Home»Cactus - Succulents»Opuntia
The Prickly Pear Cactus ( Opuntia ) is a member of one of the largest of cactus families .
When these cactus industrial plant mature , they produce attractive red , orangish or yellow flowers that can become edible “ briary pear fruits ” on larger works .
You regain small specimens let in in cactus garden arrangement .
These interesting and attractive cacti are an excellent room to get a started acquire about thecare of cactus plant .
Be fain to provide your minuscule prickly pear plenty of space in a static environs .
Larger varieties grown alfresco of ripe size can strain over fifteen feet high needing room to spread and develop tall outdoors .
Houseplant varieties can produce to be a couple of feet gamy and need right potting , warmth and lighting to expand .
This cactus can live a very long time and attain heirloom position if well - care - for .
In this article , we will look at the tutelage and uses of the barbellate pear cactus . Read on to take more .
Where Does Opuntia Come From?
This type of cactus is a indigen of the Americas . It grow wild throughout Canada , the United States , Mexico and South America .
Because it is a popular cactus flora , it has naturalized to many other part of the creation . Today it can be found blithely grow in most countries worldwide . The most well - know prickly Pyrus communis is theOpuntia ficus - indicaanother isOpuntia microdasys .
What Does Prickly Pear Cactus Look Like?
This authoritative cactus has large , flat , dust-covered green paddles with lots of keen thorn . The thorns are evenly distributed across the cactus pads and also take shape an areola at the crest of each stamp pad .
In addition to stationary thorns , the prickly pear also produce loose thorns called “ glochidium ” . These thorn are barbed and can fasten onto peel and clothing .
With all of these thorns , it ’s a snatch hard to read why the Opuntia is such a democratic ornamental cactus until you see the blossoms , which grow from the areola of sticker .
Although it get at least two years ( longer indoors ) for the plant to suppurate and bloom , it ’s well worth the wait . Lightly fragrant , prickly pear heyday are dazzling in shades of red , orangish and yellow .
In addition to pretty prickly pear cactus flowers , the setaceous pear cactus like thepencil cactusis an architecturally interesting plant .
With the pleasing colour of its flesh and unusual configurations , it make an first-class conversation piece indoors or outdoors , as long as you mind the thorns !
Are All Ornamental Prickly Pear Cactus Large?
You ’ll find Opuntia in a kitchen stove of sizes for landscape painting and indoor use .
big , tall varieties ( 12 - 15 ’ gamy ) do well alfresco in warm climate and in nursery setting in cold climates .
humble miscellany ( 16 - 20 ” high-pitched ) can be enjoyed indoors as houseplant all year round or set up out to savor the tender weather condition and sunny days during the spring , summer , and fall .
How To Use Prickly Pear
Of course , the smaller variety of Opuntia are wonderful , down in the mouth alimony houseplants , and the great variety make great individual specimen plants .
The Opuntia can also be plant as a defensive hedging keeping unwanted brute out of your 1000 .
In many space , these cacti are produce as a food crop for both people and farm animal .
Many citizenry do not realize that flat cactus yield and the spiny pear tree cactus pads are edible and tasty .
The pad called “ Opuntia lindheimeri ” can be carefully glean and used in a wide-cut multifariousness of specific recipe calling for nopales .
Alternately , you may cube them and use them as a greenish veggie ( similar to light-green beans ) in soup and many other dishes .
try out with them is fun .
Prickly Pyrus communis are the yield of the nopales cactus , and the bright gloss , prickly fruit is quite scrumptious with a sort of citrous fruit / Citrullus vulgaris flavor .
The succus of the prickly pear can be used to make confect , jam , vinaigrettes , cocktail and more .
Mixed with citrus succus , it makes a nice fecundation for yield salad . It is also used as a flavourer in odoriferous food , such as cream cheese frost .
It pass on a lemon / calx flavor that is quite unspoiled .
How Do You Cut And Handle Prickly Pears?
Before you cut and deal them , you have to get them .
If you live in the Mediterranean , Mexico , California or another area of the southwestern United States , you may have bombastic , mature cactus growing in your arena and harvest them yourself .
Otherwise , check out a local Mexican market place or health food store .
You may find prickly pear trees for cut-rate sale .
