from which I take cuttings and either pot them up, or share with friends and neighbors. Most of the flowers have bloomed already, but there are a few still left. (sorry about the poor quality of the picture - my camera is refusing to take good shots of flowers in bright sun these days!)


A pot of PP that I potted up last year and still has lots of flower buds that have yet to open.
This overwintered in our shed last winter.


Another pot on the front porch from last year.


And that same pot with another that I took some cuttings from right after taking the pictures.

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If your prickly pears fruit and the fruits turn red or reddish, they are delicious, Lynne. Hold them over a flame with tongs or on a fork to burn off the pricklies and peel and eat.

Wow Lynne--quite impressive, especially the bed of them --thanks for sharing.

Tina - mine have never fruited - the part where the flower was simply dries and falls off.

Carol - I do have to cut back that bed from time to time so it doesn't look so unruly - I wait until it's finished blooming though. This year I will spread some pads a bit further down into the garden to make it a longer bed, and also to help clean it up a bit.

Each one of the rounded bases below the flower is the fruit, Lynne. I can see them in your pics. But I'm just not sure you have a long enough warm season to have them ripen to the red-orange they need to be. Although you should.

I know that's where they are, Tina, but they are really much too small to be anything anyway. If I don't cut them off, they just sit there and turn red before turning black eventually. You can't really tell, but each one is no bigger than one inch or so. The past few years I've cut them off so more pads can grow.

wow! that's such a nice patch! believe it or not, you can grow these in the ground here in canada outside all year. they come back year after year and they're supposed to be *really* easy to grow!

Yes Kenny - they are very easy to grow - all I ever need to do is sometimes cut out pieces that blackened over winter and don't plump up and green the next spring. Most of them do remain healthy from year to year though.

good!! so even a uninformed person like me can grow them successfully huh???

well good!!!!---now all I need is to learn how to trim tehm out & begin new starts.

The prickly pear cactus in my yard already has fruit.I am waiting for the fruits to turn red.

I too have this cactus ,I eally do like it I
share mine too with people here. here is a picture of mine

Time for an annual update!
I see that I started this thread last year, one day later than today - it is a coincidence that I have pictures to post today, but a good thing!

Here is my patch of prickly pears in the rain,
with new growth starting on the tips.





Anyone else have pictures to share of yours?

Those are great pictures, Lynne--so nice and close.

Below is the 10 pads that Lynne sent to me last summer---Don't they look nice???


Now here is an updated picture of the Prickly Pear pads that she sent to me last July. They have really taken off and are doing very well. Thanks again Lynne.

Please excuse the weeds

Carol - they look terrific!!! So green and healthy! I'm so glad for you!!!

Thanks, Lynne---I am happy with how they turned out too. I can hardly wait for the flowers to show. (Will they make flowers the first year???)

You should get flowers this year - I hope you do!

All your prickly pears look great. Since I plan to eat the pads as well as the fruit, I'd like to find cuttings from the Burbank spineless strain. I asked in the cacti and succulents forum, then realized that's for houseplants. So, do any of you outdoor cactus lovers have a source?

Sorry Frank - I just saw your post now.
The cacti that I grow really aren't large enough or the type that are eaten.

Don took this picture yesterday - gotta love the bright flowers on these guys!

very beautiful, Lynne!! my compliments to Don

Lynne do you have your's in ground or in a pot?? Are they hardy for you??

Diane--yep they are hardy for her, and for me. (Lynne sent me some of hers) But mine are between the house and the Air-conditioning unit.

and I think I remember seeing Lynne's in the ground, but she may have both???

my little catus plants didn't bloom this year. Any ideas why.

I do not Sheri--as mine did not bloom either-----so I guess we both need to ask Lynne what to do to remedy this problem both we seem to have, HUH???

maybe it didn't get warm enough?

Diane - I have most of mine in the ground - they winter over just fine here. A few might get a bit black and mushy but I just cut those off. I mostly ignore them and they've flowered each year for me.

However... I do have some in pots also that I have to take indoors - those did not flower this year - I don't know if it's because the pots were too wet in all the rain we had this summer, or if the roots didn't have enough room for the plant to flourish?

My PP are not in pots, but it did rain a lot here. They get full sun but are in fact between the air conditioner unit and the house to the east and the deck to the north of the AC unit.--perhpas the sun is not "direct" enough long enough there for them to flower???

But I will say they are flourishing...

up

so I have PP question.

The other day as I was weeding my PP's (barehanded), I took a handfull of weeds and may I say that I also got a handfull of spines. now no, I did not touch any prickly pears by accicent. it was as if the weeds had crossed with the PP. is that possible??? It felt like I had grabbed a well & fully plump prickly pear with my hand--and believe me I had not.

also these same weeds were in another area and when I pulled them there,they were not prickly in any manner.

Lynne--here is an update on the prickly pear cacti that you sent me a few years ago. it is not so a good photo because it was very bright & I could not be sure of where I was shooting. But you can see a few of the new pads beginning to develope.



a question:

why do some of the older pads look sorta "stratified".
Could that be from the stress of their weight???

I have some that are 13 years old. they bloom every year and look great. I wear gloves around them and do everything with a shovel. lol I have had alot of stickers in the past. I think the stickers are light enough to spread over to other flowers/weeds. I have a weed inside it that I just pick at. Never quite removing it or getting to close! [img][IMG]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n269/psychobubba_2006/plants009.jpg[/img][/img]

dhuber---looks good--13 years huh??? wow I have a ways to go

yes i planted 1 pod when we bought this home. lol

Carol - this happens to me also, when I haven't even touched any of the pads. I have a brand new pair of gardening gloves that I can't even wear after the first time because it's full of spikes that I didn't knowingly touch!!!

I'm not sure what is causing that stratification - I have assorted markings on some of my leaves as well, but it doesn't prevent them from growing and flowering. Sorry I don't have an answer, but will try a search.

I will get a picture of my cacti soon - they just keep spreading and spreading in the garden - right now it takes up fully 1/2 of that garden.

dhuber - I also started with a very small pot - maybe 1 main pad with 2 ears? Can't remember...

Lynne, below is one corner of my PP.
See the buds??
FINALLY, I will get some blooms this year--it's been several years, huh???