How do you remove the spines from opuntia cactus? Thanks.
You can burn them off, which is probably the easiest, or shave them off. My torts eat around them.
I run them over the burner on the stove. they sizzle rightoff. I hold them with tongs to do it.
I burn them as well, but my Red-foots eat them just as readily if I don't.
Buring them off is probebly easiest either over the burners on the stove or the BBQ
Or you can peel them with a potato peeler or cut them out with a small knife. I perfer burning then my hands don't have to get too close to them.
Thanks for all your replies. I will try burning them. Thanks
Don't think I am being a smarty pants but you can also buy smooth Opuntia.
Yes, opuntia ficus-indicus. These are fairly spineless but I thought he was speaking of collected ones.
Yeh, and even the fairly spineless ones have some spines so watch your fingers.
What is a good spineless species to grow in south florida?
ficus-indicus. It is naturalized in S. Florida. http// plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=OPUNT
what about removing them from your finger? i got the tiniest little tip of one stuck in my thumb today and how can something so small hurt so bad? i can't get it out! ARGH!
cvalda Wrote:what about removing them from your finger? i got the tiniest little tip of one stuck in my thumb today and how can something so small hurt so bad? i can't get it out! ARGH!
I've literally torn my fingers apart trying to get them out some say take a credit card and scrape it along the area to help pull it out. I never found this helped. Eventually they will come out and stop hurting. Persistence and patience with tweezers and a magnifying glass sometimes pays off. I have learned to handle with thick gloves or with tongs only.