They may be label as cactus pears , bristled cactus or as “ tunas . ”
You may also happen whole or chopped cactus paddles for cut-rate sale . The whole paddle will be tag “ nopales ” or “ cladoles . ”
Chopped cactus is usually labeled “ nopalitos . ”
Handling prickly pears and nopales that have been train for market is easy since the thorns or backbone have been cleared off .
If you are glean them yourself , be sure to wear heavy leather mitt to assemble them and big rubber gloves to give them a practiced scrubbing .
Scrub firmly with a slopped brush to take away the tiny barbs from the surface of the fruit .
Preparing Prickly Pears For Use
Once you have the tuna cactus blank , you’re able to prepare them . Here ’s how :
Now you have a undress prickly pear tree . You ’ll detect that it ’s full of come . You do n’t want to remove these .
They are edible . Cut the yield into pieces and deplete it or use it in a recipe .
If you want to juice your briary Pyrus communis , put the yield into a food C.P.U. or liquidiser and throb it to liquefy the integral fruit .
Strain it through a fine - meshed strainer or sieve to separate the juice from the pulp . Compost the pulp and seeds .
Keep an eye on your compost deal . It may take a long time , but you may eventually see some baby cactus growing !
Growing Prickly Pear From Seeds
When preparing a boat paddle cactus pear for eating , you may require to remove some seeds specifically to examine grow them .
To do this , clean the seed out and clean off the mush by washing all the pulp magazine off the seeded player .
repose the seed on a clean , dry paper towel in a warm place for one or two week to dry completely . Keep the seeds in a tightly sealed bag or container until you are ready to found .
It ’s good to implant them in the late wintertime or other spring . Use acactus potting soil mixor any light , well - drained grunge .
start by soaking the toughened seeds overnight ( at least eight hours ) before embed . Lay the seeds on the control surface of the soil and press them in softly .
Do n’t cover them .
Once the seeds are plant , keep the soil equally moist and warm until you see sprout .
If your location is quite desiccate , lie a sheet of charge card or trash over the top of your container to retain wet .
Keep the promising seeded player in a warm , well - lit surface area , and do n’t be disappointed if they do n’t spud right away .
Opuntia cacti seed are notoriously dense starters , and you may end up waiting as long as a class .
How To Grow Prickly Pear Cactus Opuntia From Cuttings
Because the cactus cum take so long to germinate , root fromcuttings is the preferred contour of generation .
Take cutting at any time , but late spring or former summer ( the pinnacle of the growing season ) is full .
It ’s very easy to cut off a pear tree pad , rent it dry for a few days and plant the dried pad in a tidy sum of cactus intermixture or other well - draining soil .
Just as with seminal fluid , keep the soil slenderly dampish until you see sign of growing . Protect the cut from harsh , lineal light .
Keep them in a warm , well - light up area with plenty of promising , indirect sunlight until they are well - shew .
Once ripe ( 2 - 3 year ) , raise them in full sun . [ source ]
Prickly Pear Cactus Care
Common names : Prickly Pear , Indian common fig , Bunny Ears , Beaver Tail , Barbary fig
elevation : gravid varieties can grow 15 foot high-pitched . Houseplant varieties appease under two feet eminent .
lighter : Immature plants ( under two days old ) do well with lots of bright , collateral sunlight . Once matured , full sun is appreciated .
Temperature : These cactus plants are very intrepid and forgiving . Mature plant can tolerate very high temperature during the day and desert - like drop in temperature overnight .
They prefer hot , dry summertime and nerveless crepuscule and winter month .
mostly speaking , protect your out-of-door cactus from freezing , but if it does freeze down do n’t be surprised to see it rising from the roots in the springtime .
water system : Keep seedling , cutting , and immature plants in lightly dampish soil until they reach a flake of growth . Once they develop a duad of “ leaf ” you’re able to let the dirt almost dry out between watering and then water thoroughly .
Mature plants are very drought large-minded and have downhearted water needs . take into account the soil to dry out out exhaustively . Wait until the cactus look a bit shrunken , then supply a deep , slow watering .
Fertilizer : Feed unripe works a week solvent of piddle - solublefertilizer for cactusevery yoke of weeks . Mature plants should only be fed two or three times during the summertime months . If growing Opuntia cactus to produce efflorescence and fruits , practice a low-pitched nitrogen fertilizer ( 0 - 10 - 10 ) .
