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Posted By: Tonya Prickly Pear - November 2nd, 2006 at 10:02 PM
I see pics of everyone's Prickly Pear and although mine appears to be quite healthy(it is growing and looking good) it lies down instead of standing up like everyone else's does. Am I not doing something right? Any suggestions? It stays outside in mostly full sun and gets watered sparingly now. In the summer- I watered it about every other day because I had the hose out anyway, but it is in well-draining soil mixed with small stones and dries out quickly because the pot it is in is shallow. Duh What am I doing wrong??
Posted By: badplanter Re: Prickly Pear - November 3rd, 2006 at 07:50 AM
hhmm..... Don't they droop (and get all black) anyway..? Mine hasn't done that yet(if it's supposed to).... but I remember reading it somewhere.....(maybe it was Lynne..... in her old prickly pear thread.. not sure.. laugh )
This is my first year with mine, so not too sure...
Good luck! thumbup
Posted By: plants 'n pots Re: Prickly Pear - November 3rd, 2006 at 08:03 AM
Mark - you are right - I did say that they get all flat and black here during winter - but mine are planted in the ground, so I didn't respond to Tonya. I do actually have a few small pieces in the multi-pot that I just took inside today. They are all laying flat in the pots too. I've never tried to overwinter any inside before, so it will be interesting to see what happens.

These are not the same as the small prickly pears that you buy in the indoor garden centers - they weren't grown in a greenhouse for indoor use.
Posted By: badplanter Re: Prickly Pear - November 3rd, 2006 at 08:09 AM
I knew it was you, Lynne! laugh kissies
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Prickly Pear - November 3rd, 2006 at 11:05 AM
tonya, they will flatten out, if they are the "only" piece. when they get more pieces on them, it will stand up more.

kinda like the christmas cactus that has the first joint or two laying flat.
Posted By: Tonya Re: Prickly Pear - November 3rd, 2006 at 09:34 PM
Mine were wild here and I pulled and potted them up. They were very small, and have grown by leaps and bounds, so it must be that they just need to get bigger. They started as about 1-2 inch single sections and some pieces now have 2 or more 3-6 inch sections. thumbup

Lynne- I'm glad you mentioned the black part...I almost edited to ask about the black tint to them.... laugh laugh

Thanks you guys!
Posted By: plants 'n pots Re: Prickly Pear - November 3rd, 2006 at 11:00 PM
Tonya - some of my black parts never do recover, but I just cut those off, and the rest of the plant has done well year after year so far. (knocking on the wood of my desk now! laugh Duh thumbup
Posted By: gomerp618 Re: Prickly Pear - November 12th, 2006 at 01:33 AM
I have mine planted outside as well.. and they lay down more than stand up but seem to be healthy so I just never worried about it.

My worry at first was that it would sit on wet soil and not make it, but they are pretty tough plants. I'm in zone 5 and they are perennials here.

I've never had any of the indoor ones though.
Posted By: njoynit Re: Prickly Pear - November 12th, 2006 at 01:48 AM
some of mine have black and gray parts and some wrinkled,but hubbys hit them with lawnmower&weedeater ......so its kinda expected here.I got one kind that gets wrinkley in winter,but they plump back up in summer.Some do lay flat....but if you seen the transported method.......a sheet of plastic was a stretcher..it was planed how it landed.Fruits are tastey.I got seeds too,just ask.I share them with my nephews iguana,butI give her the seeds too.the pods are ready but I'm waiting for them to get a lil more ripe so will sweeten up some more.I'm going to do a smoothie with one soon and see how it tastes.
Indoors.I have one thats a donkey ears prickly pear and is not frost hardy.I do grow it indoors in winter in cold GH.I dry to keep it on the dry side.I need to transplant it cause my dogs have broke some ears off.I can't believe my dog was CHEWING it...its like HELLO!THORNS puppies are NOT bright& this rotti pup is destructive.
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Prickly Pear - November 12th, 2006 at 09:28 AM
lynne, while i was in memphis, at the botanical gardens, i thought of you and had to take this pic...


love can be prickly!
[Linked Image]

there were so many laying flat, it was a wonder this one was standing up!
Posted By: badplanter Re: Prickly Pear - November 12th, 2006 at 09:34 AM
Quote
I got seeds too,just ask.I share them with my nephews iguana,butI give her the seeds too
How do you get seeds from it? are you talking about the wild kind, the house-grown, or both? Duh

Jiffy-- you gotta 'love' it! laugh laugh laugh
Posted By: plants 'n pots Re: Prickly Pear - November 12th, 2006 at 09:47 AM
Thanks, Jiffy! kissies

I just LOVE that picture - that pad looks like it's a heart shape - terrific!
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Prickly Pear - November 12th, 2006 at 09:50 AM
tonya, i went back and read this post, and realized that it was you who had the laying down pricklies! shocked sorry!!! in my head it was lynne laugh laugh

but, there is another pic somewhere where you can see that it is the eastern prickly pear that lays down so much. i'll try to find it!
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Prickly Pear - November 12th, 2006 at 09:54 AM
it was almost a pearfect heart shape. and looked like it had a smiley drawn on it....

and yes, the pun was intended laugh laugh
Posted By: badplanter Re: Prickly Pear - November 12th, 2006 at 09:56 AM
Jiffy- i looked back at it, and i do see the smiley! laugh laugh laugh

Quote
and yes, the pun was intended
laugh thumbup
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