Time to trim the cacti so new leaves will come out. The new leaves will be more tender for eating. Lots of work, but I trim them back about every three years. They were all about 6 foot tall. Still have several more to trim back. A late frost will not hurt, the sun is out, and now I need to find the time.
Will get nice new leaves.
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This one just grows too much.
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Yet to get started, about six foot tall and at least six foot in dia.
CactusHobbyMan - Which Opuntia is pic #2? Just wondering if it has any "cold-hardy" qualities. It Was a real beauty -- & not doubt it will/has before return to it's glory!
Peter
Once bitten by the cactus collecting/growing bug, there is no known cure!
There's no 12 step programme for Cactaholics...so I shall just have to get some more!!
Wow!! Do you just throw the trimmings away? I Would pay for a large priority mail box, if you would send a box full. I would love to have atleast one of each.
hoteidoc wrote:CactusHobbyMan - Which Opuntia is pic #2? Just wondering if it has any "cold-hardy" qualities. It Was a real beauty -- & not doubt it will/has before return to it's glory!
Peter
I dont think so. I have one like that (I think) It comes from Mexico and it's cold tolerance is around freezing. I Will find out this year with it being outside in ground. I put it near a white propane tank I don't use.
I will see what happens. (it's Opuntia leuchotrica or at least I think that is what it is)
Here's to you, all you insidious creatures of green..er I mean cacti.
CactusHobbyMan - Thanks for the info, unfortunately not good to 0f -- but gorgeous Opuntia! Did I just say that @ an Opuntia I guess they're "growing" on me!
Once bitten by the cactus collecting/growing bug, there is no known cure!
There's no 12 step programme for Cactaholics...so I shall just have to get some more!!
All I can think when seeing those pictures is OH MY GOSH, THE GLOCHIDS!!! THE GLOCHIDS!!!
How can you do all the pruning without them covering you and infesting your clothes forever? That's the thing that has kept me from really getting into Opuntioids.
I'm now selling plants on Ebay. Check it out! Kyle's Plants
Saxicola wrote:All I can think when seeing those pictures is OH MY GOSH, THE GLOCHIDS!!! THE GLOCHIDS!!!
How can you do all the pruning without them covering you and infesting your clothes forever? That's the thing that has kept me from really getting into Opuntioids.
Believe it or not, I get very little glochids from these Opuntias. I did have three different types of Opuntia microdasys, white, yellow and red glochids, and if I walked within ten feet of them, OMG. They could not take a hard freeze where I live, mid 20's and as low some years in the teens. They got ugly so I took them out.
Peterthecactusguy wrote:
hoteidoc wrote:CactusHobbyMan - Which Opuntia is pic #2? Just wondering if it has any "cold-hardy" qualities. It Was a real beauty -- & not doubt it will/has before return to it's glory!
Peter
I dont think so. I have one like that (I think) It comes from Mexico and it's cold tolerance is around freezing. I Will find out this year with it being outside in ground. I put it near a white propane tank I don't use.
I will see what happens. (it's Opuntia leuchotrica or at least I think that is what it is)
This year we did have several days of hard freeze with temps below freezing for 4-6 hours. I think this year the coldest was around 25 degrees.
apfire wrote:Wow!! Do you just throw the trimmings away? I Would pay for a large priority mail box, if you would send a box full. I would love to have atleast one of each.
I have several large cactus that I trim every three years or so. I rent a big dumpster and throw them away. Send me a PM and I'll see what I can do for you.
mine died after the pigs eat it to the base.. BUT WAIT.. it's grown three new pads. IT froze early on too in January after our warm spell. It grew two new pads on top of the other two.. (It started as a single pad)
Here's to you, all you insidious creatures of green..er I mean cacti.
martenfisher wrote:That is wierd the microdasys froze. They do great here with freezes down in the teens.
They had lots of damage, dead pads and just look ugly. Then when it was time to clean up the glochids became airborne and you get covered in them. I just grew them in the native soil and it is possible the heavy clay may have caused rot which helped lead to their demise.
Clean up is wrapping up. I rented a 40 yard roll off dumpster to be rid of all the cuttings and the rest of the trash that needs to be cleaned up. I have 22 fruit trees and have at least 4 years of pruning, old chicken pens and a few dead trees to be tossed away too. And pruning from different shade trees.
This plant makes a natural fence. Four plants filled in an area of 20 feet long and 6 feet wide.
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That's about a 6 inch dia. branch. It took a tree saw to cut through it. Very tough plant. They haven't been pruned in five years or more.
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Don't feel bad, they will grow back.
Everything removed and finished.
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It opens up the garden so much. I hope I will keep it up better.
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I pruned these back in April. A lot of them started to root where they lay. The roots on some were 5 inches and longer.
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Some prune and a lot more to prune. Several days of work ahead of me.
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This area of my property was designed to receive all the rain run off from the North side of my property. I called it my waste area knowing this area will receive a great deal of water. With heavy clay soil the water runs off more than it permeates. For years I let the plants grow like a natural habitat area, but found it is very hard to keep the weeds clean and the area started looking pretty bad. So a major clean up was needed and it may look rough now, but this time next year all efforts will be rewarded with a beautiful cactus landscape area.
If I'd only known a few days earlier you were cutting cactus. I was in Porterville, CA and looking for some cactus pads to bring home to Canada. Nobody there had any they would part with, not even 1 or 2 pads.
-- but gorgeous Opuntia! Did I just say that @ an Opuntia 
I guess they're "growing" on me! 