If you want to produce more paddles for feeding , use a balanced fertilizer ( 10 - 10 - 10 ) . Monitor results and adjust consequently to befit your requirement .
filth : Plant spiny cactus in a pre - mixed cactus soil , or make your own cactus intermixture using humus , sand and clay . Outdoor these succulent works require lightheaded , aeriform , well - run out soil with slew of guts mixed in . Always expend a pot with a drainage hole .
Repotting : Repot young plants annually in the other springtime . Once plants intended for outside ripe , place them in a very carefully chosen permanent locating .
ripe indoor varieties may not require repotting once they strike their maximum size of it .
curry : Opuntia can be a groom - devoid plant if you desire . You never demand to prune them . Just cut off any unhealthy or untempting parts as ask .
You may require to sprinkle or rinse the cactus occasionally . employ a feather duster for dusting and spray with the hose , outside in the summertime .
Troubleshooting : trouble with cactus are almost always related to to water .
If your plant becomes shrivel or diffused , it means it involve water . Give it a thorough lacrimation and then debilitate off excess water .
If you fail to do this and your flora stand in water for a significant clip geological period , it may set out to droop or train dark flesh at its stand .
Too much water direct to root rot . If this happens , you will not be able-bodied to save the original works , but you may be able to start a fresh plant by train a cutting from an insensible area .
Mealybug populations can also accumulate .
Taking Care Of Container Cactus Year-Round
Although cactus is very small sustainment , your briery pear plant can not just take care of itself .
This is particularly true if you are keep it as a houseplant .
decent come in cactus in the landscape will do pretty well with natural Lord’s Day and rain , but potted flora need even caution and care .
In the wintertime , keep your potted Opuntia in a cool setting with plenty of bright , indirect ignitor .
H2O it very sparingly .
expect until the plant begins to crease a number , then give it a good potable .
Allow it to soak for half an hour and then pour off excess piss . In a cool , wintertime rig you may only require to water the Opuntia once or twice before spring .
When spring come , begin preparing your cactus for the raise time of year .
In early leaping ( around March ) transition your industrial plant to a strong location .
As you gradually increase the amount of direct sun your industrial plant receives , also gradually increase its urine .
It should begin to occupy out and may bring out some raw growth . Now is a good time to take cuttings !
During the summer your indoor cactus can love spending time outdoors . expect for a sunny , quick spot where your plant life can enjoy the natural rain .
It ’s a serious estimate to specify the pot right on the dirt , but ensure rainwater drains off easily .
Your industrial plant should never have to tolerate in water as thiscauses root to rot . supply a piss - soluble liquid food for thought every couple of calendar week .
At the end of summertime when the weather begin to cool , fetch your cactus back indoors .
Transition it from a warmer elbow room to a cooler mount and allow the industrial plant to ensconce in for the winter .
The exact timing of this changeover vary depending upon your climate .
Generally utter , bring your works in near the end of August and have it transitioned to its nerveless , wintertime setting by early November .
Remember not to overwater during the wintertime .
related to meter reading : Opuntia Subulata – acquire Awl Cactus
Is Growing Opuntia Prickly Pear Worth The Effort?
Care of Opuntia as a houseplant may sound a bit thought-provoking , but it is n’t .
It moil down to keeping the plant well warm , nicely lit and minimally water during the cool months and setting it outdoors to relish the weather during the warm months .
Indeed , prickly pear cactus is a good choice for indoor nurseryman who do n’t want to go to much bother .
They are an idealistic choice for outdoor gardeners who do n’t want to be bother at all .
If you desire to enjoy the fruit , keep in mind that it takes quite a few prickly pears to get just a trivial juice .
In fact , you will need to process between six and twelve of them to get a cup of succus .
you’re able to use the succus for drinking , cooking , as a cocktail mixer or any way you wish .
It is specially good mixed half and half with lemonade for a refreshing and unusual summer drink .
Nopales are well deserving the effort . They are not quite as childbed intensive as prickly pears , are very alimental and make a tasty , thrifty improver to your fare .
to boot , the gel from inside the Opuntia paddle is just as good as aloe vera gel for first help and personal care uses . [ origin ]
