Cross Pollinating Different Optunia Species

[ShawnH]

Hello my name is Shawn and I recently got into keeping various Optunia species and cultivars with my preference being for spineless moderately cold Hardy varieties as I am located in zone 7b. I’ve been trying to research this topic a bit and haven’t had much luck but wanted to ask how difficult it is to cross pollinate/breed different Optunia species with one another? I am interested in creating my own moderately cold Hardy spinlesss crosses using Optunia humifusa x Optunia Cacanapa ‘Ellisiana’, Optunia humifusa x Optunia gomei ‘Old Mexico’, and Optunia humifusa x Optunia Ficus Indica ‘Burbank Spineless’. Right now I’m currently just in the research phase as most of my plants are still newly routed cuttings but figured I’d consult this forum to see if there were any special tips or techniques or hurdles I should be aware of. Thank you.

[Tom in Tucson]

Have you perused the ALPLAINS catalog? They're in Kiowa, CO, and offer not only Opuntia hybrids, but many other cacti as well. It might be a good starting point.