Growing Opuntia - fresh vegetable from your garden

Created by popular request. Share what you know about man's past and present use of cacti.
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Justin
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Location: South Texas

Growing Opuntia - fresh vegetable from your garden

Post by Justin »

We have topics about "nopalito" - Opuntia pads - use like vegetable.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=26103
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16160
I think it is time to have a topic about Opuntia species, varieties cultivated for this purpose.
I opened this topic because I intend to present few of my plants that I grow for this purpose. But I don't know or I'm not sure what species they are.
I hope that if there are other colleagues who cultivate Opuntia as vegetables, they will present their plants, too.
---
This topic is not intended to identify which species are edible.
For those who want to grow these plants like vegetable is better to consult the specialists about what kind of species, varieties are good for consumption.
Some say it would be all, other say that not all are edible. I am inclined to believe that not all are edible.
Also need to know what parts to harvest, and perhaps for some species, or for a given geographic area to know when it is the harvest season.
As in general, only young clatodes (pads) are good to eat.
Also, as we know, Opuntia has glochide, so you need to know how to harvest them and how to clean them.
And of course you must to know how to cook.
To be honest, the expert in these matters is mother-in-law. I am agree, as cactushobbyman written here, mother-in-law is the master in this field. :) I just gardening but I can testify that salad, presented in photo by cactushobbyman, is delicious .
So again, my advice is to ask the experts about what is good to eat. My experience is too low in this area so I can't give authorized advice.
In addition, I must admit that my English writing may contain errors of expression. If it happens, thanks for any correction.
---
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Justin
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Location: South Texas

Re: Growing Opuntia - fresh vegetable from your garden

Post by Justin »

Opuntia 004

(004 is my code to call this Opuntia - :) )

Habit:
April 07, 2013<br />Pad rooted last year in spring time.  In the first year, a single pad was developed  (the largest).
April 07, 2013
Pad rooted last year in spring time. In the first year, a single pad was developed (the largest).
20130407 Opuntia 004 - 100_1694-002.JPG (72.78 KiB) Viewed 10870 times
May 27, 2013<br />It was a great rain. Base of the plant has been in the water for several days.
May 27, 2013
It was a great rain. Base of the plant has been in the water for several days.
20130527 Opuntia 004 DSCF4273-001.JPG (62.15 KiB) Viewed 10870 times
July 13, 2013
July 13, 2013
20130713 Opuntia 004 - IMG_0078-002.JPG (74.94 KiB) Viewed 10870 times
July 26, 2013
July 26, 2013
20130726 Opuntia 004 IMG_0129-002.JPG (57.53 KiB) Viewed 10870 times
August 01, 2013
August 01, 2013
20130801 Opuntia 004 DSC_3255-002.JPG (61.42 KiB) Viewed 10870 times
August 06, 2013
August 06, 2013
20130806 Opuntia 004 IMG_0183-002.JPG (61.78 KiB) Viewed 10870 times
August 19, 2013
August 19, 2013
20130819 Opuntia 004 IMG_0980-002.JPG (55.5 KiB) Viewed 10870 times
December 24, 2013
December 24, 2013
20131224 Opuntia 004 IMG_3272-003.JPG (71.79 KiB) Viewed 10870 times
I'll post soon, I hope tomorrow, some pictures of details and some considerations.
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Justin
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Location: South Texas

Re: Growing Opuntia - fresh vegetable from your garden

Post by Justin »

Opuntia presented above is a robust plant with thick pads.

Some pictures that illustrate the growth of new pads.
(I highlighted, with green arrows, some keeped pads. With red arrows, I highlighted some pads which were harvested. Harvested, when they had optimal harvesting size. Not harvested when that picture was taken.)

April 04, 2013
April 04, 2013
20130407 Opuntia 004 100_1694-003 A2.jpg (100.54 KiB) Viewed 10856 times
May 26, 2913
May 26, 2913
20130526 Opuntia 004 DSCF4272-002 A.jpg (73.72 KiB) Viewed 10856 times
July 13, 2013
July 13, 2013
20130713 Opuntia 004 IMG_0080-001 A.jpg (94.34 KiB) Viewed 10856 times
July 13, 2013
July 13, 2013
20130713 Opuntia 004 IMG_0099-001 A.jpg (115.41 KiB) Viewed 10856 times
July 25, 2013<br />Discontinued red arrow highlights the place of the pad that was highlighted with red arrow in the picture above. The plant started a new pad (in left) that finally reached the same size as the keeped pad (in right).
July 25, 2013
Discontinued red arrow highlights the place of the pad that was highlighted with red arrow in the picture above. The plant started a new pad (in left) that finally reached the same size as the keeped pad (in right).
20130725 Opuntia 004 DSC_3114-001 A.jpg (55.93 KiB) Viewed 10856 times
August 06, 2013
August 06, 2013
20130806 Opuntia 004 IMG_0182-002.JPG (65.84 KiB) Viewed 10856 times
December 24, 2013
December 24, 2013
20131224 Opuntia 004 IMG_3272-004.JPG (115.86 KiB) Viewed 10856 times
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Justin
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Location: South Texas

