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The best way to Grow Opuntia Cactus

Prickly pear cacti in the genus Opuntia are widely-distributed in the Environment Zones of Sunset 8, 9 and 12. The prickly-pear which is native to Mexico and yields edible pads and fruits is the Indian fig Opuntia (Opuntia ficus indica). With respect to the species, the 3/4 inch-thick, prickly-pear pads that are oblong or elliptical increase 9″ wide and from 4-to 16-inches long. Most species that is cultivated are spineless or include 1-inch- long spines. They require a sunny place to prosper.

Propagation by Pads

Remove a prickly-pear pad which is at least six months old along with your knife.

Sit the pad up right while the wound is formed on by a callous, therefore it’s going to not curl. In summer, a callous will type on the cut-in two or one months. This may take. To prevent rot, permit more time-rather than less.

Dip the remedied pad in a Bordeaux combination to safeguard it. By incorporating 3 1/3 tablespoons of copper sulfate and 10 tablespoons of dry hydrated, available at most centers, to 1-gallon of water., it’s possible for you to make a quantity of Bordeaux combination ideal for house gardening

Plant the pad up right about 1-inch deep in pumice and 1 part soil or a combination of of 1 part sand. Use the pad to be anchored by rocks and keep it up right. Don’t water it. Prickly pear pads include moisture. It might rot in the event that you water a pad now.

When roots have formed, water the pad after 30 days, also it’s going to stand upright on it’s own. Don’t water until the soil is dry.

Water and Fertilizer

Water only if the soil is dry. When prickly-pear cacti are dormant only enough to keep the pads and make certain they get lots of sunlight.

Apply a balanced fertilizer monthly in their spring to drop period that is developing. A well-balanced fertilizer includes equal quantities by weight of potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen.

Fertilize using a large-nitro Gen fertilizer in the event that you want greater pads.

Fertilize in the event you want your cacti to generate fruits and flowers using a product that doesn’t contain nitrogen. When the crops are dormant, apply month-to-month even throughout the cold temperatures.

Harvesting

Carefully slice the the pads that are edible from mid-morning to mid afternoon when they’ve low-acid content. Each yr a proven plant might produce as much as six harvests of 2 to 4-0 pads.

So they are going to yield excellent remove allbut eight to 16 blooms -sized fruits. A pad that is mature may possibly develop to 3 blooms.

Twist the fruits when their glochids falloff, an indication they support the the optimum a-Mount of sugar and are ripe. Glochids are yellow or red clusters of small spines that are barbed. To a void harming the pad, don’t pull off the good fresh fruit.

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