Opuntia (prickly pear), also known as Indian fig, is a type of cactus native to South America, Central America, and southern North America. Although opuntia prefers a desert climate, it can grow in a variety of soil types, humidity levels, and temperatures. The stems and fruit of opuntia are edible, but this cactus can also be grown as an ornamental plant because it has beautiful flowers, ranging in color from orange to yellow to white. To grow opuntia, you can buy saplings that have already grown, sprout from seeds on the fruit, or cut opuntia stems from existing plants.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Growing Opuntia from Seed
Step 1. Collect seeds
You can do this by purchasing seeds from a nursery or flower shop, or extracting the seeds directly from the opuntia fruit. Opuntia fruit is red, shaped like an egg, and grows on the tops of the stems. To remove the seeds from the fruit, do the following:
- Wear gloves to protect hands from opuntia spines. Slice the ends of the fruit. Stand the fruit over one end.
- Make thin vertical slices from top to bottom on one side of the skin, then carefully insert your finger into the fruit. Peel the skin like you would peel an orange.
- Use your fingers to separate the pulp and collect the seeds that are scattered all over the fruit.
Step 2. Prepare the pot
Take a small pot that has drainage holes in the bottom. Cover the bottom of the pot with a layer of gravel for better drainage.
- Fill the pot with soil containing half soil and half sand, coarse pumice, or clay. This type of soil drains better than soils with a high clay content. In addition, this soil is also more similar to the natural desert soil that cacti like.
- You can also buy ready-to-plant soil for cacti or succulents that hasn't been mixed.
- If you don't have a pot, just use a plastic cup. Make several holes in the bottom of the glass for drainage.
- To plant a lot of opuntia, prepare several pots at once.
Step 3. Plant the seeds
Place a seed or two on the ground. Gently press the seeds into the soil and cover with a thin layer of soil.
Sprinkle a little water. The soil should be moist, but not soggy
Step 4. Place the pot in a warm but shady place
Opuntia seeds do not need direct sunlight like a grown cactus. Place the pot in a shady place that is still exposed to sunlight so that the weather around it is warm.
- As the opuntia seeds sprout, keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate. Water when the soil starts to dry to the touch.
- Opuntia grown from seed tend to take longer to grow than stem cuttings, and the plants will take 3 to 4 years to produce flowers and fruit. However, growing this cactus from seed is important to ensure genetic diversity.
Method 2 of 3: Tuning Opuntia
Step 1. Find mature opuntia plants for cutting
Another way to grow opuntia is by cutting the stems of mature plants. Ask friends or neighbors if you can cut opuntia from their plants if you don't already have your own mature opuntia.
- To grow opuntia from an existing plant, cut a cactus stem. This trunk is actually a stalk or branch that is modified to be like a bearing.
- The stem of the opuntia is the green and fleshy flat-bearing part of the plant that makes up the bulk of the plant.
Step 2. Cut opuntia stems
Choose healthy stems that are medium or large and one to three years old. Ideally, look for smooth stems that are not damaged, blotchy, or have any flaws.
- To cut it, hold the top of the stem with a glove, then cut the stem above the knuckle (joint) where the stem attaches to the plant.
- Do not cut the stems under the book as this can lead to infection and the cactus will rot.
Step 3. Allow the stem to form a callus (thickening and hardening)
To prevent infection and rot, allow opuntia stem cuttings to form a callus on the cut before planting. Place the stems on a raised bed or sandy soil for one to two weeks until the cut marks dry.
Place the stem in the shade while allowing it to form a callus
Step 4. Prepare the pot
Fill the bottom of the potted planting medium with small rocks to facilitate drainage. Fill the rest of the pot with sandy or loamy soil, which is also well drained.
The most ideal soil composition is a mixture of half the soil and half the sand or pumice
Step 5. Plant the opuntia stalk after the cut has healed
Make a hole 2.5 to 5 cm deep in the soil with your finger. Plant the stems upright in the pot with the cut position placed into the soil. Bury the ends of the stems. Do not bury the tip of the stem more than 2.5 to 5 cm because the cactus can rot.
If the opuntia trunk is difficult to erect, just support it with a few rocks around it
Step 6. Water the cactus
Water the cactus only when the soil is visibly dry, about once or twice per week.
Step 7. Place the cactus in a place exposed to sunlight
Unlike its seeds, opuntia stems need a lot of direct sunlight. However, cactus stems can also burn if the sun is too hot, so protect your opuntia from sun exposure between 11am and 1pm when it is at its best.
- So that you don't have to constantly move your opuntia, just place the plant with its widest sides facing east and west, so that the thin side is facing the sun when it's hot.
- This will protect the opuntia from getting sunburnt and you won't have to shade them every midday.
- Once the opuntia roots have sprouted, the plant is ready for full sun exposure.
Method 3 of 3: Caring for Opuntia
Step 1. Choose a permanent location for the cactus
You can continue growing opuntia in pots or transplant them into the soil. To move opuntia, choose an outdoor location that gets full sun exposure.
- Even if you plant opuntia in a pot, it should still be placed in a place that gets full sun exposure.
- If you live in a colder winter climate where temperatures drop below -10 °C, plant opuntia in pots so that they can be moved indoors in cooler temperatures.
Step 2. Move the opuntia
The best time to transplant opuntia is at the end of the rainy season when the risk of heavy rain is over.
- Dig a hole that is roughly the same size as the current opuntia pot. Bring the pot as close to the hole as possible. Gently turn the pot over and cup the cactus with your gloved hand.
- Place the opuntia root tissue into the hole and cover it with soil. Compact the soil with your hands and moisten it with water.
- During the first week, water the plant every three to four days. After that, water the opuntia every three to four weeks. After the first year, the opuntia will not need any additional water other than the rainwater it gets.
Step 3. Harvest the opuntia stems and fruit once the plant is strong
Allow the opuntia to grow strong for a few months before you harvest the stems or fruit. Wait for the opuntia stems to grow two to three fruits before harvesting them, and wait until there are at least eight flowers on the stems before harvesting the fruit.
- Cut the stems with a sharp knife in the late morning or early afternoon. This is the time when the acid content is at its lowest. Cut the stems just above the cactus book.
- Harvest opuntia fruit by twisting the fruit and pulling it gently from the stem. The opuntia fruit is ripe when the glochids or cactus spines fall off from the light or dark colored bumps on the fruit.
- Wear gloves to protect your hands from thorns when you harvest opuntia.
Step 4. Cover the soil with mulch (such as straw, sawdust, husk, or leaves) in winter
To prevent damage from cold weather, even if you live in a warmer climate, cover the soil around the opuntia with mulch in the fall.
If you live in a cold climate and grow your cactus in pots, bring your opuntia indoors in the fall to prevent the cacti from freezing
Warning
- Wear gloves whenever you handle a cactus because opuntia are prickly. Thick gloves specifically designed for gardening are the best option, or just wear any gloves that are thick and protective. You can also use tongs to hold the opuntia.
- Opuntia is categorized as a weed (nuisance plant) or an invasive species in certain areas where it is not native to the area. If it is considered invasive, as in some parts of Australia, you are not allowed to grow opuntia.