Re: Growing Opuntia - fresh vegetable from your garden

Post by Justin »

Considering this above picture:
Image

Few details taken on July 25, 2013

For the small pad (in left in mentioned photo)
July 25, 2013
July 25, 2013
20130725 DSC_3120-001.JPG (36.6 KiB) Viewed 10836 times
July 25, 2013
July 25, 2013
20130725 DSC_3127-001.JPG (43.58 KiB) Viewed 10836 times
For the large pad (in right in mentioned photo)
July 25, 2013
July 25, 2013
20130725 DSC_3131-001.JPG (37.98 KiB) Viewed 10836 times
July 25, 2013
July 25, 2013
20130725 DSC_3126-001.JPG (32.71 KiB) Viewed 10836 times
Few details taken on July 25, 2013

For the small pad
July 31, 2013
July 31, 2013
20130731 IMGP1350-001.JPG (35.33 KiB) Viewed 10836 times
July 31, 2013
July 31, 2013
20130731 IMGP1377-001.JPG (50.17 KiB) Viewed 10836 times
July 31, 2013
July 31, 2013
20130731 IMGP1348-002.JPG (39.38 KiB) Viewed 10836 times
For the large pad
July 31, 2013
July 31, 2013
20130731 IMGP1344-001.JPG (39.67 KiB) Viewed 10836 times
July 31, 2013
July 31, 2013
20130731 IMGP1345-001.JPG (42.39 KiB) Viewed 10836 times
July 31, 2013
July 31, 2013
20130731 IMGP1344-002.JPG (49.06 KiB) Viewed 10836 times
July 31, 2013
July 31, 2013
20130731 IMGP1343-001.JPG (51.13 KiB) Viewed 10836 times
And, I can not resist to present you more photos with this cute lady of Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans)
July 31, 2013
July 31, 2013
20130731 IMGP1371-004.JPG (41.64 KiB) Viewed 10836 times
You can see that it's a lady, looking to the pedipalps. (Pedipalps - the pair of appendage that resemble little legs, located in the left and right of cheliceraes).
The tip of adult female's pedipalps are thin and delicate. The tip of adult male's pedipalps, are swollen, resembling boxing gloves. (For immature spiders, the pedipalps are similar for female and male - aren't swollen to the tip)
July 31, 2013
July 31, 2013
20130731 IMGP1367-002.JPG (56.76 KiB) Viewed 10836 times
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Brunãozinho
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Re: Growing Opuntia - fresh vegetable from your garden

Post by Brunãozinho »

Did these ones give fruit already?
Bruno
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Justin
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Re: Growing Opuntia - fresh vegetable from your garden

Post by Justin »

My plant has not yet made ​​flowers. It seems to me to be a more southern species/variety, which thrive better in warmer areas. The pad was received through a friend, from a person from my area. Unfortunately, this person moved to another city and I had not the opportunity to see the mother plant. But from what the friend told me, it blooms and bears fruit in this area. I don't know if the fruits are good to eat, the mother-plant was grown just for landscape decoration.

Perhaps, because we talk about gardening, are useful some notes about my area in terms of climate.
Plant Hardiness Zone for my area is 9a. But I'm close to limit with area 8b. Climate is classified as humid subtropical. In winter, can be frost, but the temperature does not drop much below freezing. The frost usually occurs at night. normally, during the day time the temperature rises above the frost.
Occasionally the temperature may drop more. The record low temperature was 9 ° F (-13 ° C) - recorded in 1989. Snow is very rare.
I think to the 9 ° F (-13 ° C) this Opuntia 004 will be lost. In this case, the only thing I could do, would be to try cover the plant or to save a few pads and try to put to rooting next spring.
This December we had a few light frosts.
This Opuntia 004 entered in winter sleep. I have two other Opuntia who continued to vegetate without problems even in these conditions. Conditions in wich the others sleep. I have and a Nopalea (today considered Opuntia, too) who continued to vegetate but the very young pads was affected by frost.
The real problem is the combination of cold and humidity. It's a pretty humid area. Sometimes even very humid. Distance from the Gulf of Mexico is around 50 miles.
Sometimes even in condition of few rain or no rain, condensation occurring in the morning is high. Of course there are dry times, too.
But this combination, cold and humidity, seems to be a bigger problem especially for other species of cacti.
I hope my location, in the south, to not discourage those who would like to cultivate Opuntia like vegetable for pads, in areas further north. I know it is possible. Just need to find varieties suited for area. And of course knowing the harvest season. Eventually, more far in north, need a plant protection over the winter.
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Justin
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Re: Growing Opuntia - fresh vegetable from your garden

