# Cactus Garden is the only thing that grows in texas!!!!!!!



## tortadise (Jul 30, 2012)

Well the cactus is doing awesome, but the grass is not here in north texas. LOOK at all that fruit, torts are gonna be happy tomorrow when im done picking these bad boys. Some of the pads are 14" absolutely gargantuan.


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## wellington (Jul 30, 2012)

WOW that is a lot of fruit. Have fun picking. Don't get poked too much


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## tortadise (Jul 30, 2012)

Yeah Its been growing like crazy. I ate a few, they are so good. its like a strawberry kiwi watermelon like fruit. MMMMMM Im part tort.


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## Jacqui (Jul 30, 2012)

tortadise said:


> Yeah Its been growing like crazy. I ate a few, they are so good. its like a strawberry kiwi watermelon like fruit. MMMMMM Im part tort.



Hmmm interesting combination.  What kind is the one in the last picture?


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## tortadise (Jul 30, 2012)

Opuntia cholla. You want some? It grows just like the pads do. half in the dirt and it takes off.

I got you some pink gloves from home depot BTW


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## mctlong (Jul 30, 2012)

Thats alot of fruit!



tortadise said:


> Yeah Its been growing like crazy. I ate a few, they are so good. its like a strawberry kiwi watermelon like fruit. MMMMMM Im part tort.




Yummy! My favorite is the juice over ice - nothing better in the world!


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## tortadise (Jul 30, 2012)

Theres like 4 different kinds in there. The molesta on the right in the overal photo, that stuff hurts like a bastard. It has HUGE thorns on it. But a quick burn and there eatable for the torts. I usually just leave the cactus burm alone, as I have many many more spineless available for them elsewhere, But I cant resist giving them the fruit.



mctlong said:


> Thats alot of fruit!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Oh its so good with rum. I used to go to the mexican markets and get the fruits. They are called tunas by the mexicans. I had no idea they were the fruit from cactus til I thought a little harder. Ha


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## Jacqui (Jul 30, 2012)

tortadise said:


> Opuntia cholla. You want some? It grows just like the pads do. half in the dirt and it takes off.
> 
> I got you some pink gloves from home depot BTW





*PINK????? Wellll I guess I can't look gift gloves in the mouth, wait that was horses wasn't it? *


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## tortadise (Jul 30, 2012)

Ha. No theyre brand spankin new.


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## Jacqui (Jul 30, 2012)

tortadise said:


> Ha. No theyre brand spankin new.



You've been spanking them? No wonder they are pink.  So does one tuna make a drink (the one with the rum)?


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## tortadise (Jul 30, 2012)

Well usually not it takes a few, with some ice and rum and a splash of o.j. Mmmm im gonna do that tomorrow night. Maybe call it the tort drink. Id take a few and squeze the juice out for one drink.


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## N2TORTS (Jul 30, 2012)

I herd the " stories " grow pretty tall in Texas too! .....


Nice cacti' garden ....BTW ~ 
JD~


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## tortadise (Jul 31, 2012)

Lol I suppose they can.


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## ALDABRAMAN (Jul 31, 2012)

Nice!


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## Jacqui (Jul 31, 2012)

tortadise said:


> Well usually not it takes a few, with some ice and rum and a splash of o.j. Mmmm im gonna do that tomorrow night. Maybe call it the tort drink. Id take a few and squeze the juice out for one drink.



So did you?


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## tortadise (Jul 31, 2012)

Of course I did. Actually used 3 tunas and quater cup oj and 4 fingers of rum, quite awesome. You should try it jacqinator.


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## Jacqui (Jul 31, 2012)

tortadise said:


> Of course I did. Actually used 3 tunas and quater cup oj and 4 fingers of rum, quite awesome. You should try it jacqinator.



I really think I would like too, but I don't get up to Lincoln very often and no stores around here carry the tunas. Of course even in Lincoln, I seldom can find any. I will keep it in mind, when I come across some and buy a few extra for me. Thanks for giving me a better recipe to follow!


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## tortadise (Jul 31, 2012)

Anytime. I love making natural drink concoctions.


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## Nixxy (Aug 1, 2012)

Oh man, that's beautiful. Yvonne has a really nice one, too.

Unfortunately, it is completely impossible to have something like that up where I am.. D:

All I can have is some small indoor ones!


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## Redstrike (Aug 1, 2012)

Wow Kelly, those Opuntia are fruiting like mad! I give them to my redfoots on occassion as a treat and they go nuts for 'em


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## tortadise (Aug 2, 2012)

Yeah, Ive fed quite a few of the blooms(about a quater so far) Luckily I have quite a few african species that require succulents in their diet. And of course the sulcatas just gobble them up. Everyone is lovin em. Even me, with rum mmm mmm


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## poison (Aug 2, 2012)

do you feed the fruit and the pads?


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## tortadise (Aug 2, 2012)

yep. I usually just get the fruit from this plant and feed the pads from my "spineless" the spines on that plant are HUGE.


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## DesertGrandma (Aug 3, 2012)

Okay you have me hooked now.. How do you "squeeze" the fruit? Thoought you had to cook it to get the juice out???? Got my rum bottle out.


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## Jacqui (Aug 3, 2012)

DesertGrandma said:


> Okay you have me hooked now.. How do you "squeeze" the fruit? Thoought you had to cook it to get the juice out???? Got my rum bottle out.



Didn't you ever wonder why Kelly has those big ole sulcatas?


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## tortadise (Aug 3, 2012)

hehehe. They have to be ripe. If they are not ripe they are hard as a rock. Typically they are ripe when they are 100% red. but if partially ripe they are still squeezable. The margarita squeeze thingy usually work.


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## DesertGrandma (Aug 3, 2012)

Great. I have my squeezy thingy just waiting now  



Jacqui said:


> DesertGrandma said:
> 
> 
> > Okay you have me hooked now.. How do you "squeeze" the fruit? Thoought you had to cook it to get the juice out???? Got my rum bottle out.
> ...



I can just see her holding a little bowl under her torts mouth catching the juice as they bite into it.


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## Jacqui (Aug 3, 2012)

DesertGrandma said:


> I can just see her holding a little bowl under her torts mouth catching the juice as they bite into it.



I was thinking more along the lines that he had them squish out the juice using their entire body weight.  Your idea works too, but Kelly is a good looking man, not a she.


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## DesertGrandma (Aug 3, 2012)

Jacqui said:


> DesertGrandma said:
> 
> 
> > I can just see her holding a little bowl under her torts mouth catching the juice as they bite into it.
> ...



Oops. Sorry Kelly.


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## tortadise (Aug 3, 2012)

Haha. Its ok im used to it.


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## Jacqui (Aug 3, 2012)

tortadise said:


> Haha. Its ok im used to it.



You know, if you put that picture back, folks might not think you were a female...


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## tortadise (Aug 3, 2012)

Very good point you have.


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## Jacqui (Aug 3, 2012)

tortadise said:


> Very good point you have.



Yeppers it happens every so often, surprising isn't it?


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## tortadise (Aug 3, 2012)

Yep, always surprising. ha


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## Jacqui (Aug 3, 2012)

Good thing I like you.


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## tortadise (Aug 3, 2012)

It tis a good thing  I like you too! Your funny


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