šŸ‚ Seasonā€™s Change šŸƒMar 14

I bought a cactus! šŸŒµ

The variety is Optunia ā€˜Al Parkerā€™ and I was really attracted to the purple pads. Itā€™s cold hardy so I should be able to leave it outside.

Somehow I only managed to get a single pokey in my fingerā€¦ I think I got it out? Regardless, Iā€™m loving this plant!

#gardening #cacti

Show threadEd Sullivan
@SeasonsChange Good luck with your opuntia! The glochids are much worse than the spines and can haunt you for daysā€¦ I use duct tape to remove them since the adhesive clings to the tiny harpoons. Growing the cactus in a pot will expose the plant to lower temperatures, since cold tolerance and zones are based on growing the plants in the ground. You may need to insulate the pot or double pot it to keep it from freeze damage in winter.
Mar 14 at 11:33pmWeb
Show threadšŸ‚ Seasonā€™s Change šŸƒMar 14

@edsullivan Thanks for the advice! I may have to grab some tape from the garage because that glochid was giving me trouble!

For overwintering I usually bury anything that I care about in my raised beds and then cover it generously in leaves. I have another Optunia that I brought home as a pad from New Mexico. I also have some thyme and alliums buried and they seem ready for spring!

Show threadEd SullivanMar 15
@SeasonsChange You Got This ! I am growing Opuntia humifusa and it has no spines to warn that the glochids are there, so I had gotten dozens of them stuck in my hands and I used duct tape to pull them out before they got embedded. Any tape with a strong adhesive should work if you get them promptly.