Post by Justin »

Few details for areolas and spines.

Areolas: small, round or elongated.
Spines on the areola: Frequently none, or one or two. Rarely three or more.
Size spines: If present shorter. Usually around 10 mm, rarely some to 20 mm.
Glochids: few, small.

Few pictures
July 25, 2013
July 25, 2013
20130725 Opuntia 004 DSC_3116-003.JPG (82.56 KiB) Viewed 10813 times
July 13, 2013
July 13, 2013
20130713 Opuntia 004 IMG_0081.JPG (106.36 KiB) Viewed 10813 times
July 13, 2013
July 13, 2013
20130713 Opuntia IMG_0092.JPG (48.95 KiB) Viewed 10813 times
July 25, 2013
July 25, 2013
20130725 Opuntia 004 DSC_3121-001.JPG (62.1 KiB) Viewed 10813 times
July 31, 2013
July 31, 2013
20130731 Opuntia 004 IMGP1353-001.JPG (47.69 KiB) Viewed 10813 times
July 31, 2013
July 31, 2013
20130731 Opuntia 004 IMGP1354-001.JPG (79.28 KiB) Viewed 10813 times
July 31, 2013
July 31, 2013
20130731 Opuntia 004 IMGP1355-001.JPG (77.92 KiB) Viewed 10813 times
July 31, 2013
July 31, 2013
20130731 Opuntia 004 IMGP1376-001.JPG (72.08 KiB) Viewed 10813 times
July 31, 2013
July 31, 2013
20130731 Opuntia 004 IMGP1379-001.JPG (67.23 KiB) Viewed 10813 times
Data measured on December 27, 2013:
Plant height: 40'' (approx 1 meter)
Largest pad size:
-Length: 16'' (approx. 0.4m)
-Width: 10 "(approx 0.25 m)
-Thickness:
-- An estimated average: around 1.5'' (between 3 and 4 cm)
-- At the junction with the lower pad: around /more than 2.5'' (around / more than 6 cm)
bluetexasbonnie
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Location: Geronimo, Texas (near San Antonio) Edge of zone 8a - 8b.

Re: Growing Opuntia - fresh vegetable from your garden

Post by bluetexasbonnie »

hello fellow Texan.

I am also interested in learning to eat my prickly pears -- or grow other more 'tasty' varieties.
My cactus must be gods. They demand blood sacrifice.
Eutow_Intermedium
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Re: Growing Opuntia - fresh vegetable from your garden

Post by Eutow_Intermedium »

I can't say I have ever been a grower of Opuntia's but, I do look seeing the progress of this plant as it has grown over time.

This amount of attention to a plant must make it a great friend of yours. Cant wait for it to flower and fruit *nods*

The spider is very pretty. Almost invisible on the pads.

=^_^=
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ricshaw
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Re: Growing Opuntia - fresh vegetable from your garden

Post by ricshaw »

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hegar
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Re: Growing Opuntia - fresh vegetable from your garden

Post by hegar »

I do have at last count 16 kinds of Opuntia growing in both my front and back yard. Most likely, the plant you are presenting was or still is in my possession. I at least did have some very fast growing, almost spineless prickly pear plants that were sensitive to frost.
The species could never be figured out though. The major problem, when trying to identify the plant is the fact, that most of the members of the genus Opuntia, which have been cultivated and are widely used, are hybrids. They were selected by the Native Americans, and perhaps the Spaniards also, for producing superior fruit and cladodes.
Sometimes the flower color and the fruit will help to perhaps venture an educated guess about which "pure" species were most likely used in the hybridization process.
This year, I am going to actually taste test all my named plants and figure out, which one tastes the best to me. My box tortoises do prefer my Opuntia violacea over all the others. Which of those plants has the best-tasting pads, I may never figure out, because that most likely would include cooking them. My wife will not allow those to be brought into the house, She is afraid of the glochids.

Harald
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