Good Morning!
I'm new here, looking for advice on these 3 prickly pear pads I've recently cut from my grandmother's HUGE plant outside her home in Mississippi. I live in Tennessee.
I let these callus for about a week and a half. I then planted them in these pots with cactus/succulent soil (I don't know much about soil, the bag said it was good for both). The biggest pot doesn't have drain holes so I put rocks in the bottom. I gave them a tiny bit of water after potting and put them in my living room where the natural light is pretty nice during the day.....then this happened.
I read online yellow prickly pear means it has been exposed to too much sun, so I put them in my bedroom.
They are sad. I hope they're not too far gone. I really want these to thrive since I got them from my grandmother. Luckily, I can always go back and get more if these don't survive. I'm open to ALL help/suggestions.
Thanks!
PS - sorry about the sideways photo lol
Droopy, Yellow Prickly Pear Babies
Droopy, Yellow Prickly Pear Babies
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- 3 sad prickly pads
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Re: Droopy, Yellow Prickly Pear Babies
Your guess is most likely correct. Your plants are all crimped in the same direction and it seems, that the other side still does have a healthy green color. So, some environmental factor is to blame for the discoloration. Most likely though it is a combination of the sun shining on your plant and also your cactus not being able to supply the most tender part of the pad (its top) with water, because the plant cuttings have not yet formed roots.
Fortunately, almost all species of prickly pear cacti are very tough plants. Part of the pad may die back, but once the roots have developed, the plant will be a vigorous one indeed. You may have also picked the still a bit immature pads, which do not yet have a thick epidermis, are thinner, and also more succulent. Those will be impacted more by climatic factors, because they are just more tender than the older pads.
I also noticed, that you planted your Opuntia sp. in a dark-looking kind of soil. This growing medium may be OK for "jungle cacti" like Epiphyllum spp., Hylocereus spp., Rhipsalis spp., Schlumbergera spp. etc. and also for a number of succulents. However, for desert cacti, which include most prickly pear species, it is too rich. The plant will become water-logged more easily, resulting in a rot and also contribute to excessive growth.
If you look at the top of this page, there is a tab named "Growing Help". Click on it and you will find some "recipes" for producing a good growing medium for your cacti. I would just go ahead and dilute the cactus and succulent soil with a good amount of coarse sand and small gravel. That would also fill up the pots a little bit better. Yous should be aiming for a well draining soil, which does not stay wet too long after watering.
Harald
Fortunately, almost all species of prickly pear cacti are very tough plants. Part of the pad may die back, but once the roots have developed, the plant will be a vigorous one indeed. You may have also picked the still a bit immature pads, which do not yet have a thick epidermis, are thinner, and also more succulent. Those will be impacted more by climatic factors, because they are just more tender than the older pads.
I also noticed, that you planted your Opuntia sp. in a dark-looking kind of soil. This growing medium may be OK for "jungle cacti" like Epiphyllum spp., Hylocereus spp., Rhipsalis spp., Schlumbergera spp. etc. and also for a number of succulents. However, for desert cacti, which include most prickly pear species, it is too rich. The plant will become water-logged more easily, resulting in a rot and also contribute to excessive growth.
If you look at the top of this page, there is a tab named "Growing Help". Click on it and you will find some "recipes" for producing a good growing medium for your cacti. I would just go ahead and dilute the cactus and succulent soil with a good amount of coarse sand and small gravel. That would also fill up the pots a little bit better. Yous should be aiming for a well draining soil, which does not stay wet too long after watering.
Harald