But last week I found out that:
1) Spineless cacti aren’t.
2) Prickly pear isn’t a great pot cactus, because it’ll bust right out of your pots.
3) Repotting a cactus is not fun.
4) There’s a second one that needs repotting.
Welcome to the club.
I have a collection of spineless Opuntia cactus.
i planted a selection of 11 on the steep hillside behind my house. For the curious, listed below:
The Opuntia planted on the hill, in general, are doing much better than the ones growing in pots.
Even with the drought, surviving the Thomas Fire, loss of drip irrigation, I am getting fruit.
“Andy” — pad collected from cactus growing over back fence at house next to Andrew’s Koi, Anaheim, CA.
“Petit Ave.” — from prickly pear cactus planted along the side of the road next to a citrus orchard, Ventura, CA.
“12th St.” — from a cactus growing behind the fence of a house on the shoulder of a rural road, Santa Paula, CA.
“PARL 244, Nopal de Castilla” — Collected in Mexico from two sites on an abandoned plot, 1/2 km behind the town of Malpa Alta, Mexico.
“PARL 246, Verdura” — Collected in Mexico by the Universidad Autonoma de Chapingo, Mexico.
“PARL 247, Amarilla” — Collected in Mexico by the Universidad Autonoma de Chapingo, Mexico.
“Wagon Wheel” — collected from old, large cactus at old abandoned trailer and mobile home park, Oxnard, CA.
“PCH” — called Torrance PCH#1, from cactus growing over back fence at house next to PCH, Torrance, CA.
“Santa Ynez” — pad donated by CRFG member, original cactus may be from Rivenrock Cactus Nursery, Nipomo, CA who says original cuttings from a Navajo family whose ancestors had bred it over a couple centuries.
“O. ficus indica Peru” — Peruvian Opuntia ficus-indica from Florida cactus collector.
“O. ficus indica Nipas, Chile” — Nipas Chile Opuntia ficus-indica from Florida cactus collector.