Can this Opuntia be saved???

cactusclub · Post by **cactusclub** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 4:32 pm

I found this while riding my bike this morning, on the sidewalk...there were many of them, only took this one. Is it alive, can it be saved and can anyone id it?

The plant it fell off is huge and is in front of a huge saguaro.

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 4:57 pm

O. cochenillifera, I think. Absolutely save-able. You can't kill these things with a hatchet and flamethrower around here. Just put it in some damp rooting medium, either upright or just lie it flat.

peterb

cactusclub · Post by **cactusclub** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:45 am

I want to plant one in the front yard and see how it does. Thanks for your help!!

dustin0352 · Post by **dustin0352** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 4:39 pm

I would root it first in the rooting medium, just to help it get a nice root structure, which will give faster results when planted in the yard. Nice find! might aswell go back and snag as many as you can. You know as well as the rest of us that you can never have to many

Moonbeam · Post by **Moonbeam** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 12:54 am

I have even planted only the fruit-thing under the flower, and it has rooted and is growing pads, and blooms.

cactusclub · Post by **cactusclub** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 12:57 am

dustin0352 wrote:I would root it first in the rooting medium, just to help it get a nice root structure, which will give faster results when planted in the yard. Nice find! might aswell go back and snag as many as you can. You know as well as the rest of us that you can never have to many

I'll get them tomorrow if they're still there

Moonbeam, cool I'll try that too

ihc6480 · Post by **ihc6480** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 1:07 am

cactusclub wrote:
dustin0352 wrote:I would root it first in the rooting medium, just to help it get a nice root structure, which will give faster results when planted in the yard. Nice find! might aswell go back and snag as many as you can. You know as well as the rest of us that you can never have to many
I'll get them tomorrow if they're still there

Moonbeam, cool I'll try that too

You do know that Opuntiads will one day take over the world

and your now helping them

Of course my yard is a breeding ground for them

cactusclub · Post by **cactusclub** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 5:03 am

Ha! I'm a sucker for stray cats and stray cactus

Ocotillo · Post by **Ocotillo** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:05 pm

Opuntia are killer mutants. One of those pads will have a 3 gallon nursery pot completely root bound in 3 - 4 months

Silenus · Post by **Silenus** » Wed May 13, 2009 12:06 am

Ocotillo wrote:Opuntia are killer mutants. One of those pads will have a 3 gallon nursery pot completely root bound in 3 - 4 months

There is never a situation where they will die unless by some chance you get rot, which is near impossible because they love water.

ihc6480 · Post by **ihc6480** » Wed May 13, 2009 12:21 am

Silenus wrote:
Ocotillo wrote:Opuntia are killer mutants. One of those pads will have a 3 gallon nursery pot completely root bound in 3 - 4 months
There is never a situation where they will die unless by some chance you get rot, which is near impossible because they love water.

Unfortunately thats not true. O. cochenillifera will grow like a weed in Arizona but if I grow it in Kansas it will have a very short life span because of our cold winters. Our wet spring can also be hard on them.
But I will agree Opuntia are one of the hardiest cacti to grow and I have a yard full of them

Sahara · Post by **Sahara** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 2:10 am

They are actually considered a noxious weed in Australia, there are that many prickly pears growing in the wild. I have one anyway...

ihc6480 · Post by **ihc6480** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 11:43 pm

My frontyard is full of weeds

I love my weedy yard

John C · Post by **John C** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 4:50 pm

It's a beautiful yard!

ihc6480 · Post by **ihc6480** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 12:14 am

Thanks John.